UCA, ASU stars now get NFL shot

Two days after being drafted in the sixth round by the Kansas City Chiefs, Tremon Smith was prepared for his flight to rookie camp.

"It's my dream," the former University of Central Arkansas cornerback said from his family's home in Anniston, Ala. "I'm ready to get up there and get to work."

His flight leaves this morning.

Somewhere in the sky, he'll parallel three former Arkansas State University players who are also bound for Kansas City.

Tight end Blake Mack and defensive tackle Dee Liner signed as undrafted free agents with the Chiefs, and offensive tackle Jaypee Philbert was invited to try out for a contract at Kansas City's rookie camp.

Bound for the same dream on different paths, they are part of the 10 combined players from ASU and UCA who will attend an NFL team's rookie camp in an attempt to make the 90-man training camp roster.

Although the way they were acquired does not guarantee a roster spot, it does create a status structure that shifts the odds of their fates.

Since no player receives any of the money due in their contract until they make a team's final 53-man roster, a player establishes leverage by the amount of money he receives in an additional guaranteed signing bonus.

Draft picks receive higher signing bonuses than undrafted free agents -- if the free agents receive a bonus at all -- and undrafted free agents have signed a contract, which gives them leverage over players who received rookie camp invites, who have no contracts.

"As a free agent, it gives guys more leeway, more chance of being able to return," said former ASU linebacker Kyle Wilson, who will try out with the Philadelphia Eagles from May 11-14. "In my position, as far as the invite, I'm in a position where I have to work hard to get noticed."

Some players, like Philbert, receive multiple invites to NFL rookie camps and filter through the options to select the team that gives them the best shot at making it to training camp.

"I was able to receive three invites," said Philbert, who could not accept invites with the Oakland Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers because they coincided with the Chiefs' camp this weekend. "It's a numbers game. We looked at the offensive linemen, what [the Chiefs] already have. Now, I have to go in there and show that I'm NFL ready."

Former ASU defensive end Ja'Von Rolland-Jones feels that he is NFL ready.

The Football Bowl Subdivision's No. 2 all-time career leader in sacks signed a free agent contract with the Cincinnati Bengals -- which he said included a signing bonus of "a couple thousand" dollars -- shortly after the draft concluded, and he said that contract offers reassurance.

"It's better to have that interest immediately," said Rolland-Jones, who leaves for Bengals rookie camp on May 10. "But you just got to go in there, that's all I can say about it. If you do it, you're going to have to bring the full ability out. That's what's going to separate you from everybody."

Rolland-Jones has a 5.0 prospect rating according to NFL.com, which means the site expects him to have a "50-50 chance" to make an NFL roster.

His rating is not that far behind Kansas City's Smith (5.34), who is listed to be an "NFL backup" with "special teams potential."

"We're all battling," Smith said. "We're not guaranteed, [us] late-round guys. It's pretty much the same as an undrafted free agent. Still have to work our butts off to make the team."

"The goal from the beginning was find a way to swing the door open," said former ASU cornerback and return specialist Blaise Taylor, who will try out with the New Orleans Saints from May 11-14."Get that opportunity and take full advantage of that opportunity so that everybody in the organization wants to keep you around."

Sports on 05/04/2018