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North Carolina Tar Heels: Undrafted Free Agency

By John Woodcock

Dec 29, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Marquise Williams (12) and wide receiver Quinshad Davis (14) celebrate a touchdown during the second half of a football game at Florida Citrus Bowl. Baylor won 49-38. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 29, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Marquise Williams (12) and wide receiver Quinshad Davis (14) celebrate a touchdown during the second half of a football game at Florida Citrus Bowl. Baylor won 49-38. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /
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The North Carolina Tar Heels are getting some NFL shots from the undrafted free agent route.

It was a quiet weekend for the North Carolina Tar Heels as none of their contributors from their Coastal Division winning season went in the NFL Draft. Before you start to wonder if Landon Turner and crew won eleven games on smoke and mirrors, a number of those guys got signed by teams as undrafted free agents.

It is also a statement to how much of the current Tar Heel team is still in place from its eleven win version. Elijah Hood, Ryan Switzer, most of the offensive line, and much of secondary all came back and won’t be draft ready until after next season.

As for the players trying to make it on NFL teams:

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New York Jets

RB Romar Morris

Houston Texans

LB Shakeel Rashad

Detroit Lions

WR Quinshad Davis

Minnesota Vikings

QB Marquise Williams

New Orleans Saints

LB Jeff Shoettmer

G Landon Turner

This list hits all the names that you would expect to see. Several of these players are going into opportunities with teams trying to figure out positions of need.

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The Lions are one of those. Davis walks into a team which is shuffling the deck at wide receiver in the wake of the retirement of Calvin Johnson. A good 6’4 target is always welcome in such circumstances and it will help to have the gun of Matthew Stafford back there to throw to.

Turner and the Saints should also work since the Saints have to get players who can keep Drew Brees on his feet for whatever is left of his career. Brees counts thirty million against the cap this year due to past restructurings of his deal.

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    • The 3-4 Texans defense should be a good home for Rashad. He some flexibility to offer either on the inside or as an outside rusher depending on what the Texans need him for. It was too bad that we only saw a year of him at linebacker in Chapel Hill.

    Finally there is Williams. The last time a record-setting Tar Heel quarterback went undrafted and had to play his way onto a roster, he won a Championship. Unfortunately it was the Grey Cup. Williams, like Darian Durant, may need to prove himself in Canada first where there may be more playing time available.

    Next: Jackson and Meeks Test Waters

    The Tar Heels are hoping to have a bigger impact on the draft next year. That all depends on what kind of season they put together in the fall.

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