Are Pats fans overreacting to their fourth-round picks?
The New England Patriots have been no stranger to being aggressive in the undrafted free agent market after the NFL Draft in recent years. The UDFA market has been a place where the Pats have found a lot of players, several of which have gone on to become key contributors if not stars (Malcolm Butler, David Andrews, Jonathan Jones, JC Jackson) on the team and in the league. Yet a dual threat QB just became the richest UDFA in Patriots history.
Shortly after the seven rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft ended, the undrafted market got going, and the Patriots reportedly beat out several suitors for University of Louisville QB Malik Cunningham. The Pats gave Cunningham $30,000 guaranteed and a whopping $200,000 signing bonus, one of the richest UDFA deals in league history. The Patriots must have seen something in Cunningham, considered a dynamic athlete and elusive runner, who broke the Louisville record for career touchdowns with 120, surpassing…you guessed it…Lamar Jackson.
Lamar Jackson becomes the immediate comp for most fans as both were running QBs who were as, if not more dangerous with their legs as their arms at school. Cunningham’s highest rushing TD total was 2021 when he had 20 on the ground for the Cardinals. Perhaps the Patriots, who many linked to Jackson this offseason during his restricted tender franchise tag period with the Baltimore Ravens (he has since signed a ludicrous $260 million extension) thought this money a worthy gamble on a player drawing comps to Jackson. It’s worth noting Lamar Jackson went in the first round, 32nd overall.
The Patriots also signed UDFA tight end Johnny Lumpkin from the Louisiana Lafayette Ragin Cajuns. Lumpkin is a big guy (6’6”, 270 lbs) who will be a bit of a project, but does have some skills, and at least ensures the Pats don’t walk away from the 2023 NFL Draft entirely without a tight end. Both Hunter Henry and newcomer Mike Gesicki are both set to be free agents in 2024.
If either player, Cunningham or Lumpkin, or another UDFA, makes the team, it will help them extend their unbelievable streak of seasons keeping a UDFA on the roster, potentially making 2023 their 20th straight season.
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