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April 30, 2012 @ 11:20 am
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Bucs Add Johnson, Wynn and 12 Other Free Agents

Written by Mark
Cook
Mark Cook

Mark
Cook

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The "second" draft took place over the weekend as the Buccaneers added 14 undrafted rookies to their roster. Recognizable names include cornerback Leonard Johnson, a Clearwater native, and Rutgers guard Desmond Wynn.
The 2012 NFL Draft may have ended Saturday evening, but the acquisition of players continued over the weekend, as general manager Mark Dominik and head coach Greg Schiano scoured the lists of undrafted college free agents, trying to find a diamond in the rough.

Monday morning the Buccaneers released a list of players who have officially signed offers with Tampa Bay and will be in town later this week for the three-day rookie mini-camp. Below is a list of the 14 players who signed with Tampa Bay.

WR Luther Ambrose - Louisiana-Monroe
LB Ryan Baker - LSU
QB Zach Collaros - Cincinnati
C Chaz Hine - USF
FB Cody Johnson - Texas
CB Leonard Johnson - Iowa State
DT Donte'e Nicholls - Tennessee State
WR Tyler Shoemaker - Boise State
T Bradley Sowell - Mississippi
S Tramain Thomas - Arkansas
TE Tyler Urban - West Virginia
G Michael VanDerMeulen - Toledo
CB Quenton Washington - USF
T Desmond Wynn – Rutgers

While the list is void of any huge names, a few do stand out, including Clearwater native Leonard Johnson who played cornerback for Iowa State. Johnson was a very productive cornerback in college, and some mock drafts had him being drafted as high as the fourth round. A 4.71 40 time at the NFL Combine hurt his stock.

One of Johnson’s biggest games came against Oklahoma State when he held first-round pick Justin Blackmon to only 99 yards receiving in Iowa State’s huge upset win over the Cowboys, a loss that cost Oklahoma State a spot in the title game.

With the familiarity of Rutgers program, many expected Schiano to perhaps draft at least one former player, but the draft came and went without any of Schiano’s former players being selected. Schiano did however end up with one Scarlet Knight, as offensive lineman Desmond Wynn signed a free agent deal with Tampa Bay. The 6-foot-6, 306 pound Wynn started all 12 games at guard for Rutgers and was selected as to the All-big East second team.

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More in this category: « Dominik: "We Wanted To Become A Smarter and More Physical Team" Cook’s Analysis On Tampa Bay’s 2012 Draft »

COMMENTS

  • avatar


    scubog
    May 1, 2012
    5:16 pm
    Horse: Now I see where your thinking is a little askew. Teams contact players throughout the draft. They don't have to wait until they make their final selection or until the draft has ended. Nothing prohibits teams communicating with the players until they are actually drafted. They are on the phone getting last minute updates on players they are considering and trying to recruit players who may not get drafted. If by chance they do get drafted, that team owns their rights and the team attempting to lure them is out. Most undrafted players have several offers and can pick and choose where they want to go. Not sure where you get the "decide or else" idea.
  • avatar


    scubog
    May 1, 2012
    4:36 am
    Horse: It's an accepted practice for teams to contact potential undrafted free agents in an attempt to recruit them if they don't get selected. That's why Dominik likes the 7th round picks so he can draft a player who might otherwise have wanted to go elsewhere if given the choice.
  • avatar


    Horse
    May 1, 2012
    8:04 am
    scubog, I understand that part of it; what I don't understand is that teams that have picked their 7th rounder already are allowed to contact players before the 7th round has ended. To me this gives an advantage to teams who can tell the player that you have 10 minutes to decide after the draft is over or the deal is off. That's not fair to the player nor all the other teams. I thought there was tighter rules on this? Thus the advantage goes to teams who don't have 7th rounders and those who have early 7th rounders.
  • avatar


    jrwilson85
    May 1, 2012
    2:51 am
    Collaros is an athlete and tough as nails. I wonder if they are thinking of him as a safety. Shoemaker was very productive as a receiver at Boise St, he led the Broncos in receiving last year with 62 rec for 994 yds and scored 16 TDs, 2031 Receiving yds career, 25 receiving TDs career and over 16 ypc career. Cody Johnson FB Texas @ 5'11" 255 lbs is a road grader and and a short yardage scoring specialist, scored 36 career Tds for the horns. Real sleeper. Two OL have a real good chance of sticking at least on the practice squad, in Sowell who started at LT for Ole Miss for two years (He replaced Micharl Oher), He is very smart and considered a finesse player now, but has the frame to bulk up and he needs to get a lot stronger. He looks like a great developmental prospect. Coach Shiano coached Desmond Wynn at Rutgers. He is chiseled now, but has the frame to carry maybe 320 lbs. He is a little raw now, but his best playing days could be ahead for him. Leonard Johnson cariied a mid to late round rating and maybe his 40 time pushed him back but he has some ability. Quenton Washington was injurred last year and never fully recovered, he has some ability and a chance to surprise. Chaz Hines Is very intelligent and a natural born leader. His athletic ability is probably not as good as some, but his "want to" is better than most. I think we will see a few free agents make the team this year. If I was a veteran, I'd show up in shape and ready to learn.
  • avatar


    ederk
    April 30, 2012
    9:26 pm
    horse, i think the reason they select smallish linebackers has to do with the emphasis on pass coverage skills needed in this division. it's a pass happy league, and the new breed of tight ends are highly skillled pass catchers...
  • avatar


    reggaebuc
    April 30, 2012
    9:17 pm
    Love these guys: LB Ryan Baker - LSU, QB Zach Collaros - Cincinnati, WR Tyler Shoemaker - Boise State, S Tramain Thomas - Arkansas. Can't wait to see these guys compete: FB Cody Johnson - Texas, CB Leonard Johnson - Iowa State, DT Donte'e Nicholls - Tennessee State, T Desmond Wynn – Rutgers. PR, what about the FB from Rutgers, are they not going to give him an opportunity? Please let us know what you've heard. GO BUCS !!!
  • avatar

    stormsct
    April 30, 2012
    10:42 pm
    FB Martinek got scooped up by the Giants.
  • avatar


    Horse
    April 30, 2012
    7:32 pm
    Pertaining to the new Free Agents: Why did we sign such small LB's? It was nice to see some bigger linemen and I hope that one or two will stick because we need the competition. Now to another subject? I hope if it is true that some potoential draftees were contacted before the draft officially was over that they punish the teams by taking away a 7th round pick from them. That is just not fair for some that have finshed drafting and then start calling players when teams have not finished.
  • avatar


    georgehicks
    April 30, 2012
    4:06 pm
    I have to give it to new new Coaching staff and a new Buc Era-I give it an A Plus this time no giving any of ther draft picks away
  • avatar


    scubog
    April 30, 2012
    3:40 pm
    Every year players who went undrafted make NFL rosters. Let's hope we have a few surprises from these relatively unknown prospects. WVBucfan has got to be thrilled with this draft of a couple boys from Morgantown.
  • avatar

    baybuc35
    May 1, 2012
    12:26 am
    Nice too see indeed
  • avatar

    emspirit
    April 30, 2012
    2:28 pm
    Personally, I like the Tyler Shoemaker signing. He's a guy that looks like a Jordy Nelson type WR. You can find plenty of video on him out there.
  • avatar


    flashgordon
    April 30, 2012
    2:22 pm
    QB Zach Collaros FB Cody Johnson CB Leonard Johnson WR Tyler Shoemaker S Tramain Thomas Te Tyler Urban, well, there's not much youtube tape on him(or most of these undrafteds!), but I found this Td against Rutgers! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SGyrxbj8Cs&feature=related T Desmond Wynn, T Bradley Sowell, well, all the Ol seem somewhat intersting. As someone said, there'll be plenty of practice squad guys to come from this undrafted list. I suppose I don't need to make any remarks about those I've pointed out; they've all been talked about. Pinkstob makes good comments that you had to be there to understand the game situations and all. I'd like to generalize that by commenting that Schiano was there; he knows! I'm still skeptical about Tandy, except maybe at safety. The more you read about these players by fans and the talent scouts everywhere, the more exciting the Bucs get this year!
  • avatar

    NotDeadYet
    April 30, 2012
    1:21 pm
    More than camp fodder here; evey year, at least one guy will make the roster. Leonard Johnson seems the most likely, but others could too. Gonna be competitive!
  • avatar


    kino
    April 30, 2012
    1:46 pm
    Half of thE free agents signed are from the big east or a team in which we selected a player in the draft , this does not speak volumes for the scouting dept And current staffs fluidity. I love the top of the draft , an a plus but the later pics and especially the fa signings show a trend that may not uncover top talent. Go Bucs !!
  • avatar


    Sneedy16
    April 30, 2012
    4:18 pm
    Your forgetting who scouted the Big East? Greg Schiano!! He has seen tape on these players all season so he would be the best person to know what these players can do.
  • avatar


    kino
    April 30, 2012
    10:12 pm
    Not really!! there is a scout assigned and clearly that scout has received tunnel vision treatment or G S ( who I like) is very guilty of conference incest. I will assure you that the first and second team big east selections would not fill out alabama's. Lsu's. Or a few other college rosters first and in a few cases second team. Scouts are paid to find talent and FA wise our scouts found seven players and ouR coach had find the rest ? The big east has twice as much talent as the rest of all d one f ball. Hmmm??
  • avatar


    Sneedy16
    May 1, 2012
    7:52 am
    There are scouts that are dedicated to finding specified players, but when a head coach tells the GM that that player is special and can develop very well in the system that he is implementing. Unless the scouting coach can find better this is what we end up with. The players the coach played against in the Big East. I'm pretty sure he watch a lot of game tape on these players in that conference to know what they are good at. Everyone will have a scout in the SEC and all the big name conferences, but finding those hinden players in not so popular conferences really can help. Look at Bruce Irvin from West Virgina LB/DE that went at 15 in the first. He wasnt't even rated 1st round talent but some scouts, but to find out that mutliple teams had him going in the top 20.
  • avatar


    maarnold1775
    April 30, 2012
    5:28 pm
    I agree. While their is good talent under the Big East umbrella, lets not forget all the other schools where their may be hidden diamonds to be had!
  • avatar


    WVBucFan
    April 30, 2012
    12:22 pm
    I think Johnson will come in a compete at CB, while i think Tandy will be a Safety. And let me tell you the thought of Barron and Tandy playing Safety excites me. Those are some ballhawks who will lay the hit on someone. I think the Bucs got some good practice squad players to develop in Urban and Wynn.
  • avatar


    1bucfanjeff
    April 30, 2012
    12:19 pm
    Myron Lewis is a huge disappointment and is not 'tough' by any means. His days with the bucs are over, bet on it. Aside from the rookie mini-camp, when does training camp start? Are there dates yet?
  • avatar


    iabucfan
    April 30, 2012
    12:02 pm
    Leonard Johnson can play. The competition this summer at CB will be fantastic. M Lewis, you got a clean slate. Time to show us what you got!
  • avatar


    pinkstob
    April 30, 2012
    11:47 am
    A pretty good haul. Another guy I consider to be catch is Shoemaker. He made many plays in the Boise State games I saw this past season. As for Johnson, I remember that game against Oklahoma State and I'm surprised Blackmon ended up with 99 yards on the stat sheet. Some of that had to have come against other players. Johnson defended many passes while covering Blackmon and most importantly didn't allow any separation all day. Any catch Blackmon got was heavily contested when Johnson was covering him. It kind of reminds me when Aqib was covering Megatron last year. You had to have been at the game and just watched Aqib in coverage all day to appreciate how good of a job he did against Megatron. Sometimes you miss too much watching a game on TV.
  • avatar


    Buc-Up
    April 30, 2012
    11:45 am
    Nice to see a fellow Largo High School Packer alum Leonard Johnson on the list.
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