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Former Nittany Lions Find Places as Undrafted Free Agents

Carson and Gilliam find homes in the immediate aftermath of the draft; Willis followed shortly thereafter.

By Cari Greene
Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

On Friday, we were optimistic that Glenn Carson might be taken in this weekend's NFL draft. That optimism ultimately didn't pan out, as Carson wasn't one of the seven rounds of picks--and that might end up being a boon for the middle linebacker, as many talking heads were quick to point out late on Saturday that it's often better to be an undrafted free agent than signed near the end of the draft--ostensibly because you can pick a team that is more likely to need your services, and whose scheme and coaching staff you think you would fit in better with.

Shortly after the end of the seventh round of the draft, this happened:

Arizona didn't sign a linebacker in the draft, which bodes well for Carson's chances to make the roster (or at least the practice squad).

Carson may have been the next most obvious Penn State 2013 senior to get a shot at the next level (being a three year starter at LBU will do that for a player), but he wasn't even the first senior to announce his signing:

Gilliam, who switched to tackle from tight end in 2013 to help bolster an already then-depleted offensive line, was a sixth year senior this past season, and it panned out well for him as he was able to prove his versatility.

As of the writing of this article, Malcolm Willis is the only other 2013 senior to have signed with a team; he's listed as an UDFA with the San Diego Chargers. Alex Butterworth, Stephen Obeng-Agyapong, Brandon Felder, Adam Gress, and Matt Lehman (whose bid for a sixth year of eligibility was denied by the NCAA) haven't yet announced signing with a team.

In former former Nittany Lion (see what I did there?) news, Khairi Fortt was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fourth round; neither Silas Redd nor Anthony Fera were drafted. Redd announced the signing of an UDFA contract with the Washington Redskins shortly after the draft was completed. Fera has yet to be announced as signing with a team, which in my world is basically insane (though the lack of a single drafted Texas Longhorn is somewhat LOL-worthy).

Updated: Adam Gress has accepted a rookie camp tryout with the Steelers.

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