Jackson Free Press

Just days after the draft ended, the talk about picks has turned to their potential and their development as players. The New Orleans Saints are rewarding one of their recent draft picks, who has exceeded his early potential and development.

In the 2013 NFL Draft, the Saints took offensive tackle Terron Armstead out of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff in the third round with the 75th overall pick.

As it turns out, he was a steal.

Many scouts believed it would take a couple of seasons for him to turn into a NFL tackle.

In his rookie season of 2013, Armstead saw action in six games and made two starts. He was ahead of schedule developmentally when he made 14 starts the next season.

Last season, he started 13 games despite being limited by injuries that forced him to miss games. He was considered a snub for the Pro Bowl when he wasn’t named to the roster.

While the Saints try to workout a new extension with quarterback Drew Brees, the club can show its single caller that it is committed to protecting him. Armstead is the man who protects Brees' blindside.

ESPN reported that New Orleans locked up its left tackle with a five-year extension that runs until 2021. The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the deal is potentially worth $64.5 million with $25 million fully guaranteed and an $11-million signing bonus.

Armstead was on his rookie contract but could have become an unrestricted free agent in 2017 without a new deal. The Saints' other choice would have been to use the franchise tag on him, which would have been around $14 million.

If 2015 first-round draft pick Andrus Peat can develop the same way as Armstead did, the Saints could potentially have the best tackle combination in the league. Peat must come into camp this summer in shape and ready to compete if he is going to live up to his high draft choice. He could also get kicked inside to guard.

Instead, the Saints have locked up a franchise left-tackle at a solid price for both club and player. New Orleans already exercised its 2017 option on safety and fellow member of the Saints 2013 draft class in Kenny Vaccaro.

While the salary cap hasn’t been kind to New Orleans over the past few seasons, the club is locking up its young talent. Pro Bowl defensive end Cam Jordan signed an extension that keeps him with the Saints until 2020.

New Orleans has two big moves left on its off-season to-do list: reworking a deal with Brees and locking up center Max Unger past the 2017 season.

Armstead, Peat (if he pans out) and Unger could give the Saints one of the best young offensive lines in the league.

Players’ dreams of taking the field in the NFL live on even if they don’t hear their names called in the NFL Draft. Those athletes still have a chance to make the roster of a professional team, but the road is harder.

Each year after the draft, teams scramble to sign the best available players who were not drafted. One major difference is that these players can choose their teams.

If two or more teams are after the services of a player, then he can decide which team to sign with as an undrafted free agent. An athlete who has teams bidding over his services also has the option of playing for whichever team is the better fit for his talents, gives him a better chance to make the team or offers him more money.

Undrafted free agents sometimes come into camp with a bit of a chip on their shoulders, looking to prove that teams should have drafted them. Players who mope about not being drafted are going to get shown the door rather quickly.

There have been several players who once were undrafted free agents and went on to have productive—and in 15 cases Hall of Fame-worthy—careers. The list includes Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates, former New Orleans Saints linebacker and Hall of Famer Sam Mills and possible future Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner.

An undrafted free agent can even make the biggest game-changing play in the Super Bowl. In 2015, Vicksburg native and University of West Alabama star Malcolm Butler sealed the New England Patriots’ Super Bowl victory over the Seattle Seahawks with an interception at the goal line.

Six former Mississippi State University have signed as undrafted free agents. The Cincinnati Bengals signed defensive lineman Ryan Brown, the New England Patriots signed wide receiver De’Runnya Wilson, the Pittsburgh Steelers signed guard Justin Malone, the Indianapolis Colts signed punt and kickoff returner Devon Bell, the Chicago Bears signed cornerback Taveze Calhoun, and the Green Bay Packers signed linebacker Beniquez Brown.

The University of Mississippi had five former players sign undrafted-free-agent contracts. The Patriots signed a pair of former UM players in defensive tackle Woodrow Hamilton and linebacker CJ Johnson, the Jacksonville Jaguars signed cornerback Mike Hilton, the New Orleans Saints signed cornerback Trae Elston, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed defensive lineman Channing Ward.

On a side note, the New England Patriots love players from Mississippi. Not only do they sign undrafted free agents from our state, but they have also drafted players from our universities, players with ties to Mississippi high-school football and athletes who played junior-college football in this state.

Two former University of Southern Mississippi players earned contracts as undrafted free agents so far this year. Jacksonville signed offensive tackle Rashod Hill, and the Oakland Raiders signed running back Jalen Richard.

A few undrafted free agents also come from Mississippi’s smaller universities. Former Alcorn State University star …