By Robbie Neiswanger
Arkansas News Bureau • rneiswanger@arkansasnews.com
FAYETTEVILLE — While the final two rounds of the 2011 NFL Draft were taking place, former Arkansas offensive lineman Ray Dominguez was on the phone.
Team after team after team called him. But it wasn’t what you’d think. Instead of telling Dominguez they were planning to draft him soon, each was doing its own sales pitch with the clock ticking on the draft’s final day.
“They were pitching their depth chart, pitching their offense,” Dominguez said. “So I had a couple teams talk to me during the draft. But once the draft was over, all the phones were off.”
Welcome to life as an undrafted collegiate free agent in 2011. It’s one Dominguez and a handful of other former Razorbacks are living at the moment.
Quarterback Ryan Mallett (New England), tight end D.J. Williams (Green Bay) and offensive lineman DeMarcus Love (Minnesota) know which training camp they’ll be part of when the NFL’s current labor situation is resolved after being selected during the seven-round draft last week. But some of their former teammates continue to face uncertain futures while NFL players and owners fight over details for a new collective bargaining agreement.
Teams are not permitted to contact undrafted players or sign them to free agent deals while the current lockout continues. They can’t work out deals with their representatives, either.
So instead of agreeing to free agent contracts and reporting for mini camps beginning this week, it has left them waiting in limbo for now.
“It’s strange,” said former Arkansas cornerback Ramon Broadway. “My phone isn’t ringing.”
Dominguez, Broadway, safety Rudell Crim, linebacker Anthony Leon, fullback Van Stumon, defensive end Damario Ambrose and offensive lineman Wade Grayson are some of the departed seniors still hoping for a shot in the NFL.
But Broadway, who had hoped to be a late-round pick, said the silence isn’t creating any panic right now. Players knew the scenario was a possibility if they went undrafted last week.
“It would be scary if I wasn’t informed,” he said. “Because the phone is supposed to ring once the draft ends. Somebody is supposed to want you.”
Someone did. Broadway said before the draft he had some contract offers from the Canadian Football League sitting in front of him. It was a opportunity to play pro football, but the terms of the deals would go away once the NFL Draft began.
Broadway turned down the sure paycheck and opted to continue concentrating on the NFL Draft.
He wasn’t selected, but Broadway still has no doubt he made the right decision as he waits for the lockout to end for any NFL teams to call.
“I’m going to hold out for that because that’s my dream,” Broadway said. “I’m going to definitely try to chase that. I don’t want to cop out right now and sign a contract in Canada just to make ends meet. I’m just kind of trusting everything.”
Of course, there are others that aren’t as patient. It’s not known at this point if any other former Razorback has signed a professional contract with another football league, but safety Rudell Crim said he would keep his options open.
Everyone’s goal is landing in an NFL camp with a chance to earn a spot on a team. But leagues like the Canadian Football League and the United Football League have now become viable options for those unwilling to wait for the lockout’s end.
No former Razorbacks were selected in the 51-player 2011 UFL Draft last week. The 2011 CFL Draft, which is 47 selections, is Sunday.
“I haven’t received any phone calls as of right now,” Crim said. “But I would take anything to continue to play ball. That’s the love I have for the game. Any kind of football. I’m down for it.”
Crim said the wait for news regarding his football future hasn’t been bad, considering he’s working on his final week of classes at Arkansas.
The criminal justice major is on schedule to graduate next Saturday. So is Dominguez, who is polishing off a degree in child development.
Dominguez is confident his phone will ring again once the NFL’s labor issue comes to an end. In fact, he estimated roughly eight teams were showing interest in signing him to a free agent deal during the final stages of the draft.
Was it disappointing Dominguez, who many believed would be a late-round selection, wasn’t picked? Of course, he said. But Dominguez also sees the benefits of free agency, studying rosters and depth charts of teams that have shown interest.
In the end, he and several other former Razorbacks remain confident they’ll get opportunities to fight for a roster spot in the NFL as soon as the lockout ends. Until then, each continues to work out, stay in shape and prepare.
“It’s really unfortunate that the situation with the lockout is going on,” Dominguez said. “But we just have to wait for everything to blow past.”
