The University of Northern Colorado football team is silently becoming a professional prospect hot spot.
While no Bears were drafted in this year’s NFL Draft, Alex Wesley signed a free agent contract with the New York Giants and three others got camp invites.
Jacob Bobenmoyer will attend the Denver Broncos rookie training camp and Tank Terrell with Fisayo Awolaja will attend the New Orleans Saints camp.
What does all of that mean?
A free agent contract is a contract for those who did not get drafted, but teams still desperately want this player on their team.
A rookie training camp invite means the team believes this athlete has talent, but needs to see more in order to fight for a roster spot.
With free agent contracts players usually get a one to three year contract that pays on average $450,000 to $800,000 a year.
Mini camp athletes are accommodated and taken care of, but are not on the official roster.
To make the roster they must survive the preseason cuts from 90 to 53 players by proving themselves during preseason games.
Three realities exist for these players: 1) They are cut from the roster, 2) They are cut, but can still make any roster’s practice squad, or 3) They make the active 53 man roster.
Former Bear quarterback Kyle Sloter started as a practice squad player for Minnesota earning around $26,000 a week, but practice squad players can be cut at any moment.
Lucky for Sloter, he benefited from other injuries at the position and accepted a three-year contract for 1.6 million dollars total.
Meet the New NFL Players
Alex Wesley, WR
- Two 1,000 yard seasons and 14 career touchdowns
- Senior Bowl Participant
- NFL Combine Participant
- Free Agent Signing with the New York Giants
Jacob Bobenmoyer, LS
- NFLPA Bowl Participant
- Top 10 Long Snapper according to four different mock drafts
- Denver Broncos Camp Invite
Tank Terrell, DE
- 59 Tackles, 7.5 Tackles for a loss, 2 Sacks, 1 Forced Fumble
- National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society
- Chicago Bears Local Pro Day
- New Orleans Saints Camp Invite
Fisayo Awolaja, OL
- National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society
- Denver Broncos Local Pro Day
- New Orleans Saints Camp Invite
