FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- One of the more exciting parts of training camp and the preseason is watching under-the-radar players make a charge for roster spots. In Bill Belichick's 16 years as New England Patriots coach, it's been an annual occurrence as Belichick always stresses to players that it doesn't matter how they arrived, they're all starting with a clean slate.
There is no better example than undrafted free agent Malcolm Butler in 2014.
With this as a springboard, here are three players who I view as being on the cusp of defying the odds to earn a spot:
David Andrews -- The undrafted rookie out of Georgia has started the first two preseason games at center as starter Bryan Stork remains sidelined. Andrews has been competitive for the most part. As one would expect, it hasn't always been perfect (e.g. shotgun snap issues in joint practice vs. Saints), but he hasn't looked like he's been out of place when going up against more experienced competition such as Green Bay defensive tackle B.J. Raji. One thing that stands out on film review is that Andrews plays all-out to the whistle, finishes blocks and has an edge. He's obviously smart to be able to step right in and make some of the line calls. So why wasn't he drafted? Size is a factor; at 6-foot-3 and 295 pounds, he was overpowered at times at Georgia. In scouting lingo, he's a little "light in the butt" so his long-term staying power might ultimately hinge on being able to pack on a bit more weight/power. He reminds me a little bit of Ryan Wendell early in Wendell's career.
Chris Harper -- I looked up at practice Wednesday and the 5-foot-11, 185-pound wide receiver was running alongside Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola at one point. That's a nice rise on the depth chart for an undrafted free agent who also provides added value in the return game. From an amateur scouting perspective, my view is that one of Harper's primary strengths is route-running; he's smooth in and out of his breaks and can line up inside and outside. Like Andrews, his physical build is a bit of a question mark at the NFL level in terms of how he'll hold up over the long haul, but he's shown enough potential to possibly warrant a roster spot in a best-case situation that would give him time to develop in the team's strength program behind the scenes. Why wasn't he drafted? He entered the draft after his junior season at Cal, didn't have off-the-charts production, wasn't invited to the combine and it was a deep receiver class.
Rufus Johnson -- Having entered the NFL as a sixth-round draft choice of the Saints out of Division II Tarleton State, Johnson spent his rookie season in 2013 on New Orleans' practice squad, then was cut at the end of 2014 training camp and spent '14 out of football. In that sense, he's the ultimate longshot. The first thing that stands out with Johnson is his physical makeup; at 6-foot-5 and 280 pounds he looks good coming off the bus. But what has stood out even more through training camp and the preseason opener is that Johnson has also looked good on the field; he was disruptive on the right edge Aug. 13 against Green Bay. An undisclosed injury landed him on the sideline after that game, but he returned to practice this week. So why did the Saints let him go? This looks like a classic case of scheme fit, as Johnson is a "tweener" who could be viewed as a defensive end in some systems, but an outside linebacker in others. He was used in both spots in New Orleans. He's mostly been on the end of the line for the Patriots and has looked good enough to think he has a legitimate chance to stick.
EXTRA POINT: Anyone up for a Patriots chat? Join me at 12 p.m. ET today.