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UCLA Football: Four Bruins have signed as undrafted free agents

By Mike Regalado

PASADENA, CA - OCTOBER 26: Wilton Speight #3 of the UCLA Bruins throws the ball in the first half against the Utah Utes at the Rose Bowl on October 26, 2018 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images)
PASADENA, CA - OCTOBER 26: Wilton Speight #3 of the UCLA Bruins throws the ball in the first half against the Utah Utes at the Rose Bowl on October 26, 2018 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images) /
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Despite not getting selected in the 2019 NFL Draft, four former UCLA football players have signed contracts as undrafted free agents.

Once the NFL Draft ends, it doesn’t mean that teams are done selecting eligible college players to add to their roster. For those that were not drafted, there is still a chance that they can be picked up as an undrafted free agent (UDFA) which is the case for four former UCLA football players.

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Here are the four UCLA UDFAs and their new homes: OL Andre James – Oakland Raiders, Adarius Pickett – Chicago Bears, QB Wilton Speight – San Francisco 49ers, CB Nate Meadors – Minnesota Vikings.

It was a little disappointing that James was not drafted after being projected as late-round selection, but nonetheless, he is heading to the professional ranks. James had left UCLA early after a productive 2018 season where he helped the UCLA offense make massive improvements by season’s end. Now he gets to help out the Raiders who are preparing to move to Las Vegas.

Pickett was the Bruins’ leading tackler in 2018, collecting 123 tackles. Though many called him undersized, he plays with the fire if a player twice his size. He is a smart player that can make big plays when needed and does not stop grinding.

Speight came in to help Chip Kelly put together his new offense in his first year with the Bruins. Though he was injured for the majority of the season, he bounced back with several impressive performances in the second half of the season. Speight finished the season with 1,527 passing yards and six touchdowns. He averaged 218.1 yards per game which were highlighted by 466 against Stanford in the final game of the season.

Meadors finds himself in a situation that could be very advantageous. With Minnesota picking him up, he joins a squad that is chockful of former Bruins (fans often call them the Minnesota Bruins or the UCLA Vikings) as Meadors will join LB Anthony Barr, LB Eric Kendricks, and LS Kevin McDermott.

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Last Season, Meadors had 37 total tackles, 2 TFLs, 1 sack, and 1 INT. One of his strengths comes from being able to stick to his opponents and make it difficult to connect on intended passes. Those skills should improve once in Minnesota, especially with the guidance of Barr and Kendricks.