Steelers sign undrafted free agent who the league missed out on
Despite what many believe, the hours after the draft are some of the craziest of the weekend for teams, players, and media alike. That's because as soon as Mr. Irrelevenat is selected, the undrafted free agent pool opens up. Oftentimes, players that were selected in the last two rounds would actually prefer to be undrafted […]
Despite what many believe, the hours after the draft are some of the craziest of the weekend for teams, players, and media alike. That's because as soon as Mr. Irrelevenat is selected, the undrafted free agent pool opens up.
Oftentimes, players that were selected in the last two rounds would actually prefer to be undrafted free agents, since just like regular free agency, the prospects fresh out of college now have their pick of the litter when it comes to choosing their destination.
These players play a significant role many times, with nearly 30 percent of the league being made up by undrafted free agents. With that said, let's examine one free agent that Pittsburgh signed, potentially leaving the rest of the league kicking themselves.
Tanner Morgan, QB
A five-year starter for the Minneosta Golden Gophers, Morgan threw for nearly 9500 yards and 65 touchdowns during his time in college. His time with the Gophers will provide him with the experience needed to navigate the NFL landscape as a potential backup.
Here is what Dane Brugler of The Athletic had to say about Morgan:
Tanner Morgan, one of three children, started his prep career at Hazard High before transferring to Ryle, where he was named a finalist for Kentucky’s Mr. Football. A three-star recruit, he initially committed to P.J. Fleck at Western Michigan, then followed him to Minnesota when Fleck accepted the Gophers’ head coaching job. A five-year starter, Morgan, who married his wife (Sarah) in July 2022, set several Minnesota passing records, including completion percentage and wins as a starter (33). Morgan showed improved pocket movement each season and does a nice job on play action, where he can find his rhythm and deliver. But he CONTENTS [18] struggles to read pre-snap and his lack of passing anticipation puts the football in harm’s way. Overall, Morgan will get NFL looks because he is a gutsy competitor and his ball placement showed improvement in 2022. But defenses aren’t scared of his arm and the further the throw, the more his accuracy suffers.
Obviously, if Morgan was a more polished passer, he would not have had to wait until the undrafted market opened to sign with a team. But in my opinion, he's got the potential to be the perfect backup to Kenny Pickett.
The two boast similar builds and playstyles, but Pickett's traits vastly outweigh Morgan's evident by their draft positioning. But that's ok, because the Steelers belive they have their franchise guy, the next step is finding a plug-and-play backup, something Morgan may prove to be.
