The Pittsburgh Steelers have a reputation for being a team that can find themselves a diamond in the rough. This comes either in the form of a mid to late round draft pick like Antonio Brown, Brett Keisel or Ike Taylor, or as an undrafted player like Willie Parker, James Harrison or Ramon Foster. Now Foster is speaking up about what it was like to be an undrafted player coming into the league and how that process works during draft time.
Jeffrey Phelps/AP
Steelers great Brett Keisel had a career year in 2010 with an interception returned for a touchdown and two forced fumbles.
As we are nearing the NFL Draft, fans are looking for clues to see what the Steelers might do with three picks in the top 50. However, they are also looking at what will happen outside of the draft, including what undrafted free agents (UDFA) the team will pick up. On his podcast, The Ramon Foster Show, which airs on the DK Pittsburgh Sports Network, the former Steelers offensive guard was asked about the UDFA process and how it happens in tandem with the draft.
Foster's sometimes co-host and creator of DK Pittsburgh Sports, Dejan Kovacevic, asked him how long it took him to sign with the Steelers.
"Not even 20 minutes, you ain't got hours to decide because they're probably already calling your agent. It happened so fast and it's like every team that you thought had interest in you actually does."
In Foster's case, he had been projected to go somewhere between rounds three and five, but wasn't selected. He said these later round guys know this is a possibility, you just never know, so you have to think about it in advance. The teams will start calling these UDFA's as soon as the draft ends and they know all of the good ones have multiple offers, so they won't wait around on you.
"They'll let you know we're calling someone else so the biggest discussion that you're gonna have is which team, how much money, who's on the roster. Those were the biggest conversations. I have (ticks off on fingers) Pittsburgh, Jets, Cleveland, numerous other teams and then how much money. You can get that priority free agent. I was that in Pittsburgh, I wasn't that with the Browns and the Jets actually were going to make me a priority free agent also. Hearing that was a green light for me, okay I'm more important than just the undrafted guy."
The Steelers Were The Best Option For Foster
Credit: Peter Diana/Post-Gazette
Former Steelers OG Ramon Foster, was once recruited by the Cleveland Browns.
He goes on to tell Kovacevic that he had to weigh a variety of factors, including money.
"Thing was, New York offered me like 16 grand, Cleveland offered me two grand. Cleveland recruited me the hardest though to try to get me to come there. Pittsburgh just made the most sense in the end."
I'm sorry, what? Did you say $2,000?
"Yeah, $2,500 actually, my bad."
Kovacevic had the same reaction and what we were all thinking.
"They were going to give you the equivalent of a week's pay?"
Without missing a beat, Foster quips, "Says a lot about them right?"
"I looked at the taxes in New York and Pittsburgh, signing bonus is going to be essentially the same after taxes. It's wild. You got about 20 - 30 minutes to decide where you are going. Just being real, some guys are fans of it. I asked my agent who's on the roster and one of the best things he told me was Pittsburgh's a land of opportunity. 'Mon. They really like you and you got a shot to make that opening day roster.' 'Ok good, sign me up.'"
Steelers.com
The Pittsburgh Steelers 2017 offensive line.
Foster said he will be willing to share more of the story after the draft. We will all be waiting. $2,000???
What do you think of what the Browns offered Foster? Remember, this was 2009, not 1969. Are you at all surprised? What do you think about the draft/undrafted process? Click to comment below.
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