New Orleans Saints sign 10 undrafted rookie free agents
Posted by By Brian Allee-Walsh, The Times-Picayune May 04, 2009 7:13PM
Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis today released a list of 10 undrafted rookie free agents who have signed and will participate in rookie minicamp Thursday through Sunday at the team’s training facility in Metairie.
They are Wisconsin linebacker Jonathan Casillas, UCLA quarterback Patrick Cowan, Texas guard Cedric Dockery, Stanford center Alex Fletcher, Texas A&M cornerback Danny Gorrer, Georgia wide receiver Kenneth Harris, Wisconsin running back P.J. Hill, Portland State cornerback Reggie Jones, Clark-Atlanta tackle Sam McNaulty and Ole Miss defensive end Jermey Parnell.
All but McNaulty and Parnell had been previously reported by The T-P as signing with the team. Contrary to published reports, Western Illinois running back Herb Donaldson did not sign with the team.
Last week, Donaldson, 5 feet 10, 222 pounds, said he planned to sign with the Saints. He finished as the the school’s all-time leading rusher with 4,746 yards and 50 touchdowns.
Here are thumbnails on the 10 players provided by team officials:
• LB Jonathan Casillas, Wisconsin (6-2, 226): Casillas was a three-year starter at Wisconsin, opening 36 of the 48 career games he played for the Badgers. Elected a captain for his final two seasons in Madison, the native of New Brunswick, N.J. posted career stats of 251 tackles, 28 tackles for loss, four sacks, two interceptions, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. A three-time honorable mention All-Big selection, he also blocked three punts, one of which he recovered for a touchdown.
• QB Patrick Cowan, UCLA (6-4, 218): A two-year starter under center for the Bruins, Cowan’s collegiate career was cut short when he tore the ACL in his left knee late in spring practice prior to his senior season, the same knee that limited him to five games as a junior in 2007. A right-handed thrower hailing from Surrey, British Columbia, he took over as the starter as a sophomore and posted career numbers of 217 completions on 411 attempts for 2,478 yards with 15 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 19 games, 13 of them starts.
• G Cedric Dockery, Texas (6-4, 315): Dockery was a three-year starter at right guard for the Longhorns, opening 30 of his 41 career games including all 13 in his senior year of 2008. The native of Garland, Texas earned all-conference honors twice, being named second-team All-Big XII as a senior after getting honorable mention in his junior season. Dockery has good bloodlines, as he is the younger brother of Washington Redskins guard Derrick Dockery.
• C Alex Fletcher, Stanford (6-3, 296): A rare four-year starter at Stanford, Fletcher was in the starting lineup for all 44 of his career games for the Cardinal from the start of his redshirt freshman season in 2005. A versatile interior lineman, the Old Brookville, N.Y. native earned second-team all-Pac 10 honors at right guard as a junior and followed up with another second-team all-conference nod playing at center in his senior season. Finished his career with a 32-game consecutive starts streak and totaled 20 starts at right guard and 24 at center.
• CB Danny Gorrer, Texas A&M (6-0, 173): Gorrer was a two-year starter in College Station and split starting duties in his senior season after seeing his junior campaign cut short by a knee injury seven games in. In 42 career games, 24 of them starts, the native of Port Arthur, Texas tallied 141 tackles with two sacks, one interception, 13 passes defensed and two forced fumbles. He posted career-bests in his sophomore season with 52 tackles and an interception.
• WR Kenneth Harris, Georgia (6-3, 212): Harris played in 50 games over four years for the Bulldogs with five starts, catching 41 passes for 689 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The sizable wideout from Cherryville, N.C. had 11 receptions for 116 yards as a senior and caught a touchdown.
• RB P.J. Hill, Wisconsin (5-11, 236): Hill was the Badgers’ featured runner for each of his three campaigns in Madison, joining former Heisman Trophy winner Ron Dayne as the only backs in UW history to gain more than 1,000 yards in each of their first three seasons. Hill closed his collegiate career with 3,942 rushing yards on 770 carries (5.1 avg.) with 42 touchdowns and added 39 receptions for 358 yards and two more scores. In 37 career games, Hill ran gained 100 yards in 20 of those contests and had a pair of 200-plus yard games. Before forgoing his final year of eligibility, the East Elmhurst, N.Y. native was named honorable mention All-Big 10 for the second straight season to go along with first-team all-conference honors earned as a redshirt freshman in 2006. As a senior, Hill ran for 1,161 yards and 13 touchdowns.
• CB Reggie Jones, Portland State (6-0, 200): A speedy cornerback, Jones played one season at Portland State after transferring from the University of Idaho where he spent three injury-plagued seasons from 2004-06. A former all-state high school cornerback and wideout from Federal Way, Wash., Jones made the most of his lone season with the Vikings, making 38 tackles, notching seven passes defensed and recording four interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown.
• T Sam McNaulty, Clark-Atlanta (6-4, 320): The tackle impressed scouts at CAU’s pro day posting a 4.9 40-yard dash time, and tested well in all facets of the workout drawing a high-level of interest from several clubs. The Oakland, Calif., native was a first-team all-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) selection, while being named offensive lineman of the week on four separate occasions. He led an offensive unit that finished third in rushing while also leading the way for the SIAC’s leading rusher. McNaulty was a finalist for “The Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year” award, while also being selected to play in the “East Coast Bowl” collegiate all-star game.
• DE Jermey Parnell, Mississippi (6-8, 245): An athletic defender with size and speed, Parnell returned to the gridiron in 2008 after playing four seasons for the Rebels’ basketball team. Playing organized football for the first time since eighth grade, the Gosnell, Ark. native saw action in five games for Ole Miss and made one tackle.
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