UT's undrafted free agents are: Eric Page (Denver), Danny Noble and Mike VanDerMeulen (Tampa Bay), Desmond Marrow (Houston), and Phil Manley (Atlanta).
-It's being assumed Eric Page's lack of size and speed are related to his not being drafted, and I don't disagree. But let me throw out another theory: Maybe Page failed to impress teams during one-on-one interviews. That sounds harsh, so allow me to explain. Page is very shy and keeps to himself. He is uncomfortable around the media. He is, from many accounts, a tad aloof. I'm not saying he's a bad guy because he's not. I've heard nothing to suggest he is. But I find it hard to believe he wowed teams that had an interest in him. Consider this: Page was considered a third or fourth round selection in January. His height and speed didn't change between then and now. But something did.
-Page has a chance to latch on at Denver but the odds are clearly stacked against him. The Broncos are in need of a kick/punt returner, and although he lacks blazing speed, Page could fill those voids. I won't count him out. Page is very determined and competes and trains with a chip on his shoulder. He's got a lot of work to do, but I think he can do it.
-Consider me surprised that Adonis Thomas wasn't offered a free agent contract. Some projections had him getting drafted in the seventh round.
-Tampa Bay obviously has an infatuation with UT. They're getting Noble and VanDerMeulen, and they thought they had Page until he reconsidered and agreed to a deal with Denver. For what it's worth, former Rutgers coach Greg Schiano is the new coach at Tampa Bay. If he has a connection to UT, I'm unaware of it.

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