Local players find free-agent homes

A few more players from Utah schools have signed on for the chance to make an NFL team.

After an uncharacteristically slow NFL Draft weekend for BYU, with only one Cougar being selected (wide receiver Todd Watkins in the seventh round by Arizona), three former players accepted contract offers. On Monday, it was announced that former BYU defensive linemen Manaia Brown and Vince Feula had signed free-agent deals with Washington. Fullback Fahu Tahi agreed to a deal with Cincinnati on Sunday.

For the second straight season, no Utah State player was drafted. But on Monday, all three of the Aggies' all-WAC selections signed free-agent deals — defensive end John Chick with Houston, defensive back Jarrett Bush with Carolina and left tackle Donald Penn with Minnesota.

Utah, which had two players (LB Spencer Toone and RB Quinton Ganther) drafted in the seventh round, had four players reach free-agent deals Sunday — Jesse Boone (Cincinnati), Steve Fifita (Miami), Travis LaTendresse (Kansas City) and John Madsen (Oakland).

Brown, of West Valley City, played in 10 of the Cougars' 12 games during his senior season in Provo. The Nebraska transfer had 31 tackles, including nine solo takedowns and 1.5 sacks.

Feula, of LaMirada, Calif., started seven games at defensive end last season. The Cerritos Junior College transfer had 23 tackles during his senior season, including 10 solo stops and one sack.

Tahi, of West Valley City, rushed for 479 yards on 89 carries last year, scoring seven touchdowns.

Chick (6-foot-4, 270 pounds) was a four-year starter — three at defensive end. He ranked fifth in the NCAA with 12.5 sacks and tallied 48 tackles, including 19 for loss (ranking 10th in the nation).

The Texans' first two selections Saturday were defensive players — North Carolina State's Mario Williams, the overall No. 1 pick, and Alabama' DeMeco Ryans, who went 33rd overall.

Bush was one of 13 free agents the Panthers signed and was just one of two defensive backs, joining UCLA DB Marcus Cassel. Fresno State cornerback Richard Marshall was taken in the second round by Carolina.

Penn was hampered draft-wise by a knee injury suffered at the Hula Bowl in January, but he was still able to land a deal with the Vikings. Minnesota drafted just one offensive lineman — New Mexico's Ryan Cook. The Vikings' first-round pick was Chad Greenway, a linebacker from Iowa.

Penn moved into the starting lineup three games into his freshman season and then started 41 started games. He had his string snapped in the 10th games of the 2005 season.

---

Contributing: Jay Hinton