Former Virginia Tech quarterback and 2004 ACC Offensive Player of the Year Bryan Randall is close to signing with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League. According to the Winnipeg Free Press, the “deal” at this point includes nothing more than a plane ticket, a hotel room and an invitation to training camp.

“There’s just a couple of things to work out but, hopefully, it can get done as soon as (Thursday),” Randall told the Free Press on Wednesday. “For me, the sooner the better. All I want to do is get back on the field and play. I love playing football and I’m really at a point in time right now where I just can’t wait to get back out there and play again.”

Randall expects to be at the Bombers’ rookie camp which opens on May 28 and will be competing with incumbent starter Kevin Glenn, backup Ryan Dinwiddie and South Carolina State rookie Cleve McCoy. Rookies report May 28 and will have five days before regular camp opens on June 1. If he makes the team, he’ll join former Hokies Ike Charlton, who has played in parts of the last three seasons with the Bombers.

For more on Randall’s possible future with Winnipeg, read the Free Press article.

Brian Galliford of BuffaloRumblings.com, a popular fan blog covering the NFL’s Buffalo Bills, interviewed Gary Cope, Managing Editor of VTHokieFans.com, about the Bill’s third-round pick Chris Ellis. Ellis was a standout defensive end for the Virginia Tech Hokies. Known for his pass rushing prowess, Ellis will be expected to step in immediately and help out one of the NFL’s worst pass-rushing teams.

Read the complete interview at BuffaloRumblings.com.

(Updated 4/30/2008)

The 2008 NFL draft saw eight Hokies drafted and several left waiting at the altar. Two Hokies didn’t have to wait long. Just minutes after the draft was over, Safety D.J. Parker got a call from the San Francisco 49ers and quickly signed a free-agent deal. Linebacker Vince Hall was contacted and signed by the St. Louis Rams. Barry Booker, Josh Hyman and Korey Robertson had to wait until Monday. Booker got a call from the Tennessee Titan; Hyman will join teammate Hall with the Rams; and Robertson signed with the Dolphins. (Thanks for keeping my posted guys!)

• Read more about Hall and Parker.
• Read more about Booker.
• Read more about Hyman and Robertson.

Five more Hokies got phone calls today letting them know they’d be drafted on the second and final day of the 2008 NFL Draft. Three others never got that call and will now sit back and wait for the phone to ring with an invite to a training camp on the other end.

On Day One, OT Duane Brown was selected by Houston with the No. 26 overall pick; CB Brandon Flowers went to Kansas City with the 4th pick in the 2nd round (36th overall); and WR Eddie Royal will be moving to Denver to play for the Broncos after they selected him with the 11th pick in the 2nd round (42nd overall).

On Day Two, Chris Ellis was the first Hokie to come off the draft boards when the Buffalo Bills used their third round pick (9th) to select the DE (72nd overall).

From ESPN: “Teams are going to have success running at Ellis — he’s undersized and doesn’t have great lower-body strength. In fact, he may never develop into an every-down player. But there’s a lot to like about his potential as a situational pass-rusher. He’s quick, relentless and has the foot speed to develop an arsenal of pass-rush moves.”

From Rivals: “There were times when folks thought Ellis could go as high as the first round. He fits well for the Bills, who like to shift around their pass rushers. Ellis can be used as a DE/OLB, but is best with his hand on the ground.”

Xavier Adibi was the next Hokie to get drafted. He will be joining former teammate Duane Brown in Houston next season after the Texans chose the standout LB with the 19th pick in the 4th round (118th overall).

From ESPN: “Adibi will struggle in run support, but he is a good value here. He has good sideline-to-sideline speed and can run with backs in coverage.”

From Rivals: “Adibi is a highly athletic linebacker that gives the Texans what they looked for in past years when they signed guys like Shawn Barber - a coverage linebacker that can also be used as a blitzer on nickel downs.”

DL Carlton Powell went in the 5th round to the Broncos with the 13th pick (148th overall). Powell will also join a former Hokie teammate, Eddie Royal, in training camp.

From ESPN: “Powell lacks the closing speed to develop into an effective pass-rusher. He misses the occasional open-field tackle, but plays with good leverage and has the upper-body strength to shed blocks. He is a better run-stopper than his size would suggest.”

From Rivals: “Powell is a solid fit for their one-gap scheme. He runs well for his size and can also bench press more than 450 pounds. He has a great motor and is known for being a hustle guy.”

Josh Morgan is heading to the San Francisco 49ers after they selected him with their 6th-round pick (8th, 175th overall). The question is, who will throw him the ball in San Fran?

From ESPN: “Morgan isn’t much of a threat after the catch and he takes far too many plays off. On the other hand, he has good quickness and changes directions well for his size, so he can get open underneath. He can also contribute on special teams.”

From Rivals: “Morgan is a well-built receiver with good poential on special teams. He runs well for his size and also had a 40.5-inch vertical leap.”

Last, but certainly not least, Justin Harper will be staying a little closer to home to play for the Baltimore Ravens, who selected the WR in the 7th round (8th, 215th overall). Just like with Morgan, the question is, who will throw Harper the ball in Baltimore?

From ESPN: “He doesn’t have the burst to consistently separate from man coverage and he drops some passes that should be routine catches. However, he has the wide frame to shield defenders from the ball. He also has excellent leaping ability, making him a candidate to develop into a productive red zone target.”

From Rivals: “Harper has excellent size and speed, but he was inconsistent during his college career. He was worth a gamble this late in the draft.”

Undrafted Free Agents

D.J. Parker, Vince Hall and Barry Booker are all waiting to get an invitation to an NFL camp as undrafted free agents. Hall was probably the most noticeable undrafted Hokies, though his relatively slow 40 time and his injury-plagued senior season did not help. If he gets an invite to a camp, I believe he can make an impact and get on a roster somewhere. His football IQ and his instincts are not easy to find.

Parker should also get a call or two and I think if he can find the right team (more like can they find him), he’ll have a shot at being a solid pro in this league for years to come.

Booker should get an invite as well, but according to the scouting reports, he needs to put on about 15 pounds and add strength to his upper body. He has upside, but will be a project.

Last year, the Houston Texans went out and brought in highly touted, albeit unproven, quarterback Matt Schaub to lead the offense. He played well last season, but got dinged up because of a shaky offensive line. Houston took steps to correct that problem today when they surprised everyone and selected former Virginia Tech OL Duane Brown with the No. 26 overall pick in the first round. The 6-4, 315-pound converted TE has the ability to play either tackle position, which will provide OL depth for the Texans. The pick came as a surprise because Brown was graded by many mock drafts as a third-round selection.

From ESPN: “Houston clearly placed an emphasis on need over value. Brown is a reach because he’s not a great drive-blocker and he can get pushed into the backfield by bull rushes. On the flip side, he’s a former tight end who has the quick feet, athletic ability and initial burst to develop into an outstanding pass-blocker and an effective starter on the left side. It’s also worth pointing out that he was the best tackle left on the board (seventh rated overall).”

From Rivals: “The Texans made a good trade back at first, but the worst case scenarios occurred over the last eight picks. Many of the guys they would have wanted came off the board. Brown is an athletic left tackle, but a guy most graded as a third-round pick.”

Second Round

The Kansas City Chiefs may have found an heir apparent for Ty Law in former Hokie Brandon Flowers. The Chiefs selected the hard-hitting All-American corner with the 4th pick in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft.

From ESPN: “Flowers doesn’t have elite size or top-end speed. Occasionally, he gets caught out of position trying to make a big play. However, he plays far bigger than his size indicates and faster than his 40 time suggest. He opens his hips very well and has the upper-body strength to deliver a violent punch. There’s also a lot to like about his willingness to play the run.”

From Rivals: “Flowers was the most physical corner available in this draft. He has the inside track to replace Ty Law in the starting lineup as a rookie. He has a high level of development as a cover man, which indicates he can play the nickel corner role almost immediately. He could develop into an early starting NFL corner with shutdown talent.”

Seven picks later, the Denver Broncos got some receiver help for QB Jay Cutler in Eddie Royal, who went a little earlier in the draft than I thought he’d go. He’s undersized, even for a college WR, but his prowess as a return man is probably what appealed to the Broncos.

From ESPN: “Royal has had some problems staying healthy, and the fact that he doesn’t have great size only accentuates concerns about his durability. He has to improve his route-running, but he has the quickness and athletic ability to separate from coverage once that happens. He’s fast enough to stretch the field and make an impact as a punt returner.”

From Rivals: “Royal was pound-for-pound one of the fastest and strongest receivers available in the draft. He also gives the Broncos the added option of using him as their primary return man.”

Hokies hoping to be selected on Day Two of the 2008 NFL Draft:

Xavier Adibi
Barry Booker
Chris Ellis
Vince Hall
Justin Harper
Josh Morgan
D.J. Parker
Carlton Powell

The 2008 NFL Draft is this weekend and one of 11 Hokies hoping to be drafted is safety D.J. Parker. Parker is considered a “sleeper” by the DraftGuys and predict that if he develops the way they believe he will, that he’ll be a solid starting safety in the NFL for years to come.

Former Virginia Tech quarterback Bryan Randall is reportedly talking with the Canadian Football League’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers, this according to today’s edition of the Winnipeg Free Press. As best I can tell, this is not an April Fool’s Day joke either.

With the untimely collapse of the All American Football League, Randall is looking for another shot at playing professional football. Randall was the No. 2 overall pick in the January AAFL draft and was slated to compete for the starting QB job with Team Tennessee until the league unceremoniously “postponed” its inaugural season until 2009 so it could secure more investors.

Randall, the 2004 ACC Player of the Year, has bounced around NFL training camps for three years, but has yet to make an active roster and play a single regular season down. Though, he did look impressive in the Atlanta Falcons’ camp in 2006, but was the odd man out for the third QB spot, losing to hometown favorite D.J. Shockley from Georgia.

My impression of Randall has always been that while he does have certain athletic abilities that allow him to compete at a high level, he is just below the threshold needed to sustain an NFL career. However, his athleticism is not what led to his success at Virginia Tech, rather it was his intelligence and knowledge of the game. He is an extremely smart young man, on and off the field, and can read defenses very well. I think he would make an excellent fit in the CFL where Randall would have plenty of room to roll out, creating time to see plays develop and make something happen.

Even if the Blue Bombers sign Randall, he would still come in as the third-string QB and would have to compete for playing time behind incumbent start Kevin Glenn and Grey Cup (the CFL’s version of the SuperBowl) starter Ryan Dinwiddie. Apparently, Winnipeg has been following Randall since his playing days at Tech. According to the article, Bomber GM Brendan Taman said that Randall plans to explore his options with the Arena Football League, though that is not likely because their season has already started, and the NFL. Stay tuned!

According to a release on HokieSports.com today, rising senior runningback Branden Ore is no longer on the team. This frees up the backfield competition to include incoming four-star recruit Ryan Williams to compete with Kenny Lewis Jr., Josh Oglesby and Jahre Cheeseman.

Read the release.

Update: ESPN is reporting that Ore was kicked off the team because “Hokies coaches grew weary of player’s attitude.” While ESPN summarizes that this will hurt the Hokies 110th ranked offense, I think it will help the team because there is one less player who isn’t giving 100 percent to the team and it opens the door for some fresh legs to show us what they can do.

ESPN Article

From our friend Shane at vt.fanfoc.us:

As the NFL combine swings into full gear this weekend - something that I think deserves a lot more attention is just how many hokies are participating in the combine this year – here are the top ncaa schools (ranked by # of participants):

• USC 12
• Virginia Tech 11
• Arkansas 8
• LSU 8
• Cal 7
• Oklahoma 7
• Texas 7
• Michigan 7

So you ask – exactly who are those 11 fine hokies heading to the nfl combine?

• Adibi, Xavier - LB 6′2″ 220lbs
• Booker, Barry - DT 6′4″ 284lbs
• Brown, Duane - OL 6′5″ 300lbs
• Ellis, Chris - DE 6′4″ 260lbs
• Flowers, Brandon - CB 5′10″ 190lbs
• Hall, Vince - ILB 6′0″ 238lbs
• Harper, Justin - WR 6′4″ 198lbs
• Morgan, Josh - WR 6′1″ 215lbs
• Parker, D.J. - CB 6′0″ 195lbs
• Powell, Carlton - DT 6′3″ 300lbs
• Royal, Eddie - WR 5′10″ 182lbs

I’m actually surprised to see 11 hokies on the list and it’s a testament to the quality of players VT has been bringing in lately and good job beamer and his staff do developing those players. So who isn’t on this list?

Click here to read the rest of the combine preview.

By Gary Cope

Bryan Randall, one of the most beloved football players in Virginia Tech’s history is back in professional football. Team Tennessee (that’s the official name of the team) selected Randall with the No. 2 overall pick in the inaugural All American Football League (AAFL) draft. (Here’s a great article about Randall including an interview with the Hokies living legend.) He was actually taken ahead of former Heisman Trophy winner Eric Crouch of Nebraska.

Download the complete draft results.

If you have never heard of the AAFL, don’t worry; you are not alone. It’s brand spanking new and it will not compete with the NFL (smart move).

According to its Web site, AllAmericanFootballLeague.com, the league truly lives up to its name and will only “employ” football players who have completed their college football eligibility and have earned a four-year degree. Wow! How’s that for refreshing?

The league will have six team from six states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Michigan, Tennessee and Texas. So far, none of the teams have names other than “Team Alabama.”

During today’s draft, four former Hokies were selected.

• Bryan Randall (QB) was the 2nd overall (1st round)
• Tim Sandidge (DL) was the 11th overall (2nd round)
• Derrius Monroe (DL) was the 23rd overall pick (4th round)
• Keith Willis (TE) was the 270th overall pick (45th round)

Randall, Sandidge and Monroe were drafted by Team Tennessee, while Willis was drafted by Team Alabama.

About the Draftees

Bryan Randall went undrafted in 2005 following his senior season at Tech. But, he hung around and in 2006 was signed by the Atlanta Falcons. Randall and former Georgia QB D.J. Shockley were battling for the third QB spot behind Michael Vick and Matt Schaub, but Shockley was a Georgia fan favorite and it seemed the Falcons would rather have the hometown guy, even though Randall was probably the better of the two in camp - but it was close.

He was picked up by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when Chris Simms got hurt in 2006. but was later cut. He is currently listed by the NFL’s Web site as being on the Pittsburgh Steeler’s roster. The Steelers’ Web site also has a bio for him, so maybe he’ll get a look next training camp. In the meantime, it looks like he will get some good off-season conditioning as the starting quarterback for Team Tennessee in the first season of the AAFL.

Tim Sandidge earned his bachelor’s degree from Tech following the 2004 season and was attending graduate school, also at Tech, during his final season with the Hokies in 2005. He was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2006 by the St. Louis Rams and was on their practice squad for most of the season. The Kansas City Chief signed him off the Rams’ practice squad, but just before the Chiefs playoff game, they needed an extra DB and Sandidge was cut and resigned by the Rams. He has also seen time with the San Diego Chargers and played a season in NFL Europe with the Hamburg Sea Devils, but missed the final NFLEL championship game with a knee injury.

Derrius Monroe, whom many of us remember as the troubled defensive lineman who pled guilty to a felony charge of cocaine possession in 2000, was a seventh-round NFL pick by the New Orleans Saints in 2002, but never played a regular season game. Later that year, he was signed to the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad, but again, never saw any playing time in the regular season. To be quite honest, I was surprised to see Monroe’s name in the list of drafted players. We all are aware of his troubles with the law, but I did not know that despite those troubles, he still earned his degree. So, kudos to Monroe for following through on his education. I hope he has his life on the right track.

Keith Willis earned his bachelor’s and master’s degree from Virginia Tech and finished his collegiate career following the 2004 season. He has seen time on several NFL rosters: Willis was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He was cut and picked up by the Cleveland Browns in 2005. Seattle signed him in 2006 while he was playing in NFL Europe for the Frankfurt Galaxy. He is currently listed on the Kansas City Chiefs roster.

Congratulations our fellow Hokies. We wish them the best of luck in the inaugural season of the AAFL and hope that it gives them the exposure and experience they need to get a shot at the next level.