The Kansas City Chiefs 2011 NFL draft is finally over. Here's a summary of all nine of the Chiefs draft picks. I am exhausted right now so, for the time being, I'm OK with the fact that there won't be any undrafted free agent signings.
Indeed, the NFL lockout means there will not be any undrafted free agent signings. The 2011 NFL draft was locked in with the previous CBA but the lockout means there aren't any player signings so there won't be any UDFAs.
Usually, Chiefs GM Scott Pioli would be working the phones in the seventh round preparing to sign some undrafted free agents -- they can sign with any team they want -- but that won't be happening.
And these UDFAs are the ones that are really going to be hurt. Guys drafted in the first, second or third round are going to make the team regardless because the team has invested a draft pick in them. Likewise, even some of the guys drafted late have a leg up on the UDFAs.
But UDFAs don't have that chance. It's sort of like team employees taking pay cuts because of the lockout -- the little guys are hurt the most by all of this.
So the UDFAs will have to wait until the lockout is over, which hopefully comes next week. You can bet Pioli will be ready with a list of guys he wants to target when the UDFA signing period opens.