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Hutchinson- Jets may sign OG/C Mike Elgin


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Jets to Sign OL Mike Elgin of the Pats?

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Anything to Dave Hutchinson's report in today's Star-Ledger that the Jets may sign G/C Mike Elgin who was cut by the Pats?

Quote:

"As expected,former Rutgers player CB Manny Collins, RB Danny Ware and G Robert Turner were among the players named to the expanded eight-player practice squad. WR Chris Davis, QB Brett Ratliff, LB Jason Trusnik and S Ray Ventrone were also named and the Jets have one more slot to fill. The Jets are expected to sign G/C Mike Elgin, who was cut by the Patriots."

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Wasn`t Hutchinson telling us last week ,the JETS were going to sign Vincent. Does he know or is he grasping at straws like the rest of us>>>>>

HUTCH has fanned on several articles lately. Still it is worth reporting because of the NE connection:

6/14/07

Meet the Rookies - C Mike Elgin By Paul Perillo, Patriots Football Weekly

With training camp next on the Patriots schedule, we’ll finish introducing you to the Patriots’ 2007 draftees. Today we meet center Mike Elgin of Iowa, who took part in last week's mini camp here at Gillette Stadium.

Judging strictly by appearances, there isn’t much that stands out when looking at Mike Elgin. At 6-3 and 291 pounds, there are plenty of lineman that strike more menacing poses, and his 5.15 time in the 40 is just average for a center.

Even his most impressive quality – his abnormally high level of intelligence – isn’t overly evident on the surface.

“When you first meet him, I had a hard time believing he’s as brilliant as he really is because he comes across as just a normal guy,” said Reese Morgan, Elgin’s offensive line coach at Iowa. “He doesn’t want to stand out in any way, shape or form. He wants to just fit in.”

The fact that people aren’t wowed by Elgin’s package of skills is nothing new for the last of the Patriots nine picks. Elgin has been overlooked for much of his career, so the fact that he had to wait until 246 other players heard their names called before he was selected was not surprising.

In essence he dealt with the same situation back in high school. Despite a productive career at Western Dubuque High School, where he was a member of state championship football and basketball teams as well as the anchor of the 4x200 relay squad, he found few takers on the Division I-A level.

But the more Morgan scouted Elgin the more he liked. Eventually he liked him so much he convinced Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz, a former Bill Belichick assistant, to give him the last scholarship they had available.

“He’s not a glamorous guy now, he’s not a Tom Lemming five-star recruit,” Morgan began. “He was the last guy we took on an official visit and the staff was split on it. I had very strong feelings on him as the guy that recruited him out of high school. Quite simply I thought he was a winner.”

“It started during his recruiting process as I watched him on tape,” he continued. “It was really the intangibles – the people that had been in the school, the administrators, the teachers – they just believed in this kid so much. The opposing coaches who’d say, ‘Man, that kid is one of the toughest high school players I’ve ever seen. The guy makes plays when they need it.’ He’s anchoring the relay team, here’s a kid that’s much faster than him but Mike beats him. How the [heck] he beats him from behind I don’t know but he does it.”

Elgin played linebacker and tight end in high school and started his collegiate career on the defensive line. After redshirting in 2002, he made the transition to offensive line the following year and saw action in six games as a backup center. He started all but one game at center in 2004 before switching to guard in ’05 as Brian Ferentz, the coach’s son, moved to center.

Last year he started five games at center and eight at guard, finishing his Hawkeyes career with 35 (15 at center, 25 at guard) starts in 50 games.

His background as a tight end and linebacker, as well as his other endeavors, gives him uncommon athleticism for an interior lineman.

Plus his versatility, always a plus in New England, could make him an attractive option as the Patriots search for depth – whether it be on the active roster or the practice squad.

But where Elgin truly separates himself from the pack is in his intellect. He was a three-time academic all-American and a semifinalist for the Draddy Trophy, the top academic award given in college football, as a senior. He was an honors engineering student with over a 4.0 GPA, permanent team captain and a member of the team’s leadership council.

“[Offensive line] coach [Dante] Scarnecchia was out at his pro day and met him and put him up at the board,” Morgan said. “I think when you get to meet Mike, get him one-on-one in a meeting, where he can demonstrate his knowledge of the game, that’s where he’s at his best. He certainly has improvement to make from a technical standpoint, the fundamentals can always get better, but he’s just a passionate, tough young man.”

Morgan admits that Elgin could struggle when facing some of the bigger defensive tackles in the NFL, particularly at guard. But he also added that he more than held his own against some of the better prospects he faced such as Michigan’s Alan Branch.

As is the case with any seventh-round pick, let alone one who plays a position manned by the likes of Dan Koppen, Elgin will be facing long odds to win a job in New England. But that’s just the kind of situation he’s excelled in throughout his athletic career.

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the jets always sign a player cut by the team they are playing the following week. the 53rd roster spot is a revolving door used to get inside info on the next opponent. he will probably be signed and cut next monday to sign an ex-raven.

i think they would sign him to the practice squad they have an open spot there

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