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Whirlwind Day for Bergen; Signs with Cardinals as FA

A harrowing day for Adam Bergen. After going through the entire draft without getting picked, on I-AA.org it has been reported that Adam Bergen has signed with the Arizona Cardinals. After a draft day which was oddly light in the number of I-AA players picked, Bergen's falling through the draft came as a surprise to quite a few draft-day analysts. Many had him as a top-10 TE.

(UPDATED with new Arizona TE information and links to Morning Call, Express-Times articles.)

I can only imagine what it was like for the Bergen family at home. According to this Morning Call article, Adam planned to watch the draft with his family and close friends "like he does every year". I can safely say there were a lot of folks, I-AA fans and Lehigh fans, that were also watching the draft pulling for him from their corners of the world as well.

The Cardinals, a team that apparently has had one of the best drafts in 2005, still had TE listed as a "need area" after their great draft. The Cards didn't draft a TE.

Looking down their 2004 roster, it looks like Adam is going into a good situation to challenge for playing time as a pass-catching TE. Their starting TE last year, Freddie Jones, is a free agent, and looks likely to move to another team. Their 2 remainng TE last year had 8 *total* receptions last year. I am not the biggest draftnik in the world - nor the biggest pro football fan you've ever seen - but to this untrained eye it looks like Bergen will have a chance to compete on this Cardinal team.

Congratulations, Adam. You have your shot - a very good one, in my mind - at the NFL. The Cardinals gained another fan today - and undoubtedly many others in the Lehigh Valley.

From the media writeups on Bergen's signing:
Express-Times: Bergen Accepts Cardinals' Offer
Morning Call: Bergen Catches On with Cards

Here's your Adam Bergen digest for the day:

Even though Lehigh's All-American tight end didn't get drafted Saturday or Sunday, he agreed to a free-agent contract with the Arizona Cardinals shortly after the completion of the draft.

''Actually, we were talking with Arizona during the final hour of the draft,'' Bergen said from his Long Island home. ''You can say the day was a little disappointing, but it ended well and I will get my chance. I thought I would be drafted, but I am signing with the team that I thought would be taking me all along.''

 ''There was never a realization that I wasn't going to get drafted because I always thought I was,'' Bergen said. ''I'm not sure what happened. It was disappointing, but Arizona is a great fit.''

 "Basically," he said, "it gave me a reason to just go out there and work harder. I still think I can play in this league."

 ''I'm not sure what their situation is at tight end; I think they just have a bunch of free agents,'' he said. ''I'm not sure when I'll be reporting, but I can't wait.''

"I think the Cardinals will give me a fair shot," he said. "That's all I want."

Comments

colgate13 said…
So, the question is, did they get him for cheaper than if they drafted him?
11:10 AM
Anonymous said…
What the hell were the Eagles thinking? Chad Lewis may not recover from his injury at his age, Mike Bartrum is 35 and problem gone, L.J. Smith has lots of talent but so far has been either hurt or inconsistent. Bergen is a Chad Lewis clone - big, not much of a blocker (yet), good hands, and runs crisp routes. They should have at least given him a look since they were talking him up so much pre-draft. Draft guru Ray Didinger must've brought up Adam's name once an hour on his show on the Philly sports station. Instead they sign two tight ends nobody heard of.


Hey Colgate ---- Did your guy Branch get signed as a FA?
5:01 PM
Anonymous said…
What the hell were the Eagles thinking? For weeks WIP (Philly sports radio) has entertained numerous calls from fans asking about whether Adam Bergen might be someone the Eagles might want. I heard former player, Gary Cobb, praise the kid. Ray Didinger of NFL films said Bergen could be a steal and other WIP sports personalities thought he'd be a perfect fit. Chad Lewis suffered a possible career ending injury, L.J. Smith is constantly hurt and inconsistent (brilliant at times too), and Mike Bartrum is a veritable senior citizen at 35. The two stiffs they signed as free agents aren't even on the draft lists I read. Why wouldn't they give a chance to a guy who is almost a clone of Chad Lewis? - Big, not much of a blocker (yet), great hands, familiar with West Coast style offense, runs crisp routes, and affordable. Bergen should be familiar to Andy Reid's staff since he worked with the Eagles in training camp. Every year I question Reid's moves, but every year he proves me wrong, but this just seemed like a no-brainer.

Hey Colgate --- Did your boy Branch get a shot with anyone?
5:30 PM
Anonymous said…
Sorry - double posting
5:32 PM
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