New Orleans Saints Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis announced Monday the 14 undrafted rookie free agents that have agreed to terms with the team following the conclusion of the NFL Draft. Joining the Saints will be LBs Jason Beauchampand Harry Coleman, WR Chris Bell, RBs Carlos Brown, Christian Ducréand Chris Ivory, Gs Brandon Carterand Joe Tonga, DEs Junior Galette and Brandon Sharpe, LS Clint Gresham, safety Ryan Hamilton, DT Jay Ross and CB Marcell Young.
The following is an outline of the 14 players who – along with the club's six draft choices and other tryout players – will be coming to New Orleans to participate in the team's rookie minicamp, scheduled to take place May 7-9.
Jason Beauchamp – Linebacker, UNLV (6-3, 244):Beauchamp is an athletic linebacker who was the Rebels' leading tackler in both his junior and senior seasons, playing 48 games with 37 starts for UNLV and tallying 334 tackles, with 26 of those coming for losses including 13 sacks and a pair of forced fumbles. The San Diego native was a three-year starter and was named honorable mention all-Mountain West Conference in 2009 after earning second-team honors the prior year, posting 95 tackles with a career-best 6½ sacks as a senior.
Chris Bell – Wide Receiver, Norfolk State (6-2, 211):Bell played two seasons at Penn State, catching 12 passes for 209 yards, prior to returning to his native Norfolk, Va., where he led the Spartans with 51 catches for 958 yards and 13 touchdowns in his lone season at Norfolk State. Bell led the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in receiving yards and touchdowns and was named first-team all-MEAC before declaring for the NFL draft with a year of eligibility remaining.
Carlos Brown – Running Back, Michigan (6-0, 212): Brown was a four-year letterman for the Wolverines, playing in 30 games with 12 starts over his collegiate career. The Franklin, Ga. native totaled 1,025 yards on 201 carries with nine touchdowns for his career, caught 16 passes for 145 yards and a score and also averaged 20.3 yards on 19 kickoff returns. Brown took over the starting running back job as a senior and led Michigan with a career-best 480 rushing yards on 79 carries (5.9 avg.) with four touchdowns and added 10 catches for 122 yards and a score.
Brandon Carter – Guard, Texas Tech (6-6, 319): Carter started for three seasons for the Red Raiders, opening 40 of the 49 games he played during his collegiate career. The native of Longview, Texas was selected first-team All-Big XII as a senior in 2009 after receiving honorable mention all-conference honors in each of his sophomore and junior seasons.
Harry Coleman – Linebacker, LSU (6-2, 212): Coleman was a two-year starter for the Tigers, moving from strong safety to linebacker in between his junior and senior seasons and closed his career with 183 tackles, four sacks, 11 pass defenses, four fumbles and a pair of fumble recoveries in 52 games, starting the final 26 of them. The Baldwin, La. native was named LSU's Most Valuable Player as a senior in 2009, posting career-highs with 82 tackles, nine tackles for loss, four sacks and three forced fumbles.
Christian Ducré – Running Back, Mississippi State (5-11, 225): Ducré, a native of Lacombe, La. and a graduate of Mandeville's Fontaineblue HS, played in 37 games for Mississippi State over four seasons, rushing for 972 yards on 49 carries with seven touchdowns and catching 39 passes for 346 yards and two more scores. He spent a redshirt season at Tulane before transferring to MSU and had his biggest statistical season as a sophomore in 2007, gaining 487 yards with three touchdowns for the Bulldogs.
Junior Galette – Defensive End, Stillman (6-2, 258): Galette was a three-year letter-winner at Temple before transferring to Stillman College prior to his senior season. The Spring Valley, N.Y. native played 33 games for Temple, making 80 tackles with 16 sacks and three forced fumbles. In his lone season at Stillman, Galette made 56 tackles and notched 9½ sacks, earning first-team All-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honors and being named a second-team Division II All-American.
Clint Gresham – Long Snapper, TCU (6-3, 238):Gresham, a Corpus Christi, Texas native, was the only long snapper invited to the NFL Scouting Combine after a solid career for the Horned Frogs, playing in 38 games over three seasons and recording eight tackles on special teams. The long snapper spent his freshman season at the University of Oklahoma before transferring to TCU.
Ryan Hamilton – Safety, Vanderbilt (6-1, 206): Hamilton was a four-year starter for the Commodores, playing both free and strong safety over his 39-game career (36 starts) that saw him total 222 tackles, five interceptions, two sacks, three forced fumbles and seven pass defenses. Had his best season as a junior in 2008, making 104 tackles with four interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown and three fumble recoveries. The Wycombe, Pa. native had his senior season cut short after just two games after suffering a torn pectoral muscle.
Chris Ivory – Running Back, Tiffin (6-0, 222): Ivory played three seasons at Washington State, gaining 534 yards on 91 carries with four touchdowns in 22 games for the Cougars in an injury-shortened career. The Longview, Texas native also averaged 22.8 yards on 23 kickoff returns for WSU before transferring to Division II Tiffin, where he played in five games and rushed for 223 yards on 39 attempts.
Jay Ross – Defensive Tackle, East Carolina (6-3, 302): Ross was a three-year starter on the Pirates' defensive line, opening 42 games of the 52 he played for East Carolina, three times earning honorable mention All-Conference USA honors. The Wilmington, N.C. native totaled 140 tackles over his four seasons, 25 of them behind the line of scrimmage including eight sacks and added two forced fumbles and a pair of fumble recoveries, one of which he returned for a TD.
Brandon Sharpe – Defensive End, Texas Tech (6-2, 254):Sharpe played in 23 games at Texas Tech over three seasons after spending a year at Fresno City College. The Lyons, Ga. native set a school record with 15 sacks as a senior in 2009, earning first-team All-Big XII honors as he started 12 games and totaled 36 tackles (20 of them coming behind the line of scrimmage), with five pass defenses, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. For his Red Raider career, Sharpe totaled 41 tackles with 16 sacks.
Joe Tonga – Guard, Indiana (Pa.) (6-4, 313): Tonga played his senior season at Division II Indiana (Pa.) University and started nine games on the offensive line for the Crimson Hawks. The Taylorsville, Utah native played one season at Florida State in 2008, playing in 11 games after two standout seasons at Mt. San Antonio (Calif.) Community College, where he earned all-conference honors.
Marcell Young – Cornerback, Jackson State (6-0, 183): Young played in 21 games over two seasons for Jackson State in his hometown of Jackson, Miss., making 49 tackles with two interceptions, five pass defenses and two interceptions. Prior to transferring to JSU, Young played two seasons at Hinds (Miss.) Community College where he was selected to play in the Mississippi Junior College All-Star Game.
