For an undrafted free agent to make an NFL team, these college rookies face an uphill battle.
Yet annually more than 30% of the league – and NFL Hall of Fame players like Warren Moon and Kurt Warren – started their careers as undrafted free agents.
Should Cleveland Browns rookie tight end Treyton Welch make it to the 53-man roster this season, the undrafted free agent could have his new positional coach Tommy Rees to thank for it.
On “The Dawgs” Podcast, Welch credited the Browns’ tight end coach and passing game specialist and spoke of the bond the two formed during the three-day rookie minicamp earlier this month.
“He was in my shoes years ago, so he kind of knows what experience is like,” Welch said.
Welch said beyond learning his craft at the next level, Rees – who joined the league briefly in 2014 as an undrafted free agent – is imparting wisdom about how to start his career without any guarantees he’ll be a part of the Browns’ 2024 roster.
The rookie tight end complimented Rees as a “great guy who knows football” and told the podcast hosts he looked forward to continuing to build the relationship with Rees this season.
Rees has coached at multiple levels over the past decade.
After finishing his career, Rees started as a graduate assistant at Northwestern and an assistant for the then-San Diego Chargers before returning to Notre Dame.
Rees climbed the ladder at his alma mater, working as an offensive coordinator for his final years at Notre Dame before assuming the same role at Alabama last season.
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