The 90 Players in 90 Days series is meant to do a few things. It’s here to give a quick rundown on new players to the roster, as well as provide a refresher on the guys who were around last year but didn’t have a huge impact.
It’s also here to, at the very least, call awareness to the players at the bottom of the roster who are fighting an uphill battle to even stay on the roster through training camp, much less land on the 53 man roster in the fall. With that in mind, I present to you a talented Arena Football League veteran who is making his way to the NFL for the first time.
Name: Jordan Mudge
# 61
Position: OL
Height/Weight: 6’4”, 300 lbs.
Experience: 1
College: Nevada
Draft: UDFA (2012)
Financial Situation (per Spotrac): Mudge is on a one-year deal at the league minimum salary of $465,000. None of it is guaranteed.
2016 Recap: Mudge spent last season with the Arizona Rattlers of the aforementioned AFL, where he won the Spalding Offensive Lineman of the Year Award. The Rattlers finished the season with a 13-3 record, but were upset in ArenaBowl XXIX by the Philadelphia Soul. Rattlers quarterback Nick Davila won the league’s MVP award, and I’m sure his campaign was helped a great deal by Mudge and the offensive line keeping his pocket clean.
Positional Outlook: The interior line is settled at the top of the roster, and Ryan Groy has the top depth position locked down. Aside from the undrafted rookie pickups, Mudge is competing with versatile veteran Vlad Ducasse for one of the reserve spots. That, however, presumes that the Bills are going to keep only one dedicated reserve at offensive tackle.
2017 Offseason: Mudge was one of eight free agents the Bills signed in early April. Of the eight, three are already off the roster, so Mudge has already accomplished something in that regard.
2017 Season Outlook: I’m about as confident as someone with no ties to the Bills’ internal workings can be when I predict that Mudge won’t make the final roster. He was successful in arena football, but he’s never played against anybody in the same class as NFL defensive linemen. I’ll be shocked to see him on the 53...but, you know, anything is possible.