Lions to pursue Lokombo after NFL takes a pass
All those cautionary red flags thrown up around Boseko Lokombo in extensive draft scouting profiles must have carried some weight with National Football League general managers.
The University of Oregon linebacker by way of W. J. Mouat high school in Abbotsford was not selected in the seven- round draft that concluded Saturday. And as of Sunday afternoon, he wasn’t one of the more than 450 undrafted free agents who had reportedly been signed by NFL clubs.
That could be a good thing for the B. C. Lions, who selected the 6- foot- 2, 223- pound native of the Congo in the third round of the 2013 CFL draft. It was a bit of a flyer as the Lions believed at the time that Lokombo might well get drafted by the NFL this year.
But various scouting reports in the last couple of months questioned Lokombo’s toughness and his instincts.
A starter the last two seasons at Oregon, Lokombo was also hurt by the fact he was not able to bench press or do the vertical jump at the NFL combine because he was still recovering from surgery on a torn left labrum.
“Does not trigger quickly to what he sees and could take some time to assimilate a complex playbook,” said one scouting report on NFL. com. “Lacks throwback linebacker toughness and functional playing strength.”
Other reports suggested his skills might be better suited to the more wide open CFL, noting that he was used to playing in lots of space at Oregon. And while scouts said he was not a fundamentally sound tackler, they also noted that he had the speed — he ran 4.66 in the 40 at the combine — and quickness to chase down plays from the backside.
“For us, I don’t put a lot of stock in what the NFL says ... particularly for a non- import player,” Lions GM Wally Buono said on Sunday.
“The NFL doesn’t believe he’s as physical as they’d like, but we play a different game.”
Buono said the club will try to contact Lokombo and his agent today and determine what they are thinking.
Buono said the Lions would be willing to sign Lokombo and put him on the injured list until he was ready to play.
“Not being drafted and not signing yet, I don’t know if that makes it a little more cloudy or clear,” said Buono.
“Unfortunately, his injury and his surgery is a big, big part of the uncertainty of where he sits in the football picture. I don’t want to speculate one way or the other. Even if he has no more NFL aspirations, I’m not sure physically he can start training camp with us.”
Lokombo, who was driving back to Eugene, Ore., on Sunday from his family home in Abbotsford, did not return several messages left on his cellphone.
Most undrafted free agents signed by NFL clubs simply wind up as fodder for pre- training camp workouts. But some do wind up making rosters.
Last year’s undrafted class was highlighted by three passcatchers who made an impact for their NFL squad. Tight end Joseph Fauria finished with seven TD catches for Detroit, while wide receivers Marlon Brown ( Baltimore) and Kembrell Thompkins ( New England) saw plenty of action.
Stars such as Wes Welker, Antonio Gates and Arian Foster were also undrafted free- agent signings.