4/25/2005 - Football
Eckel Signs With The Patriots
Football: Undrafted fullback Eckel signs with Patriots
By BILL WAGNER, Staff Writer
Navy fullback Kyle Eckel will sign a free agent contract with the New England Patriots, somewhat easing the sting of not getting selected in the National Football League draft.
Eckel will ink a deal with the two-time defending Super Bowl champions tomorrow, the player's agent said.
"Kyle is very excited about the opportunity to join a great franchise like New England. We heard from several teams interested in signing Kyle and felt New England was the best fit," said Jim Kennedy, Eckel's Philadelphia-based agent.
Most scouting services had Eckel rated among the top three fullbacks coming out of college, but concerns about his military service commitment apparently kept NFL teams from using a draft pick on the 5-foot-11, 243-pounder.
Manuel White of UCLA led a list of five fullbacks taken yesterday in the draft. White went in the fourth round to the Washington Redskins, who later drafted another fullback - Nehemiah Broughton of The Citadel - in the seventh round.
Other fullbacks selected were Montana's Justin Green (Baltimore, sixth round), Mississippi's Rich Razzano (Tampa Bay, seventh) and North Carolina's Madison Hedgecock (St. Louis, seventh).
"We heard from several teams during the draft. Most expressed that he was a draftable player talent-wise, but there were concerns about the commitment," Kennedy said. "In the end, teams just weren't willing to use a valuable draft pick on Kyle and take the chance he would not be available for two years."
Eckel will be commissioned an ensign in the Navy in May and is slated to be on Temporary Assignment Duty (TAD) at the Naval Academy through next December. He has selected surface warfare as his assignment, which normally means additional training in
Norfolk, Va. before being assigned to a ship.
Kennedy said Navy officials were working on a plan to allow Eckel to play in the NFL immediately, but nothing had been finalized. He called a letter provided by the Navy for NFL teams "vague."
New England head coach Bill Belichick is an Annapolis native whose father was a longtime Navy assistant coach. Steve Belichick, who coached at Navy from 1956-89, was present for almost every home game in which Eckel played the past three seasons.
"Coach Belichick called Kyle numerous times to express New England's interest. He thinks Kyle can compete for the No. 1 job right away," Kennedy said. "Certainly Coach Belichick's familiarity with the Navy and understanding of Kyle's situation were major factors in (his) choosing to sign with New England."
New England does not have a true fullback on its current roster. Patrick Pass, an H-back and tight end, often lined up in the backfield and played that role last season.
Detroit was the other team extremely interested in signing Eckel as a free agent. However, the Lions currently have a true fullback in former Nebraska star Cory Schlesinger.
