Broughton ready to take on NFL, Chargers; Central Georgians and state players sign free-agent contracts
By Michael A. Lough
The Sports Report
centralgasports@gmail.com
Maybe if his coaches kept him at one position, Cortez Broughton wouldn’t have had to wait so long during the 2019 NFL Draft.
But maybe teams missed out on his increased versatility.
The Veterans grad hopes that’s what inspired the Los Angeles Rams to make him the 242nd pick of the draft, going Saturday in the seventh round.
He played inside and outside on Cincinnati’s defensive line, but grabbed attention as a senior at tackle.
“I think it was putting together what I learned from all my coaches, because I had five coaches over five years,” he said in a www.chargers.com interview. “That was the biggest thing. Being able to take a piece of each coach and their knowledge, that’s what (clicked).”
Broughton was the only Central Georgian to get drafted, but he was quickly joined by other area alums who got attention from NFL teams.
Players get a chance to make an impression at a mini-camp and hope to advance to a normal, even if initially short-term, contract as an undrafted free agent.
Peach County grad Sean Freeman was one of the first to get a free-agent contract and tryout, the Georgia Southern defensive back getting a call from Atlanta shortly after the draft ended.
Logan Hunt, a four-year starter at Georgia Southern by way of Washington County, has yet to land anywhere.
Quentin Stanford of Northside turned in a stellar career at West Georgia, and will get a shot with San Francisco.
Westside grad Marquez Sanford of Murray State signed with Jacksonville.
The Falcons will hold a rookie mini-camp in May at Flowery Branch.
Mercer tight end Sam Walker, a Cumming native, was invited by Atlanta.
Players from state colleges and the NFL team they signed with (or expect to; to be updated by Wednesday):
Georgia: Natrez Patrick, L.A. Rams; Elijah Holyfield, Carolina; Jay Hayes, Pittsburgh; Jayson Stanley, Atlanta.
Brookwood grad Nick Moore, 26, played pro baseball, and got a contract with New Orleans. As a long snapper.
Georgia Tech: Jalen Johnson, Atlanta; Andree Saint-Amour, Minnesota; Desmond Branch, Atlanta.
Georgia Southern: Freeman; Ellis Richardson, Chicago; Wesley Fields, San Francisco;
Former Eagle Curtis Rainey, whose final season was in 2018, will get a shot with Atlanta.
Kennesaw State: Justin Sumpter, Tennessee; Darnell Holland signed with New Orleans.
Georgia State: Chase Middleton, Houston; Penny Hart, Indianapolis.
Savannah State: Brandon Bailey, Atlanta
A Division II player from Georgia got a draft call, Valdosta State’s Stephen Denmark going to Chicago in the seventh round. He’s the fifth Blazer to be drafted.