NFL Lockout Over, Lutrus Signs with Jaguars

The wait is over: Brookfield native  has finally gotten his chance to play in the NFL. On the day the NFL ended its 132-day long lockout, Lutrus was picked up by the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he reported on Tuesday.

After going undrafted in the April, which came as a big surprise to most NFL analysts, Lutrus had to endure the longest work stoppage in NFL history before getting signed as an undrafted free agent. 

Typically many pro prospects that don’t get drafted are signed within days of the draft, but this year was different for the recent University of Connecticut graduate. Lutrus, who had been projected to be drafted as early as the fifth round, endured four months of uncertainty while the lockout lingered deep into the summer.

During his time in Brookfield as a player, Lutrus led the Bobcats to a 12-1 record in his senior season, an SWC championship and a berth in the Class SS final. Lutrus was named the MVP of the conference championship game and earned All-State, All-Conference and All-Area honors on the season. He led the state in scoring with 204 points and had the second-most rushing yards with 2,017. The two-way star also had 63 tackles on defense and four interceptions, two that he returned for touchdowns.

After redshirting in 2006 at UConn, Lutrus made an immediate impact in his first year on the field. Starting at the strongside “Husky” linebacker position in all 13 games of the season, Lutrus opened eyes around the nation by recording 107 tackles, third most on the team. 

He was named Big East Defensive Player of the Week in consecutive weeks, being the first player to do so in the league since 1999. In one of the weeks, he had an eye-popping 18 tackles against Louisville.

Lutrus led the Huskies in tackles in 2008 with 106. He had a recurring neck injury in 2009 and 2010 that forced him to miss a total of eight games, reducing his season totals. He did however have a team-high nine tackles and a fumble recovery in the impressive Papajohns.com Bowl victory over South Carolina in his junior year and he helped the team earn its first ever BCS bowl berth in his senior season.

Now Lutrus will get his shot to make a pro roster. At 6’2”, 241 pounds, he is considered to have good size for an NFL linebacker and decent speed, recording a 4.6 40-yard dash time at the NFL combines. It was no surprise that he was signed immediately following the end of the lockout as he was listed as one of the top undrafted players available.

Lutrus goes to a Jacksonville team that has given other former Husky players a chance before. The Jag’s signed former teammates Tyler Lorenzen and Julius Williams in 2010. Williams, a defensive end is currently playing in the CFL while Lorenzen is playing for New Orleans Saints as a tight end. 

Other former teammates of Lutrus who are in the NFL are Indianapolis running back Donald Brown, New England Patriots defensive back Darius Butler, Buffalo Bills wide receiver Marcus Easley, Carolina Panthers cornerback Robert McClain, Oakland Raiders defensive back Tyvon Branch, New York Jets defensive end Cody Brown and New York Giants offensive tackle Will Beatty.

Former linebacker Jack Del Rio, who was a one-time pro bowler who played for 11 seasons in the NFL, will coach Lutrus. Del Rio has been the headman in charge at Jacksonville since 2003 when he took over the job for current Giants head coach Tom Coughlin. Del Rio is only the second coach in the Jaguars history and he has a reputation as being a no-nonsense, hard-nosed leader who preaches defense.

Jacksonville plays in the AFC South where they finished in second place behind the Colts with a record of 8-8 last season. They last made the playoffs in 2007 as a wildcard where they defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers before losing to the undefeated Patriots. Under Del Rio the team has been to the playoffs twice. They have played in two AFC championship games since joining the league in 1995.

Jacksonville is need of a defensive upgrade as they ranked in the lower third of the league in all major statistics last season. The Jag’s top two linebackers, Kirk Morrison and Justin Durant are both free agents and it is expected that they will lose Durant. They appear to have an agreement in place to sign Bills linebacker Paul Posluszny as they attempt to upgrade at that position.

Their remaining linebacker core is rated as unimpressive so Lutrus will get a good opportunity to play.

The Jaguars will have Lutrus compete for a roster spot with two other undrafted free agent linebackers, Michigan State’s Eric Gordon and Idaho’s JoJo Dickson.

Lutrus will look to follow the footsteps of some other legendary NFL players who went undrafted and signed as free agents. Current players that fit the mold include, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri, San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates, Steelers linebacker James Harrison and Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker. Former legendary players who went undrafted were two-time NFL MVP Kurt Warner and Hall-Of-Famers Warren Moon, John Randle and Dick “Night Train” Lane.