Green Bay - Of the three undrafted free agents the Green Bay Packers are known to have agreed to terms with on Sunday night, Rory Johnson stands out.
A 6-foot, 235-pound linebacker out of Mississippi, Johnson played alongside No. 11 overall pick Patrick Willis as a junior last season and projected as a third-round pick after recording 94 tackles and forcing five turnovers.
But after word got out he had tested positive for marijuana use at both Mississippi and Hinds (Junior) College, where he played his freshman and sophomore seasons, Johnson's stock dropped like a rock.
But the Packers, noting his production and 4.58-second time in the 40-yard dash, swooped in and snatched Johnson up shortly after the draft concluded.
"I don't think there's any secret about it; he had some problems when he was in school," said his agent, Richard Kopelman. "I believe that's in Rory's past. "I don't want to be labeled as an overprotective father, but I think it's a little bit unfair to place everything into the realm of character. But that's certainly what happens in the NFL.
"So he had to overcome that. It's difficult. I spent a lot of time talking to Rory today, trying to explain to him why it is that he ended up where he is."
Kopelman said the Detroit Lions also expressed interest, but ultimately Johnson saw more opportunity in Green Bay.
"We just felt Green Bay was a great place for Rory," Kopelman said. "It's a good fit for him. We think he has an excellent chance of making the team and actually contributing this year."
One member of Green Bay's coaching staff who ultimately had a hand in helping land Johnson was special teams assistant Shawn Slocum, who spent 2005 as assistant head coach and linebackers coach at Mississippi.
The Packers also agreed to terms with 6-3, 315-pound guard Pat Murray of Division II Truman State and 6-2½, 225-pound quarterback Jerry Babb of Louisiana-LaFayette.
Babb said he chose Green Bay over Jacksonville because he saw a chance to compete for the No. 3 quarterback job, which is currently held by second-year man Ingle Martin.
"I felt like it's a good fit for me," Babb said. "There really is an opportunity. That's the thing; just go in there and compete. I think heading into this draft, all I really wanted was a shot to get into a camp to see what I can do, and that's what the Packers are offering."
Another undrafted free agent the Packers are believed to have come to terms with is Juwan Simpson, a 6-2½, 227-pound linebacker from Alabama.
Wynn-win? The Packers no doubt did their due diligence looking into the background of running back DeShawn Wynn before taking him with the first of three seventh-round draft picks.
A Parade magazine All-American coming out of Reading High School in Cincinnati in 2001, Wynn experienced an up-and-down, five-year stay at the University of Florida that culminated in his nearly not being drafted at all because of questions about his commitment and work ethic.
Wynn redshirted in 2002 and then played in 21 games over his freshman and sophomore seasons, rushing for a combined 757 yards and 12 touchdowns before getting into the doghouse of new head coach Urban Meyer heading into the 2005 season.
Meyer suspended Wynn for the Gators' opener against Wyoming, although the details are somewhat sketchy.
According to his draft biography on NFL.com, Wynn was suspended after failing to make it onto the field for a play during pre-season drills because he was on the sideline talking on his cell phone.
But when asked about the incident Sunday, Packers general manager Ted Thompson referenced an issue with Wynn's grades, whereas Wynn said his suspension had to do with another incident altogether.
"It had to do off the field with a parking decal I got mixed up in," he said. "Not really directly, kind of indirectly, but it was Coach Meyer's first year, the first day he walked on campus he got me up in his office with this little decal incident and he thought it was the right thing to do at the time, so I had to take it."
The 5-foot-10½, 230-pound Wynn started 10 of 13 games last season as Florida won the national title, and also led the Gators in rushing with 630 yards. But it's likely he received less-than-glowing reviews from Meyer and his staff afterward.
"I had a lot of rumors going around about the stuff I did, but (there's) not too much you can do about rumors," Wynn said. "I just try to make an impression on people in a good way when I meet them. They might've heard something bad about me but once they meet me, I just want a fair chance."
Thompson said Wynn's drop into the seventh round made him a sound pick, and he didn't appear overly concerned about his other issues.
"He fell in the draft based on his talent, but by the seventh round we felt he was pretty fair valued to be able to take him," he said. "We don't think he's a character risk in terms of necessarily being a bad guy; he didn't abide by some of the rules they had there at the University of Florida."