Moments after Mr. Irrelevant is picked with the 256th or so pick in the NFL draft Youth Customized New Orleans Saints Jerseys , all 32 teams begin the race to land each year’s most desirable undrafted free agents (UDFAs). Within hours, most of the promising talent has already been scooped up onto an NFL roster.All the pre-draft research on every prospect comes into play as teams scramble to be the first to call those they think can actually make an impact on their team. Saints UDFA wide receiver, Keith Kirkwood, had his current team on his radar since before the combine.Saints wide receivers coach, Curtis Johnson, called Kirkwood before the combine in an attempt to lure him to New Orleans in the event he wasn’t drafted. “Just from hearing his voice I just knew he was determined to get me here to be a New Orleans Saint,” Kirkwood said. “I knew I wasn’t going to be drafted, so I had my mind set that when things all boiled down I wanted to be a New Orleans Saint.”Even though Kirkwood is having a great training camp, the Saints crowded receiver corps may be tough to crack. But his presence and willingness to sign with the Saints is a reflection on the growing history of UDFAs becoming quality contributors for the Black and Gold.Back in 2005, the Saints signed a wide receiver to their practice squad. He had been released by the Cleveland Browns after initially going undrafted. The following season, he was allocated to NFL Europe where he played for the Berlin Thunder before being activated to the Saints roster for the final six games. He was then cut and resigned to the practice squad the next day.In 2007, Lance Moore finally made his first start for the New Orleans Saints. He then had a career year in 2008. With Marques Colston out most of the season, Moore amassed 79 receptions for 928 yards and 10 touchdowns. His two point conversion in the Saints’ Super Bowl win cemented his name forever in Saints lore. Last month, he was inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame.Yet the Saints had another franchise Hall of Famer emerge from the undrafted abyss in 2007. Running back Pierre Thomas beat out fourth round pick Antonio Pittman for the final running back spot and never looked back. He scored 41 touchdowns for the Saints over seven seasons, including a very crucial score in their Super Bowl win.Thomas and Moore may be the most beloved and longest tenured of any undrafted players to make a Saints roster, but they are only a couple names on an even longer list of quality players that have come after them. In 2008, it was Jo-Lonn Dunbar and Lynell Hamilton. Dunbar played eight years in the league to Hamilton’s four. In 2009, it was Jonathan Casillas. He’s still in the league playing with the Giants and has two Super Bowl rings, one with the Saints and one with the Patriots.In 2009, it was Junior Galette. He spent four seasons with the Saints, earned a contract extension, and even after two consecutive Achilles tears and numerous off the field issues, still made the Washington roster for three more years before finally waning out of the league.In 2011, it was Isa Abdul-Quddus and Joe Morgan. In 2012 www.thesaintsfootballauthentic.com , it was Travaris Cadet and Tyrunn Walker. In 2013, four UDFA’s made the Saints roster. Tim Lelito, Ryan Griffin, Glenn Foster, and current Saints tight end Josh Hill all earned a spot.In 2014, Brandon Coleman and Kasim Edebali each earned crucial time on the field. And even though it took them another year to realize their potential, in 2016 Ken Crawley and Tommylee Lewis began their journeys towards trusted and valued contributors. Arthur Maulet has taken his chance from last year’s signing and made the most of it. He’s having a terrific camp and is only making the coaches’ job of cutting the roster down even harder. But perhaps no one is turning heads more than last year’s UDFA quarterback claimed off of waivers after being cut by the Packers. Taysom Hill has Saints fans excited, whether he’s lighting it up on special teams or showing off his wheels by escaping the pocket. It’s true. Sean Payton gives UDFAs a fighting chance to make an NFL roster. If college players on the fringe of getting drafted don’t see it, they could be missing out on one of the more promising opportunities in the NFL to leap from unknown and under-appreciated to recognized and maybe even, one day, beloved. Le'Veon Bell's teammates spent the offseason and all of training camp brushing off his absence, confident in their belief that the Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro running back would eventually let the business side of things play out, sign his franchise tender and be at work when things start to get real.He's one of the best in the league and earned the right to take his time, they said. He'll show up when it starts to matter, they said. We're not worried, they said.Time to worry. And vent.Bell's chair remained tucked neatly into his locker on Wednesday, meaning he will almost certainly not be available when the Steelers open the season in Cleveland this weekend.And while Bell's agent took to the airwaves to vaguely explain Bell's reasoning for staying away, the men Bell has played alongside for the past five years are starting to run out of patience."Honestly it's a little selfish," said center Maurkice Pouncey, a captain who had predicted Bell would arrive by Wednesday. "I'm kind of (ticked) right now. It sucks that he's not here. We'll move on as a team. It doesn't look like he'll be in the game plan at this point."Veteran offensive guard Ramon Foster poked a little fun at Bell on social media, tweeting out a picture of Bell's head attached to the body of the character from the "Where's Waldo" line of children's books ."What do you do?" Foster said. "Here's a guy who doesn't give a damn, so I guess we'll treat it as such. I just hate it came to this."Bell and the Steelers spent each of the past two springs failing to come to terms on a new contract. Pittsburgh placed the franchise tag on Bell each time. The 26-year-old made over $12 million last season and is due $14.5 million this season if he signs his one-year tender by the weekend and the Steelers opt not to ask for a two-week roster exemption. He will lose about $850,000 for each game he misses.The biggest issue for Bell's teammates appears to be the lack of communication. There's a sense of anger that he has intentionally left them in the dark, forcing them to answer for him. Bell's agent Adisa Bakari was interviewed on SiriusXM NFL Radio on Wednesday and hinted at a concern Bell would be overworked this season by the Steelers New Orleans Saints T-Shirt , which could affect his earning potential when Bell reaches the open market in 2019. Bell's 406 touches led the NFL in 2017.Pittsburgh general manager Kevin Colbert, who expressed disappointment on Monday when Bell's locker remained empty, declined comment. Team spokesman Burt Lauten said the club would not conduct talks with Bakari through the media, adding "if Adisa would like to talk further, he has the phone number to our offices."Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger understands the constant questions about Bell but added "one person doesn't make or break you.""I'd like to say that the linemen are far more important than any skill position, including myself, on this team so this offense is more than just one back," Roethlisberger said.Maybe, but now the Steelers find themselves turning from a three-time Pro Bowler to a second-year player in James Conner. The former Pitt star is in line to make his first NFL start on Sunday and he's not too concerned about the circumstances that made it happen."I've got the opportunity to play the game again," said Conner, who endured a highly public battle with cancer during his college career. "Any time I can play football, I don't take it for granted. I've got an opportunity for Sunday and I can't wait for it."What the Steelers can wait for at this point is Bell to join them. He can still technically accrue a full year of service time if he reports by Week 10."At some point and you're like, 'All right, if you don't want to be here, it is what it is, hold out for 10 weeks," Pouncey said.Whatever Bell's plan is, he isn't telling. And the "train" that defensive end Cam Heyward uses as a symbol for the season is getting ready to roll. If Bell arrives in time to hop on is anyone's guess."Like I said, we have a lot of weapons," Roethlisberger said. "We'd like to have him out there, but we have guys that can make plays for us."NOTES: The Steelers signed RB Trey Edmunds, the older brother of rookie safety Terrell Edmunds, to the practice squad and released RB Jarvion Franklin. ... TE Vance McDonald (foot) was limited in practice on Wednesday. All other players were full go.