The path to the NFL doesn't stop at the draft.
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The rookie free agents signed are linebacker Dan Fox of Notre Dame, safety Charles Barnett of Ohio State, and defensive ends Emmanuel Dieke of Georgia Tech and Jordan Stanton of James Madison.
Fox, 6-3 and 233 pounds, led Notre Dame in tackles last season over 10 starts, while Barnett, 6-0 and 201 pounds, was one of five senior captains at Ohio State in 2013. Barnett closed his career with 45 games played as a Buckeye and 37 starts, totaling 224 career tackles and eight interceptions.
For the defensive ends, Dieke, 6-6 and 257 pounds, was a two-year starter at Georgia Tech, recording 72 tackles, 5.0 sacks, and two forced fumbles in 49 career games. And Stanton, 6-4 and 263 pounds, last year earned First Team All-CAA accolades for the first time in his career after recording 56 tackles, 11.5 for loss, and 8.0 sacks, which was a team-best and tied for fifth in the conference.
The Giants yesterday signed defensive tackles Kelcy Quarles of South Carolina and Eathyn Manumaleuna of BYU, defensive end Kerry Wynn of Richmond, linebacker Justin Anderson of Louisiana-Lafayette and safety Thomas Gordon of Michigan.
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Photos of Georgia Tech DE Emmanuel Dieke who signed as a free agent
DE Emmanuel Dieke , Georgia Tech**
- A two-year starter at Georgia Tech, Dieke recorded 72 tackles, 5.0 sacks, and two forced fumbles in 49 career games.
- As a senior in 2013, Dieke played and started in all 13 games at defensive end. He recorded three tackles in Tech's win at eventual ACC Coastal Division champion Duke (Sept. 14) and registered a career-high seven tackles to go with a sack at Virginia (Oct. 26). He also recorded three tackles and a pass break-up vs. Ole Miss in the Music City Bowl (Dec. 30).
- Measurables: Height 6-6, Weight 257 lbs.
- A native of Riverdale, Ga., Dieke ranked No. 46 for his position by Scout, No.23 by Rivals and No. 77 by ESPN coming out of Clayton High School, where he played four seasons of football and served two seasons as team captain. He also earned three letters in basketball where he played forward and center and graduated in the top 20 of his senior class.
- Personal: Nickname is "Too Tall"...full name is Emmanuel Mang Dieke (pronunciation: D-A-kay)... parents are Mang and Elizabeth Dieke... of Nigerian descent... born in Jackson, Miss., on Sept. 23, 1990... previously lived in Boston... has three siblings... began playing organized football in ninth grade as a 15-year old.
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Photos of Notre Dame LB Dan Fox who signed with the Giants as an undrafted free agent
LB Dan Fox , Notre Dame**
- NFL.com scouting report: Generally keys, diagnoses and locates. Functional take-on strength. Flows to the ball and gives effort in pursuit. Solid wrap tackler. Smart and aware. Tough and durable -- played all 52 games of his career. Played Mike and Will in a 3-4 front and has special-teams experience. Good football and personal character.
- Fox led Notre Dame in tackles last season over 10 starts. He played in 52 career games and started 32, registering 226 career tackles, 9.5 for loss and 3.0 sacks.
- Measurables: Height 6-3, Weight 233 lbs., Arm Length 30 5/8", Hands 9 1/8"
- In 2012, Fox played in all 13 games, starting nine of them and sharing time with Carlo Calabrese. He totaled six tackles vs. Alabama in the BCS National Championship Game.
- A native of Rocky River, Ohio, Fox was a member of the St. Ignatius High School state championship football team in 2008. The Wildcats finished the season ranked 12th nationally by USA Today. He played safety throughout his prep career.
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Photos of Ohio State Safety C.J. Barnett who signed with the Giants as an undrafted free agent
S Charles Barnett, Ohio State**
- NFL.com scouting report: Productive, physical tackler -- quick to fill. Responds to a challenge and can handle hard coaching. Posted a 37 1/2-inch vertical jump and a 6.86-second short-shuttle at his pro day. Vocal team leader. Has been a gunner in punt coverage. Is very smart, understands football concepts and can handle complex assignments.
- Barnett was one of five senior captains at Ohio State in 2013.
- Measurables: Height 6-0, Weight 201 lbs., Arm Length 31 5/8", Hands 8 Âľ"
- As a fifth-year senior, he was the most experienced member of the secondary and closed his career with 45 games played and 37 starts. His 224 career tackles were the second-most among the Buckeyes, and nobody on the team had more interceptions than his career total of eight.
- A native of Dayton, Ohio, Barnett twice ranked second on the Buckeyes in tackles in the season-ending stats. He was honored three times by the Big Ten Conference for his play on the field, and once - as an Academic All-Big Ten honoree - for his classroom accomplishments.
DE Jordan Stanton, James Madison
- In 2013, Stanton earned First Team All-CAA accolades for the first time in his career after recording 56 tackles with 11.5 for loss and a team-best and tied for fifth in the CAA with 8.0 sacks for 44 yards in losses. He also added a pair of quarterback hurries and two breakups on the season. Stanton ranked sixth among defensive linemen with 4.7 tackles per game, which included 27 solo stops on the year. A starter in all 12 games, he had his best contest against Saint Francis with eight tackles, 3.0 for loss and a pair of sacks.
- Stanton played all 11 games on the defensive line in 2012, starting in nine of them and recording 37 tackles, 13 of them solo, along with 6.0 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks. He had a career-high nine tackles at Villanova with six solos and posted four tackles in the home victory over defending CAA champion Towson.
- Measurables: Height 6-4, Weight 263
- In 2010, Stanton played in nine games at defensive tackle to earn his first career letter, recording nine tackles including three solos in his first year of action.
- A native of Fairfax, Va., Stanton played at Robinson High School, where he had 84 tackles, four quarterback sacks, two forced fumbles and one blocked punt as a senior. He was named First-Team All-District and All-Region and Second-Team All-State by the Associated Press at defensive end.