If you haven’t heard of Josue Paul, there’s good reason for it. The 5-11, 223 lb. wide receiver played in the Northeast conference for Central Connecticut State — not exactly the sort of quick bio that’s read by millions.
But that’s what scouts are paid to do, and the Kansas City Chiefs were impressed enough with Paul’s game to sign the wideout as an undrafted free agent, one of the first few moves of the 2011 NFL offseason after a long desert period for fans. So who is Paul? That’s a good question and one we’ll try to help answer.
NFL Draft Scout actually has Paul listed as a wide receiver/h-back, which makes sense given his size and build. That’s also the scouting report on him over at Sports Illustrated who writes, “Stocky, well-sized possession receiver who’s also displayed return skills in the past. Fluid releasing off the line, quick to top speed, and plays with good awareness. Goes over the middle, makes the difficult reception in a crowd, and uses his size and strength to his advantage. Gives effort blocking downfield.”
In 2010, Paul had 23 catches for 426 yards and 3 touchdowns. Those aren’t the most exciting numbers, but he was a two-time all Northeast conference selection. The previous year, he lead CC in total catches with 55 and also served as their main kick returner.
He lost half his season in 2010 due to an unspecified violation of team rules, which some might add with Justin Houston and Jon Baldwin, but that’s a lazy comparison to make without knowing the incident up-close. Pioli and his staff apparently feel good enough about Paul to bring him into camp. And honestly, what’s the harm?
He seems the ideal player for special teams with good hands, solid build and some versatility. It can only help that there might be an additional emotional edge to overcome the loss of half of his senior season and lack of being drafted.