Maryland offensive tackle Dane Randolph was hoping for a better outcome. The Green Bay Packers offered him a tryout at their rookie orientation minicamp this weekend, but he longed for more.

Unfortunately, he found out NFL teams aren't spending as much money in a poor economy.

Randolph is the subject of an in-depth article at the Washington Post that follows his anticipation of signing with an NFL team and the subsequent disappointment of learning that teams aren't doling out as much money as they had in the past now that America is in a recession.

"The economy was changing the draft. Scouts were telling the agents that NFL teams aren't signing as many undrafted free agents this year," writes Washington Poster reporter Les Carpenter. "They think they will keep costs down this way, not handing out any signing bonuses. In the past, most teams signed about 15 players. But by noon on Monday, one club had signed six, another just one. Several were signing just eight and nine."

In years past Randolph would have been a shoo-in to sign a contract as an undrafted free agent. If teams signed up to 15 players, Randolph would be sure to be one of them.

As it stands, the best the Maryland product can hope for is to be offered a contract by the Packers after impressing on a tryout basis this weekend.

"I want to have the mentality that this is the last chance," Randolph told the Post. "I don't want to take it too lightly at the end knowing I have another one the next week. I want to make them sign me." 

The Packers don't have a lot of time to make a decision on Randolph. There's no exclusivity in a tryout. After this weekend, Randolph has another tryout lined up with the Baltimore Ravens.

To date, the Packers have signed 11 undrafted free agents but have two roster spots remaining on their 80-man limit. With a good performance this weekend, Randolph has a chance, albeit a slim one.