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Are potential NFL players required to enter the Draft by the CBA???
Posted on 4/27/13 at 11:00 am
Posted on 4/27/13 at 11:00 am
Strange question, I know. But I'm curious.
Got into a conversation last night about a guy like Usain Bolt. Is he required to enter the draft in order to play in the NFL, or could he just decide one day he wants to play football and just sign as a FA wherever he wants?
I understand usually 99% of players WANT to enter the draft, even a guy like Elway or Eli that had teams they just didn't want to play for. But they still want the pedigree of being a high pick and obviously the salary that comes with high picks.
But if money or status wasn't a factor, could an independently wealthy player just say screw the draft I want to play city X?
Like when Jordan went to play baseball, he didn't enter the MLB draft right? He just picked a team and they said sure and signed him up.
Could Lebron (not saying this is at all going to happen just using him and Bolt as examples) just sign a FA deal with the Dolphins since he lives in Miami or would he at least have to make himself available in the draft before a team could sign him?
Long weird question I know, so TIA for any serious responses.
Got into a conversation last night about a guy like Usain Bolt. Is he required to enter the draft in order to play in the NFL, or could he just decide one day he wants to play football and just sign as a FA wherever he wants?
I understand usually 99% of players WANT to enter the draft, even a guy like Elway or Eli that had teams they just didn't want to play for. But they still want the pedigree of being a high pick and obviously the salary that comes with high picks.
But if money or status wasn't a factor, could an independently wealthy player just say screw the draft I want to play city X?
Like when Jordan went to play baseball, he didn't enter the MLB draft right? He just picked a team and they said sure and signed him up.
Could Lebron (not saying this is at all going to happen just using him and Bolt as examples) just sign a FA deal with the Dolphins since he lives in Miami or would he at least have to make himself available in the draft before a team could sign him?
Long weird question I know, so TIA for any serious responses.
This post was edited on 4/27/13 at 11:02 am
6
Posted on 4/27/13 at 11:01 am to Tiger Voodoo
a buddy and I had this same conversation a few days ago. never figured it out 
Posted on 4/27/13 at 11:03 am to Tiger Voodoo
Total guess, but I think they would go to the supplemental draft.
Posted on 4/27/13 at 11:04 am to Tiger Voodoo
I would imagine you would sign as a FA. There always seem to be a random kicker from Soccer or an European country trying out for the Jets
Posted on 4/27/13 at 11:10 am to Tiger Voodoo
They can sign UFA contracts
Posted on 4/27/13 at 11:13 am to BarbeTiger
back in the old days when there were more rounds, we'd have seen people like Bolt taken in the 12th or somewhere, on a flyer. I remember it being as much a publicity stunt as anything, because those picks were usually not gonna make the team anyway, and so you picked random athletes (I seem to remember Bruce Jenner being picked in the last round once).
And every so often, someone took the team up on it. I can't quite remember the circunstances, but Renaldo Nehemiah played a bit with the 49ers (until a safety broke him in half on a Monday night game).
Now with so few rounds, teams would be insane to do so.
And every so often, someone took the team up on it. I can't quite remember the circunstances, but Renaldo Nehemiah played a bit with the 49ers (until a safety broke him in half on a Monday night game).
Now with so few rounds, teams would be insane to do so.
Posted on 4/27/13 at 11:16 am to Analyze That
quote:
They can sign UFA contracts
Are you guessing or do you know for sure? Any link?
I'd assume so too, because like someone else said there are often foreign players that try out for teams, but didn't know if those guys declared for draft first.
I guess there would have to be drawbacks to skipping the draft though.
Are rookie FAs locked in to a league minimum contract by the CBA? Otherwise, wouldn't players just bypass the draft and pick their team?
Gotta think there are limits in place to push kids into the draft.
Posted on 4/27/13 at 11:21 am to Tiger Voodoo
They'd just go in a for a tryout like anybody else off the street.
Example Beerman with the Saints. Brock Lesnar with the Vikings
Example Beerman with the Saints. Brock Lesnar with the Vikings
Posted on 4/27/13 at 11:24 am to eyeran
quote:
Example Beerman with the Saints. Brock Lesnar with the Vikings
Right those are good examples too. Kurt Warner too I guess.
Just wasn't sure if they declared at some point and we just never knew because they went undrafted.
Then later on decided to try out as FA since no one claimed their rights.
This post was edited on 4/27/13 at 11:25 am
Posted on 4/27/13 at 11:28 am to Tiger Voodoo
I know... ESPN had a special on it after the LeBron on the browns commercials
Posted on 4/27/13 at 11:30 am to Analyze That
Awesome. Thanks for the info 
Did it say anything about his pay? Would he have to basically sign a league minimum contract?
Did it say anything about his pay? Would he have to basically sign a league minimum contract?
This post was edited on 4/27/13 at 11:32 am
Posted on 4/27/13 at 11:43 am to Tiger Voodoo
quote:whatever the offer is. I don't think FAs are regulated like draft guys are. League minimum of course would be the minimum, but if a team WANTED to offer more they could.
Did it say anything about his pay? Would he have to basically sign a league minimum contract?
Posted on 4/27/13 at 11:50 am to Scoob
Really??
See that just seems weird. Why wouldn't a guy like Elway or Eli just bypass the draft and just sign a big contract wherever the think is the best fit for them then?
Why would top guys settle for going to a 2 or 3 win team if they could just sign with a contender that has a need at their position?
See that just seems weird. Why wouldn't a guy like Elway or Eli just bypass the draft and just sign a big contract wherever the think is the best fit for them then?
Why would top guys settle for going to a 2 or 3 win team if they could just sign with a contender that has a need at their position?
Posted on 4/27/13 at 11:53 am to Tiger Voodoo
quote:There's definitely something more to it that hasn't been explained.
See that just seems weird. Why wouldn't a guy like Elway or Eli just bypass the draft and just sign a big contract wherever the think is the best fit for them then?
Why would top guys settle for going to a 2 or 3 win team if they could just sign with a contender that has a need at their position?
I just don't know what that is.
This post was edited on 4/27/13 at 11:54 am
Posted on 4/27/13 at 11:59 am to Tiger Voodoo
A person is automatically draft eligible four years after graduating high school, even if they never played football or even attended college.
If they are not picked in their first eligible draft, they can become UDFA.
LINK
If they are not picked in their first eligible draft, they can become UDFA.
LINK
This post was edited on 4/27/13 at 12:00 pm
Posted on 4/27/13 at 12:05 pm to Tiger Voodoo
Similar suggestions have been made on this board before, and the usual reply is that the NFL franchises would blackball them to maintain the integrity of their draft. The thinking goes that the NFL wants to maintain parity, and that parity would be lost if big-market teams could just bid on star draftees that they couldn't get by drafting.
I dunno if that holds up or not. Obviously not all of the franchises agree on that point. Teams like the Jets, whose front offices have not shied away from paying top-dollar to big names, wouldn't be disincentivized from using their bigger market and deeper pockets to pick up recruits. Then again, I'm sure there are enough relatively small-market teams that want to compete and thus would vote for such measures, so if it's gone to a vote among the franchises it would stick.
I dunno if that holds up or not. Obviously not all of the franchises agree on that point. Teams like the Jets, whose front offices have not shied away from paying top-dollar to big names, wouldn't be disincentivized from using their bigger market and deeper pockets to pick up recruits. Then again, I'm sure there are enough relatively small-market teams that want to compete and thus would vote for such measures, so if it's gone to a vote among the franchises it would stick.
Posted on 4/27/13 at 1:04 pm to Walking the Earth
quote:
Walking the Earth
Thanks for the link
Posted on 4/27/13 at 1:55 pm to Tiger Voodoo
This guy didn't need to enter the draft.
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