Draft Pick "Skipping"?

[Rovers]

From Pro Football Talk:

 

CLEVELAND PLOTTING TO TAKE A PASS?

 

 

 

With the Browns, as we hear it, panicking to get up to the No. 2 overall spot and the Dolphins unwilling to swing a trade for the privilege to slide down a rung, there are some initial rumblings that the Browns might be tempted to take a pass at No. 3.

 

 

 

Although we've previously heard that the Competition Committee has discussed the issue of teams passing in round one, due to the supposed "mistake" the Vikings made two years ago when they sat on the seventh pick and then nabbed defensive tackle Kevin Williams after two other selections were made, there currently is no rule prohibiting a team from intentionally foregoing its right to wait to exercise its choice until after one or more -- or more -- teams have done so.

 

 

 

And because many regard the upper end of round one as a two-player proposition, with quarterback Alex Smith being the first pick and receiver Braylon Edwards going at No. 2, there's a chance that, if the Browns allow their 15 minutes to expire, the next team on the clock (the Bears) could do the same.

 

 

 

As could the Bucs at No. 5.

 

 

 

As could the Titans at No 6.

 

 

 

And so on.

 

 

 

The process quickly could disintegrate into a middle school dance, with all of the boys waiting for one of them to muster the nerve to aks somebody to tango.

 

 

 

This potential problem has arisen because, after Smith and Edwards, none of the guys who could be taken in the top ten necessarily deserve to be paid accordingly. Thus, the Browns could wait for several picks to be exercised before making a move for, say, Texas linebacker Derrick Johnson.

 

 

 

Sure, Johnson's agent would argue that because the Browns have the No. 3 slot in the rookie salary pool, they have to pay Johnson accordingly. But under such circumstances that reality would be that 1, 2, 3, or more names were called before Johnson's.

 

 

 

In our opinion, the chances of the Browns' passing on the pick are smaller than the chances of John Madden passing on dessert, but the possibility is larger than most folks realize. If G.M. Phil Savage includes owner Randy Lerner in the loop, and if the Browns are then willing to admit candidly that they consciously allowed the time to expire in order to get the guy they want at a lower price, the fallout might not be so bad.

 

 

 

Unless, of course, the Browns end up not getting the guy whom they really wanted.

 

 

 

Then again, since no one knows the name of the guy whom they really want, they can always act like they got him.

 

 

 

This would be an interesting developement!

[Big John]

If they did not want that pick, there would be plenty of teams willing to give the Browns something good in return for trading that pick to them.

Edited April 23, 2005 by Big John

[Rovers]

With the Browns, as we hear it, panicking to get up to the No. 2 overall spot and the Dolphins unwilling to swing a trade for the privilege to slide down a rung, there are some initial rumblings that the Browns might be tempted to take a pass at No. 3.

 

 

This is the whole point.... if they KNOW Miami won't pick the guy they want, they just let Miami go ahead, and save money by saying the rookie was the 4th pick, not the third. They can jump right back into the draft, out of thier original spot. As noted, Minnesota did this by "mistake" a couple of years ago. It's a sort of loophole in the rules. Unlikely, but definitely possible, as the Vikes have already pulled this stunt.

[CaptainHook]

I've heard rumblings of this too. It will be a huge mess if teams try this. Could make for an interesting draft day, and a bunch of hold-outs down the road.

 

Whatever happened to the contract Kevin Williams signed with the Vikes? Did he get #7 or #9 money?

[Rovers]

Hook, I don't know. But, the Vikes were accused of having done that just to sign Williams at the lower price tag. I think this year's draft offers teams more chances to do just this.... skipping a pick, or several picks, just based on cap issues and stuff. I read somewhere that this is part of the new labor agreement discussion, which includes rookie salaries and other related stuff. The NFLPA wants to see this loophole closed. It could have a dominoe effect, which would, I think, result in a stoppage of the draft, if it got out of hand until teams made thier picks.

[CaptainHook]

I just don't see this happening. It would be a huge mess.

[Blitztalk]

 

Unless, of course, the Browns end up not getting the guy whom they really wanted.

Like Big John said, they could easily get someone to take that pick off their hands and not have to worry about their guy tripping on the way to give the pick. That would crack me up if somehow they tried it and the team up jumped in before they could and got who they wanted. Isn't that how it would work? Doesn't the clock keep starting for the other teams but they can jump in and make their selection when they wanted?

[Swiss Cheezhead]

Whatever happened to the contract Kevin Williams signed with the Vikes?  Did he get #7 or #9 money?

 

790758[/snapback]

 

 

 

 

Williams got #7 money, which means all the Vikings got by "waiting" is a longer contract negotiation. If teams tried that nonsense, there could be a TON of rookie holdouts. There's no way a GM would risk that mess, especially when there's already a precedent for NOT saving money.

 

Also, the Vikes didn't necessarily do that on purpose two years ago. There have been various rumors about how that happened, only one of which is the "intentional pass". It was reported that they were on the phone with Jacksonville and Baltimore for most of their 15 minutes, since both teams were interested in trading up to get Leftwich. I think, at that point, the shrewd Ozzie Newsome realized he could grab the free-falling Terrell Suggs, subsequently led the naive Tice to believe they had an agreement in place, then didn't call it in to the commissioner. Minnesota is left wondering what the f*ck happened as the Jaguars and Panthers scurry up to the stage and make their selections. The Vikes barely get Kevin Williams's name submitted before Baltimore snags Suggs.

 

That's just my theory, but I think it's far more likely than purposely allowing time to expire.

[Rovers]

Interesting to learn that Williams got #7 money, pretty much shoots a hole in Pro Football Talk's article. You would think they'd do a little more homework before posting something like that. Anyways, time fer a nappy, to wake up refreshed and ready open the NFL stocking, hung at the fireplace!