What if you don't declare for the NFL draft?

[jtex316]

What if you do NOT declare for the NFL draft, and you're a senior graduating college? Can you then try out for any team you'd like to as a Free Agent?

I think that this may start to happen now with players. What happened this year with the Dolphins is a one in a lifetime type of thing. The best player in college football will be drafted by the 0-16 Lions - and the Lions will NEVER EVER EVER be good. Does the top college player really want to play for the Lions, or would they rather play for the Steelers or Colts? If they say "F the draft", what's stopping them from trying out as a Free Agent, post-draft?

[Philly Fin Fan]

As an example, look at what happened to Samardjizan (sp?) a few years ago. He was the stud WR from ND who went to play baseball for the Cubs.
I remember reading speculation that Brady Quinn could've "talked him" into signing as a free agent with whatever team drafted him. However, I read that if a player doesn't make himself eligible for the draft, he doesn't automatically become a free agent. He also wouldn't automatically become a free agent the next season. He would have to make himself eligible for the draft at some point in time. Only after he is passed over in the draft would he become a free agent.

[Tenshot13]

Not to mention, who would want to do that as a top draft pick?  So what if you go to the shitty Lions, you're still making a lotta bones until Goodell knocks down the rookie signing contracts.

[YoFuggedaboutit]

What if you do NOT declare for the NFL draft, and you're a senior graduating college? Can you then try out for any team you'd like to as a Free Agent?

I think that this may start to happen now with players. What happened this year with the Dolphins is a one in a lifetime type of thing. The best player in college football will be drafted by the 0-16 Lions - and the Lions will NEVER EVER EVER be good. Does the top college player really want to play for the Lions, or would they rather play for the Steelers or Colts? If they say "F the draft", what's stopping them from trying out as a Free Agent, post-draft?

Good question Jtex.  If I recall correctly, Rahib ¨Rocket¨ Ismail was all set to be the top pick overall in 1991, but he opted for the CFL because he didn´t want to play for the shitty Cowboys who were just coming off two losing seasons.  He played for the Argonauts for a few years, then had an up and down NFL career.  I´ll bet he´s kicking himself because he lost out on two Super Bowl rings.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Not to mention, who would want to do that as a top draft pick?  So what if you go to the shitty Lions, you're still making a lotta bones until Goodell knocks down the rookie signing contracts.

If by not declaring for the draft you could choose to be an FA anywhere, nobody would declare for the draft and instead play for what ever team offered the most money.  It would be an auction not a draft. 

[jtex316]

Well let's say I wanted to try out for the Dolphins this season as their Kicker. I've never declared for a draft and never played college football - this is an open try-out. I impress the hell out of the coaching staff and they come up to me after the try-out and offer me a roster spot and a contract. I'm happy because this is who I wanted to play for.

I am not understanding the difference between me and a college football player - but I'm sure there are some jacked up rules that prevent college footballers from picking the team that they wanna play for vs. walking onto an open try-out with the team of their choice.

[jtex316]

Another example: I'm David Beckham and I can punt the ball 70 yards on average. An NFL team loses their punter for the season, and I'm in the soccer off-season, so I get a call: "Hey, come punt for us for $5M this season". I say yes and I have just signed with this team as the Punter. David Beckham did not play american college football or attend an american NCAA university if I am not mistaken. Again, the difference between that and a senior in NCAA college is?

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Sorry Jtex but per the CBA, Article XVI, section 2 (d),

"No player shall be eligible to be employed by an NFL club until he has been eligible for selection in the NFL Draft."

But good news for you.  Odds are very strong that if you do fill out the necessary paperwork, none of the teams will have you on their draft board.  So you will be free to go to Dolphin's training camp (assuming you can get past security)

[Dolphin-UK]

Sorry Jtex but per the CBA, Article XVI, section 2 (d),

"No player shall be eligible to be employed by an NFL club until he has been eligible for selection in the NFL Draft."

But good news for you.  Odds are very strong that if you do fill out the necessary paperwork, none of the teams will have you on their draft board.  So you will be free to go to Dolphin's training camp (assuming you can get past security)

I'm guessing that in practice anyone who graduates from an American college is technically "draft eligible" but givent he ridiculous numbers of people who would technically eligible it's only the players seeking to play football who are realistically drafted.

Now when trying to apply this to non-US players, I would imagine that when I graduated from universty in 2005 technically I was draft eligible?  I wonder if they would, given a player of supreme skill availible from the UK university system, enter them fro the NFL draft?  To this end I would say I am eligible to sign as a free agent for any NFL team.

David Beckham is an interesting aside, because I'm willing to wager that like the majority of footballer in this country, he never went to university, he was probably signed from a very young age.  University is rarely a route to pro sports in the UK.  So if he never graduated did he ever become draft eligible? What makes someone eligible for the draft.  I think if someone approached Beckham to be a P/K for them, the NFL would "discover" he was eligible when he turned 18/20 or whatever and allow him to be signed.

Sidenote: Miami, I am availible as a free agent, if you want me, and you could sure use some help in the secondary

[Dave Gray]

I see JTex's point, however, and it's still not been answered.

When the Dolphins have open tryouts, these guys are not draft eligible.  What is keeping Percy Harvin from just going to a team's open tryout instead of through the draft?

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

I see JTex's point, however, and it's still not been answered.

When the Dolphins have open tryouts, these guys are not draft eligible.  What is keeping Percy Harvin from just going to a team's open tryout instead of through the draft?

I would assume that when the Dolphins have "open tryouts" they are not truly open but are limited to folks who filled out paperwork for the draft, but that nobody choose to draft. 

In order be draft eligible it must be three years after when they graduated high school or if they didn't graduate high school, three years after when they would have graduated high school. 

You do not need to be a US citizen nor attended college to enter the draft.  If Beckham want to be a punter for an NFL team he needs to fill out paperwork and enter the draft. 

I would be willing to bet 99% of all CFL, AFL, and AFL2 player have filled out paperwork to be part of the draft during the first year they were eligible even if they knew they wouldn't be drafted on the outside hope that some day down the road they would be discovered. 

This issue came up with Usain Bolt when folks were speculating he would be signed right after the Olympics, but as Greg Aiello pointed out teams could not just sign him for 2008, he would have to declare for the 2009 draft. 

To be an UDFA you must declare that you want to be drafted then not be drafted, hence the U in UDFA.

[Dave Gray]

I see.

The Usain Bolt example is a good one.  If he's unable to join a team mid-season, and would instead have to sit and then enter the draft next season, that pretty much sums it up.

Thanks.

[jtex316]

So Sav Rocca (sp), the Eagles Punter, I believe he is Austrailian. He had to file for the draft before the Eagles could sign him, even though he wasn't going to be drafted and the Eagles knew that he wasn't going to be drafted?

That's kinda jacked. What if the Cowboys drafted him out of spite? What could the Eagles do?

[Sunstroke]

What if the Cowboys drafted him out of spite? What could the Eagles do?

So you think that teams would burn a draft pick to draft a punter that normally wouldn't be drafted, just to make sure that another team doesn't draft him...

Do you have a question that involves the really-real world?

[jtex316]

So you think that teams would burn a draft pick to draft a punter that normally wouldn't be drafted, just to make sure that another team doesn't draft him...

Hell yes I do, especially if it involves Jerry Jones or Al Davis. (And if it's a Punter, especially if it involves Al Davis)