Detroit thinking of letting time run out on first pick

[Guiness]

Ya, this seems to come up every year, but never happens. There was a thread on it last year as well. Personally, I like the idea, and think it would be great if it happened, but for some reason, it sure doesn't look like it ever will.

[Fritz]

A friend of mine suggested this to me last week. There appear to be absolutely no rules against doing this - so why not? If you're Detroit, and you'd be happy with Smith or Monroe or Stafford, why not let the clock run out and then pick after the next two teams pick, or until you are down to the guy you want?

Why not?

[Rastak]

If this does happen, expect Goodell to come down hard on anybody in future drafts.

Miss your pick, forfeit that pick plus your next one. That'll keep teams from doing it. Plus it'll keep the draft moving along. No one would want to forfeit 2 picks.

Otherwise, it'll be in the same category as the Broncos circumventing the salary cap or the tampering rule. Both were a joke.

Not sure I agree. When the Vikes missed their pick (the year the grabbed McKinney I think) they had a trade with the Ravens and the Ravens were late reporting it so the Vikings were still on the clock and missed their pick. Can't have that sort of penalty when things can go wrong.


Hell, why not allow a team to pass. The only real downside if everyone does and everyone keeps doing so because nobody in the draft is worth 30 mil up front.

A travesty like that might prompt the owers to take a stand against these crazy assed rookie contracts at the top of the draft.

[Packnut]

Draft

If this does happen, expect Goodell to come down hard on anybody in future drafts.

Miss your pick, forfeit that pick plus your next one. That'll keep teams from doing it. Plus it'll keep the draft moving along. No one would want to forfeit 2 picks.

Otherwise, it'll be in the same category as the Broncos circumventing the salary cap or the tampering rule. Both were a joke.

Not sure I agree. When the Vikes missed their pick (the year the grabbed McKinney I think) they had a trade with the Ravens and the Ravens were late reporting it so the Vikings were still on the clock and missed their pick. Can't have that sort of penalty when things can go wrong.


Hell, why not allow a team to pass. The only real downside if everyone does and everyone keeps doing so because nobody in the draft is worth 30 mil up front.

A travesty like that might prompt the owers to take a stand against these crazy assed rookie contracts at the top of the draft.

The amount of money is just insane. This madness of giving a guy who's never played a down in the NFL has to stop. It's gotten to the point now where it's having a serious negative effect on the game.

[Gunakor]

In the scenario of the team picking first forfeiting their pick, wouldn't the team picking second - then picking first - still have to pay first overall money to their pick? Or would the salary scale remain the same as if a player was picked in the first overall slot?

[digitaldean]

Hell, why not allow a team to pass. The only real downside if everyone does and everyone keeps doing so because nobody in the draft is worth 30 mil up front.

A travesty like that might prompt the owers to take a stand against these crazy assed rookie contracts at the top of the draft.

I do agree with the idea of a rookie salary cap. It is absolutely moronic for a greenhorn rookie 1st rounder to make more coin than an established veteran.

If the NFL and NFLPA would think about this, it'd be a no-brainer to work together in next CBA to get this accomplished.

[KYPack]

I didn't know you could miss and then jump back in when you wanted to.

If Detroit does it, then it's gotta be stupid.

[pbmax]

There is a point of no return with this, though. If enough teams do it, then eventually one team gets the player they want and that team will listen to the savvy agent and break the bank for a draft position with the argument that though you held pick #7, you got the 3rd player picked, etc.

Then the next year, when the front end is loaded, teams will be crying at the jump in money. And every slot around that pick gets more expensive as well. That is not to mention the possibility that you wait, get one of the players you had targeted, and they bust. Good luck retaining your job after that public relation nightmare.

I think that GMs with the third pick are still cursing the Browns and Braylon Edwards' contract.

[channtheman]

Why not put a cap on the amount of money that a rookie can make in guaranteed? Say the max they can make is 10 million their first year, and then after that year they can re-negotiate the contract based on their performance. I too agree that giving a rookie 20 million or more in guaranteed money is just BS.

[SnakeLH2006]

I didn't know you could miss and then jump back in when you wanted to.

If Detroit does it, then it's gotta be stupid.

The curse of Millen remains...Then what was the point of tanking games they coulda won in 2008 for the Lions. Oh wait sorry....the Lions truly suck(ed) and still do if that is their logic.

[Lurker64]

The reason nobody does this, and the reason this is a bad idea is as follows.

Suppose Detroit wants to draft one of two players: Matt Stafford or Mark Sanchez. When you miss your turn in the draft, you don't have priority over the next team, it's just that whoever hands in their card first (you or the next team) ends up getting that pick then. So suppose Detroit waits until somebody picks Stafford, and then they plan on getting Sanchez. Well, their ability to get Sanchez hinges on whether or not they can get their draft card handed in before the team who was scheduled to pick in this spot can hand in their draft card. If the other team that's scheduled to pick then gets in before Detroit does, well... then what's Detroit going to do?

[SnakeLH2006]

The reason nobody does this, and the reason this is a bad idea is as follows.

Suppose Detroit wants to draft one of two players: Matt Stafford or Mark Sanchez. When you miss your turn in the draft, you don't have priority over the next team, it's just that whoever hands in their card first (you or the next team) ends up getting that pick then. So suppose Detroit waits until somebody picks Stafford, and then they plan on getting Sanchez. Well, their ability to get Sanchez hinges on whether or not they can get their draft card handed in before the team who was scheduled to pick in this spot can hand in their draft card. If the other team that's scheduled to pick then gets in before Detroit does, well... then what's Detroit going to do?

Exhibit A: The Lions are truly retarded if this is true. NEVER sacrifice your ground anywhere, esp. in the draft. Either find a trade-down taker or take your man. I agree it makes not sense. Damn...take a 7th round pick and scrub punter if you have to, but never give up ground on your draft status...That reeks of incompetence and cheapness if you ask Snake. Nothing good comes of that, as you hand you fortunes to another team. Not making much sense....

[MJZiggy]

The reason nobody does this, and the reason this is a bad idea is as follows.

Suppose Detroit wants to draft one of two players: Matt Stafford or Mark Sanchez. When you miss your turn in the draft, you don't have priority over the next team, it's just that whoever hands in their card first (you or the next team) ends up getting that pick then. So suppose Detroit waits until somebody picks Stafford, and then they plan on getting Sanchez. Well, their ability to get Sanchez hinges on whether or not they can get their draft card handed in before the team who was scheduled to pick in this spot can hand in their draft card. If the other team that's scheduled to pick then gets in before Detroit does, well... then what's Detroit going to do?

I think if you miss your pick, you lose it. That would be better.

[Fritz]

While it might be useful to tinker with the draft system so it would be harder to deliberately miss a pick, the real solution, as it seems everyone here acknowledges, is to fix that crazy top-pick money.

When you were on the playground as the captain of the team, getting to pick first was a huge advantage, and it should be in the NFL, too.

[MJZiggy]

Exactly. I thought that fixing the ridiculous payscale went without saying.