2014 NFL draft thread (no longer too early)

[LongTimeListener]

Re: (Way too early) 2014 NFL draft thread

A record 95 underclassmen have entered the draft, up from 73 last year:

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2014/01/a_record_94_underclassmen_have.html

Keep in mind that there are only 224 draft slots available. This is getting to be like the NBA, where half or more of the early-entry candidates don't get picked.

However, unlike in basketball, undrafted football players can't go make six figures playing in European pro leagues.

Full unofficial list (official list comes out Sunday):

http://college-football.si.com/2014/01/13/nfl-draft-early-entry-tracker/

There was a double-digit number of players last year who went undrafted. I cannot believe that number rose. Somebody is feeding these kids bad information.

Just think that the kids are so eager to make money, and don't want to be in school, that they decide to take the chance. Makes no sense to me to come out early if you aren't going in the first few rounds, but I don't know their situations. I know James Wilder decided to go pro because he wasn't getting enough touches to justify going back, since he might have gotten even fewer next season. And I can't fathom how Kelvin Benjamin thought it was a good idea to leave a national title team with a Heisman-winning quarterback to take his chances in the draft. He'll probably go late first round because of his size, but he showed in the national title game that he doesn't have the best hands in the world, except on the winning TD, of course. He could have been a top-10 pick if he had come back. Or he could have wrecked his career by getting hurt. Who knows.

There used to be a huge incentive to going back to school and making yourself a first-round pick, but there isn't anymore with the rookie cap leveling off contracts. Not nearly as much difference between mid-first and mid-second and mid-third as there used to be. Now it's all about getting the three years in and getting to free agency, and the younger you can hit the market the better you're going to do.

 

[RonClements]

Re: (Way too early) 2014 NFL draft thread

A record 95 underclassmen have entered the draft, up from 73 last year:

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2014/01/a_record_94_underclassmen_have.html

Keep in mind that there are only 224 draft slots available. This is getting to be like the NBA, where half or more of the early-entry candidates don't get picked.

However, unlike in basketball, undrafted football players can't go make six figures playing in European pro leagues.

Full unofficial list (official list comes out Sunday):

http://college-football.si.com/2014/01/13/nfl-draft-early-entry-tracker/

There was a double-digit number of players last year who went undrafted. I cannot believe that number rose. Somebody is feeding these kids bad information.

Just think that the kids are so eager to make money, and don't want to be in school, that they decide to take the chance. Makes no sense to me to come out early if you aren't going in the first few rounds, but I don't know their situations. I know James Wilder decided to go pro because he wasn't getting enough touches to justify going back, since he might have gotten even fewer next season. And I can't fathom how Kelvin Benjamin thought it was a good idea to leave a national title team with a Heisman-winning quarterback to take his chances in the draft. He'll probably go late first round because of his size, but he showed in the national title game that he doesn't have the best hands in the world, except on the winning TD, of course. He could have been a top-10 pick if he had come back. Or he could have wrecked his career by getting hurt. Who knows.

There used to be a huge incentive to going back to school and making yourself a first-round pick, but there isn't anymore with the rookie cap leveling off contracts. Not nearly as much difference between mid-first and mid-second and mid-third as there used to be. Now it's all about getting the three years in and getting to free agency, and the younger you can hit the market the better you're going to do.

That is a very good point, LTL.

 

[BDC99]

Re: (Way too early) 2014 NFL draft thread

A record 95 underclassmen have entered the draft, up from 73 last year:

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2014/01/a_record_94_underclassmen_have.html

Keep in mind that there are only 224 draft slots available. This is getting to be like the NBA, where half or more of the early-entry candidates don't get picked.

However, unlike in basketball, undrafted football players can't go make six figures playing in European pro leagues.

Full unofficial list (official list comes out Sunday):

http://college-football.si.com/2014/01/13/nfl-draft-early-entry-tracker/

There was a double-digit number of players last year who went undrafted. I cannot believe that number rose. Somebody is feeding these kids bad information.

Just think that the kids are so eager to make money, and don't want to be in school, that they decide to take the chance. Makes no sense to me to come out early if you aren't going in the first few rounds, but I don't know their situations. I know James Wilder decided to go pro because he wasn't getting enough touches to justify going back, since he might have gotten even fewer next season. And I can't fathom how Kelvin Benjamin thought it was a good idea to leave a national title team with a Heisman-winning quarterback to take his chances in the draft. He'll probably go late first round because of his size, but he showed in the national title game that he doesn't have the best hands in the world, except on the winning TD, of course. He could have been a top-10 pick if he had come back. Or he could have wrecked his career by getting hurt. Who knows.

There used to be a huge incentive to going back to school and making yourself a first-round pick, but there isn't anymore with the rookie cap leveling off contracts. Not nearly as much difference between mid-first and mid-second and mid-third as there used to be. Now it's all about getting the three years in and getting to free agency, and the younger you can hit the market the better you're going to do.

That is a very good point, LTL.

Yep. Good point indeed. However, some of these kids won't even be picked, and it's going to be damn tough to make a team as an undrafted free agent. Feel bad for those kids, but I guess they think they have the talent or work ethic to make it, and it does work out occasionally. Legarrette Blount is doing OK for himself after signing as a UFA.

 

[Mark2010]

Re: (Way too early) 2014 NFL draft thread

A record 95 underclassmen have entered the draft, up from 73 last year:

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2014/01/a_record_94_underclassmen_have.html

Keep in mind that there are only 224 draft slots available. This is getting to be like the NBA, where half or more of the early-entry candidates don't get picked.

However, unlike in basketball, undrafted football players can't go make six figures playing in European pro leagues.

Full unofficial list (official list comes out Sunday):

http://college-football.si.com/2014/01/13/nfl-draft-early-entry-tracker/

There was a double-digit number of players last year who went undrafted. I cannot believe that number rose. Somebody is feeding these kids bad information.

I would guess less than 60 percent get drafted and less than 40 percent make an opening day roster. I understand some guys come from very poor homes and maybe they desperately need the money, but I also think many of them could improve their position by staying in college for another year.

 

[BDC99]

Re: (Way too early) 2014 NFL draft thread

A record 95 underclassmen have entered the draft, up from 73 last year:

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2014/01/a_record_94_underclassmen_have.html

Keep in mind that there are only 224 draft slots available. This is getting to be like the NBA, where half or more of the early-entry candidates don't get picked.

However, unlike in basketball, undrafted football players can't go make six figures playing in European pro leagues.

Full unofficial list (official list comes out Sunday):

http://college-football.si.com/2014/01/13/nfl-draft-early-entry-tracker/

There was a double-digit number of players last year who went undrafted. I cannot believe that number rose. Somebody is feeding these kids bad information.

I would guess less than 60 percent get drafted and less than 40 percent make an opening day roster. I understand some guys come from very poor homes and maybe they desperately need the money, but I also think many of them could improve their position by staying in college for another year.

It's a tough balancing act, but I'm guessing a lot of the kids who come out and aren't highly rated just aren't cut out for school. I see about half these kids' names and I have no idea who they are. Even some kids from schools that I follow fairly closely.

 

[LongTimeListener]

Re: (Way too early) 2014 NFL draft thread

A player on the practice squad makes a minimum of $6,000 a week (often more). Any week spent on the active roster (the incidental player moves you hear about all the time) means $25,000. An undrafted player can easily make $100,000 just by being there.

So ... an income close to or exceeding six figures, and training that is light-years better? Or another year at a school where you have no chance of and no interest in getting a degree?

Tough call.

 

[BDC99]

Re: (Way too early) 2014 NFL draft thread

A player on the practice squad makes a minimum of $6,000 a week (often more). Any week spent on the active roster (the incidental player moves you hear about all the time) means $25,000. An undrafted player can easily make $100,000 just by being there.

So ... an income close to or exceeding six figures, and training that is light-years better? Or another year at a school where you have no chance of and no interest in getting a degree?

Tough call.

Depends on if the player has a chance to improve his stock by staying in school. I guess some of these guys (like I referenced FSU's Wilder earlier) feel like they can't do much more in college so they take their shot. I think a guy like Travis Benjamin could have boosted his stock even more if he had stayed. But yeah, there is money to be made in the short term, even if you don't make it.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

Re: (Way too early) 2014 NFL draft thread

The NFL Network is the first place I've seen where Manziel is ranked ahead of Bridgewater.

The latest mock there has Manziel going to Cleveland and Bridgewater going to Oakland. He has Clowney going No. 1 and Watkins going No. 2. I say no way, but what do I know?

 

[da man]

Re: (Way too early) 2014 NFL draft thread

A player on the practice squad makes a minimum of $6,000 a week (often more). Any week spent on the active roster (the incidental player moves you hear about all the time) means $25,000. An undrafted player can easily make $100,000 just by being there.

So ... an income close to or exceeding six figures, and training that is light-years better? Or another year at a school where you have no chance of and no interest in getting a degree?

Tough call.

Training for what? If the guy's out of the league after a year or two, then what?

 

[LongTimeListener]

Re: (Way too early) 2014 NFL draft thread

A player on the practice squad makes a minimum of $6,000 a week (often more). Any week spent on the active roster (the incidental player moves you hear about all the time) means $25,000. An undrafted player can easily make $100,000 just by being there.

So ... an income close to or exceeding six figures, and training that is light-years better? Or another year at a school where you have no chance of and no interest in getting a degree?

Tough call.

Training for what? If the guy's out of the league after a year or two, then what?

There's a better chance of making it to an NFL roster someday by training in an NFL program than there is by training in a college program.

And if the guy's out of the league after a year or two, he's in the same place he would have been by staying in college, except he had a chance to make a little money. These are the guys who aren't getting degrees anyway.

There's not much downside if you aren't in college for an education in the first place.

 

[Pancamo]

Re: (Way too early) 2014 NFL draft thread

A record 95 underclassmen have entered the draft, up from 73 last year:

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2014/01/a_record_94_underclassmen_have.html

Keep in mind that there are only 224 draft slots available. This is getting to be like the NBA, where half or more of the early-entry candidates don't get picked.

However, unlike in basketball, undrafted football players can't go make six figures playing in European pro leagues.

Full unofficial list (official list comes out Sunday):

http://college-football.si.com/2014/01/13/nfl-draft-early-entry-tracker/

There was a double-digit number of players last year who went undrafted. I cannot believe that number rose. Somebody is feeding these kids bad information.

Just think that the kids are so eager to make money, and don't want to be in school, that they decide to take the chance. Makes no sense to me to come out early if you aren't going in the first few rounds, but I don't know their situations. I know James Wilder decided to go pro because he wasn't getting enough touches to justify going back, since he might have gotten even fewer next season. And I can't fathom how Kelvin Benjamin thought it was a good idea to leave a national title team with a Heisman-winning quarterback to take his chances in the draft. He'll probably go late first round because of his size, but he showed in the national title game that he doesn't have the best hands in the world, except on the winning TD, of course. He could have been a top-10 pick if he had come back. Or he could have wrecked his career by getting hurt. Who knows.

The reason Benjamin came out is he turns 23 before the draft.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

Re: (Way too early) 2014 NFL draft thread

Comparing it to the NBA is pretty stupid. There are so few spots in the NBA it's not even funny and it's been that way for awhile. It became especially noticeable when teams started using first-round, sometimes even lottery picks on guys they knew weren't coming to the US for two years.

If you're taken in the first five rounds of the NFL draft, there is an extremely good chance you'll be on a NFL roster. Almost every team has at least one undrafted FA make the team.