2014 NFL draft and offseason thread: your mock draft, team wish list, and more

[glenn1]

While I'm looking forward to a great Super Bowl tomorrow, I feel those of us who are fans of other teams could use something to be excited about. And what's more exciting than thinking about the amazing talent your team is getting, who will finally take you to the playoffs and even the Super Bowl. Well, unless you're a Lions fan in which case I have nothing for you since you know it's hopeless.

Should definitely be an interesting draft this year. The potential trade scenarios are going to be fun to speculate about also, especially what the Rams will do with the #2 pick from the 'Skins and the RG3 trade. Browns with 2 first rounders will be an interesting one to watch also, especially since they have a history of trading. Like giving up a 4th, 5th, and 7th to move up from #4 to #3 a couple years ago to draft Trent Richardson.

 

[WelshBloke]

People mention this draft thing here all the time, how's it work?

Generally over here people either play for the team they have most affinity for or for the team that offers them the most money, every time I read something about the draft it sounds like something from a novel warning about a dystopian socialist future where every team has to have an equal chance regardless of money or talent.

 

[glenn1]

People mention this draft thing here all the time, how's it work?

Generally over here people either play for the team they have most affinity for or for the team that offers them the most money, every time I read something about the draft it sounds like something from a novel warning about a dystopian socialist future where every team has to have an equal chance regardless of money or talent.

College players who have graduated (or decided to leave college early) can declare themselves eligible for the NFL draft and hope to get picked by an NFL team. The 32 NFL teams take turns selecting college players ("drafting them") based on reverse order of standings; i.e. the team with the worst record gets first pick in the draft, the next worst gets the 2nd pick, and so forth until the league champion (Super Bowl winner).

There are 7 rounds of 32 picks each, and teams are free to draft slots to each other as they see fit, for either different draft slots or players. For example,

1. Trade of draft picks: In 2012 the Rams owned the #2 overall pick, but traded it to Washington for their #6, #39, and their 1st round picks for 2013 and 2014.

2. Trade of player for draft picks: Earlier this year, the Colts traded their 2014 1st round draft pick to the Browns for running back Trent Richardson.


There's some other nuances involved, but that's the basic gist of it.

 

[WelshBloke]

College players who have graduated (or decided to leave college early) can declare themselves eligible for the NFL draft and hope to get picked by an NFL team. The 32 NFL teams take turns selecting college players ("drafting them") based on reverse order of standings; i.e. the team with the worst record gets first pick in the draft, the next worst gets the 2nd pick, and so forth until the league champion (Super Bowl winner).

There are 7 rounds of 32 picks each, and teams are free to draft slots to each other as they see fit, for either different draft slots or players. For example,

1. Trade of draft picks: In 2012 the Rams owned the #2 overall pick, but traded it to Washington for their #6, #39, and their 1st round picks for 2013 and 2014.

2. Trade of player for draft picks: Earlier this year, the Colts traded their 2014 1st round draft pick to the Browns for running back Trent Richardson.


There's some other nuances involved, but that's the basic gist of it.

Thats a bizarre way of letting teams choose players. Do teams get to buy and sell players after?

 

[Imported]

Trade up for Sammy Watkins. I can dream.

 

[Gibsons]

I'm a Cowboys fan.

I have the utmost confidence that Jerry will fuck this draft up. No matter what I think they should do.

 

[glenn1]

Trade up for Sammy Watkins. I can dream.

From your avatar I presume you're a Niners fan. How far up would you be comfortable trading to? I figure you'd probably need to be 7th, maybe 8th overall to get Watkins and it would cost a lot to move up there from 30th.

 

[manimal]

Bears will draft another safety who wont be on the roster by opening day/

 

[lupi]

Thats a bizarre way of letting teams choose players. Do teams get to buy and sell players after?

To be draft eligible you must have completed 3 years of college, or be age equivalent of that point. Teams draft in 7 rounds, with additional compensatory picks. All a draft pick means is from that point on for one year, until the next draft, the only team that can sign that player is the team that drafted him. The team that drafted can trade/sell the rights for that player if they choose.

 

[zinfamous]

I am super excited for my Redskins and their #2 pick!


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[zinfamous]

Thats a bizarre way of letting teams choose players. Do teams get to buy and sell players after?

you can't really sell players between teams, like in soccer.

Players sign a contract, the terms of which depend on many, many things--quality of player, certain "incentives" (such as x money kicks in if you score x touchdowns this year; x millions in bonus to get team to playoffs 3 years out of 4 and on and on).

Players can be released from contracts--essentially fired, and then they enter free agency. The team that releases the player is on the hook for the money owed at that time. Or, they can, indeed be traded, in which case the responsibility of that contract falls on the new team, or a sharing agreement can be worked out (well, that happens in baseball, not sure about the NFL).

Whenever a player's contract is up, they are up for free agency, so all teams can bid for their services--essentially competing with contracts. Teams can also franchise key players that they hope to build around, locking them down, more or less--actually, I have no idea how franchising works, but I think it guarantees an absurd amount of money and protects them from any trades for the rest of their career.


As far as the draft, contracts have set terms depending on where you are drafted. Top 5 picks generally get something like 3 years, 2 million each year, iirc, and by the middle of the first round, it's something like 2 years at 700k each. maybe more--I don't really pay attention to that stuff.

And of course, any drafted player can negotiate their contracts through their scummy agents, even holding out when the season starts if they aren't happy (any player can do that, actually).

 

[zinfamous]

I wanna know what the Eagles are gonna do with Vick. Is he still on contract?

 

[lupi]

just think what gruden would have done with it.
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john that is.

 

[Imported]

From your avatar I presume you're a Niners fan. How far up would you be comfortable trading to? I figure you'd probably need to be 7th, maybe 8th overall to get Watkins and it would cost a lot to move up there from 30th.

If he goes out of the top ten I think you gotta pull the trigger pending the cost.

 

[Fingolfin269]

Titans: LB, OL, QB

 

[glenn1]

I wanna know what the Eagles are gonna do with Vick. Is he still on contract?

Vick is a free agent this year. Seems a longshot that some team would give him starting QB money though since there seems to be enough talent in the draft this year to fill the major needs. Maybe the Vikings would be desperate enough, given the Josh Freeman signing earlier this year?

 

[Gibsons]

If he goes out of the top ten I think you gotta pull the trigger pending the cost.

Imo, he won't go out of the top ten unless he brings a bong to interviews.

 

[sactoking]

Which team is going to get burned by drafting Johnny Football? The Texans?

 

[zinfamous]

Which team is going to get burned by drafting Johnny Football? The Texans?

Texans or Jags.

But if there is any justice in the world, the Rams will do that with their #2 pic.

()

 

[glenn1]

Which team is going to get burned by drafting Johnny Football? The Texans?

Based on their past history, I wouldn't put it past the Browns to trade up with the Texans or Rams and give them both their first rounders to get him. Or maybe even more than that.

 

[smackababy]

I'm a Cowboys fan.

I have the utmost confidence that Jerry will fuck this draft up. No matter what I think they should do.

This... Maybe Jerry will apologize to Jimmy and get some advice this year. Highly doubt it though.

 

[Imported]

Imo, he won't go out of the top ten unless he brings a bong to interviews.

Agreed. Our biggest needs are WR, CB, S in my opinion so I can see them going in any of those pending who is still available.

 

[Imported]

Texans or Jags.

But if there is any justice in the world, the Rams will do that with their #2 pic.

()

I keep hearing Bortles will be the QB for the Texans. It is February though.. lol

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Texans or Jags.

But if there is any justice in the world, the Rams will do that with their #2 pic.

()

The Rams are in prime position to rip Cleveland off and if I were them, I'd be calling Browns HQ on a weekly basis. They should be able to snag both of Cleveland's first round picks and maybe a second or third next year. Or maybe Cleveland's first this year and first next year (Cleveland can keep the Colts' pick this year).

 

[KeithTalent]

Vick is a free agent this year. Seems a longshot that some team would give him starting QB money though since there seems to be enough talent in the draft this year to fill the major needs. Maybe the Vikings would be desperate enough, given the Josh Freeman signing earlier this year?

Hope not. If me playing Madden 25 on my PS4 is any indication, Ponder can actually throw a pretty decent ball, so we should just draft a new kid and keep Ponder/Cassel for this next year while the youngster gets ready.

KT