The 12 Best Players Ever Selected in the Supplemental Draft

August 12, 2011 By 1 Comment
The Boz (Seattle Weekly)

The NFL will be holding its 2011 Supplemental Draft next Wednesday. This year’s Supplemental Draft is notable because Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor may or may not be eligible. (As of this writing, he is not.) Even if the NFL doesn’t clear Pryor, a team might take a chance on Georgia running back Caleb King (“might” being the operative word), who is academically ineligible to play in Athens in 2011.

Unlike the regular draft, where teams pick a player whenever their turn comes up, teams in the Supplemental Draft bid on players using their draft picks for the following season. For example, say the Cleveland Browns decide that Terrelle Pryor would make a nice back-up to Colt McCoy and bid their third-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. Then, say that the Cincinnati Bengals decide to out-Ohio their division rivals and bid a second-round pick on Pryor. The Bengals would get Pryor and lose their second-round pick in the 2012 draft. The Browns would move on as if nothing had happened.

At the moment, Terrelle Pryor isn't eligible for much of anything. (Wikipedia)

The NFL established the Supplemental Draft in 1977 for the benefit of players who, for one reason or another, didn’t register for the regular draft. Once upon a time, players could only enter the NFL Draft if they had graduated from college or had exhausted their college eligibility. Several players who graduated early, but not in time to register for the regular draft, entered the Supplemental Draft. Nowadays most players who enter the Supplemental Draft have been declared ineligible for their senior seasons, usually for academic or behavioral issues.

Since its inception in 1977, 40 players have been taken in the Supplemental Draft. Only a handful have made meaningful contributions to NFL franchises. The 40 Supplemental Draft selections have 16 Pro Bowl appearances between them. Cris Carter is responsible for half of those.

Here are the 12 best players ever taken in the Supplemental Draft.

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Filed Under: Away From the Action, NFL Tagged With: bernie kosar, cris carter, NFL, supplemental draft

Browns ‘soul searching’ continues; GM Kokinis escorted out, Kosar could be in

November 3, 2009 By 1 Comment

Just hours after “soul-searching” about the fate of his Cleveland Browns, team owner Randy Lerner put his frustration to action with the removal of Browns General Manager George Kokinis, who was reportedly seen being escorted out of the Browns practice facility in Berea on Monday morning.

The Browns were not saying whether Kokinis resigned or was fired. However, late speculation from various media sources is, Kokinis was dismissed “with cause.”

The beleaguered — and largely absent — Kokinis, hired at the suggestion of Browns Head Coach Eric Mangini, seems to have been made the sacrificial lamb for the Browns 1-7 season, its anemic so-called offense, and the general frustration, malaise, and chaos that has been the Cleveland Browns organization since Mangini took the helm early this year.

As of Tuesday, Cleveland NBC affiliate, WKYC Channel 3 and the Lake County News-Herald have reported that Lerner has been speaking with former Browns GM Ernie Acorsi about the idea of possibly becoming the Browns next general manager with the purpose of grooming former Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar for that role.

However, The Plain Dealer is reporting that Acorsi, is in retirement with no desire to go back to work.

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Filed Under: NFL Tagged With: bernie kosar, Cleveland Browns, eric mangini, ernie accorsi, george kokinis, NFL, randy lerner

Browns Banter: Make or Break Monday Night Game Against Bills

November 17, 2008 By 5 Comments

Cleveland Browns Buffalo BillsThe Cleveland Browns march onto a windy, snowy and frigid Buffalo turf to battle the Bills before a national Monday Night Football audience. While each team battles to redeem its season, the game is a must win for Cleveland, which has fallen to 3-6 after blowing double digit leads in its last two matches against Baltimore and Denver — at home.

This is a make or break game for the Browns, for Head Coach Romeo Crennel and for rookie quarterback Brady Quinn, who faces his first start on the road against a top 12 defense, according to former Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar.

Kosar told The Really Big Show, WKNR 850 this morning that the game will test the mettle of Quinn, determined by how well he faces the pressure of NFL defenders on a hostile field.

In Quinn’s first start for the Browns against Denver, Nov. 6, the Notre Dame quarterback displayed poise and leadership even after the Browns blew a 13-point lead to lose 34-30 before a disgruntled home crowd.

“I was impressed with how quickly Brady went into the two-minute offense” said Kosar, adding Quinn was not happy with the loss, but made no excuses and placed the loss squarely on his shoulders.

That shows leadership, Kosar said.

Browns fans are hoping that Quinn can overcome the Browns beleagured defense and are crossing their fingers that wide receiver Braylon Edwards won’t drop another pass to add to his 12-drop tally thus far.

The outcome of tonight’s game is also expected to determine the fate of Browns Head Coach Romeo Crennel, under fire by the Cleveland and national media, for failing to rally his troops to finish games. But the worst rap against Crennel is that his team has quit on him.

Crennel denied his team quit, and if the Browns good defense shows up tonight, and if the Browns can win most of the rest of their games, Crennel might get another year in Cleveland. If the Monday Night game proves to be deja vu all over again, there is little hope Crennel will be back.

The players, to a man, say they like Romeo.

“Well, if the guys like their coach they need to play hard for him,” said Kosar, who plans to fly to Buffalo tonight and sit in the owner’s box.

Kosar, a Youngstown, Ohio hative, has fond memories of Buffalo.

“Whenever I see Jim Kelly (former Bills quarterback), I remind him that whenever I went up against him in Buffalo, I never lost,” Kosar said.

Last year the Bills traveled to Cleveland to play amidst swirling snow and near blizzard conditions. Cleveland won that game, 8-0.

Filed Under: Featured Column, NFL Tagged With: bernie kosar, Monday Night Football