Question about the transition.

Are you sure about that there is a way to pick your team and not enter the draft. I don't think so. I remeber a few people on Espn at the end of the draft saying that a player is better off not being drafted then being drafted in the last round, because then the player could shop himself around and get the better. It seems to me if you were a star and could skip the draft completly why wouldn't you? The teams who wanted you would just be in a bidding war, right?

I would have thought we would have seen elite players skip the draft if this were possible.

This is from the NFL's CBA - which can be found here: http://www.nflpa.org/Members/main.asp?subPage=CBA+Complete#art16

College Draft:
Section 11. Undrafted Rookies: Any person who has not been selected by a Club in a College Draft shall be free, after the completion of a College Draft for which he is eligible, to negotiate and sign a Player Contract with any Club, and any Club shall be completely free to negotiate and sign a Player Contract with any such person after such date, without any penalty or restriction, including, but not limited to, Draft Choice Compensation between Clubs or First Refusal Rights of any kind.

In simple english, any player wishing to join the NFL must first be subject to the draft. If they are not drafted, then they are free to sign with whomever they choose. If you are not eligible to be drafted, then you cannot play in the NFL.

There we are, players are forced into the draft. Meaning the draft is their only chance to dictate roughly where they go.

Wow I am glad you found that. Something I find interesting in section 8 it says that anyone who is drafted, holds out, gets drafted again, and holds out for a second season is free agent. I doubt anyone would dare hold out for 2 years but who knows.

what about players like kurt warner? i don't remember ever hearing about him being in a draft. what if u aren't coming right out of college or haven't gone to college all together, but u want to try out for a team? i know i would personally look into the rules and options if i were a decent player in college who wanted to play for certain teams or to make sure i don't have to play for a team i hated.

It says: "Any person who has not been selected by a Club in a College Draft shall be free, after the completion of a College Draft for which he is eligible[.]"

Warner was eligible to be drafted but nobody wanted him that year. In fact, nobody wanted him for several years after he was eligible to be drafted.

Good college players will be drafted when eligible because they are scouted. The only way to "avoid" the draft is to sit out for two years. But why, if you are a top tier talent, sit for two years and cost yourself tons 'o cash?

What about someone like Rocket Ismail, who basically avoided the draft by signing a pro-contract with the CFL before the draft? Or Eric Swann, who played in some minor league before he signed with the Cardinals

Theres a rule about that too. If no one drafted him coming out of college then it is moot, he can sign with anyone. However if he played at least 3 years with another professional football league(like the CFL or the arena league) then the team who drafted him has the right to match the offer of any team, but they do not have exclusive rights. Warran Moon and Doug Flutie come to mind here. Flutie was drafted by no one so he could sign with whomever he liked. Now I am too young to remember Moon's draft, but if he was drafted than whoever drafted him could have matched any offer the Oiler's made to Moon. If Kurt Warner was indeed drafted, I think he played for the Arena League for long enough that the only thing the Rams needed to do was beat any offer (if there was one) made by the NFL who drafted him.

you can still draft the rights to a player. look at drew henson, as long as he hasn't signed a contract with anyone, he is still eligible to be drafted. you can go to the CFL if you don't like who drafted you but you go right back in the pool again next year. also, you have to think about contracts and free agency. most of the time, it is better to get signed right away, go through a contract and then get the big time money as a potential free agent then to sit out and then walk in with no performance record.