A reader wondered aloud whether the NFL's new plan to streamline the first two rounds of the draft will actually interfere with teams' ability to make the right decisions on draft day. 
In other words, by reducing the time allotted per pick from 15 minutes to 10 minutes in the first round, and from 10 minutes to seven minutes in the second round, will the thought process for teams be somewhat compromised?
In a word: no.
Realistically speaking, teams make their first-round selections well in advance of the 15-minute time limit used up to now. For instance, the Raiders used all of their 15 minutes for the first overall choice in the 2007 draft, and wound up selecting quarterback JaMarcus Russell
out of LSU.
But the team had already told Russell before the draft began that they were taking him. Bottom line: Teams know which players they are going to pick - especially in the first round - long before the time limit expires. And if a player is taken off the board that they would have selected, then they have a fall-back candidate in place well before the draft.
Will it make a difference in trade talks? Doubtful. Even there, it's rare that a deal goes right down to the wire. And don't forget Giants-Chargers in 2004. The Chargers had already picked Eli Manning and the Giants had taken Philip Rivers, and the teams still got a deal done after the fact.
Comments (9)
So ... the Jets have six months and 10 minutes before they make the first pick of the 2008 draft?
Gridder Tom:
Great line.
The change is long overdue. I am sure Brady Quinn thinks this move is coming one year too late. Question, under the new system how far might the Vikings slide past their slot?
Craig:
Yes, Vikes have to be on their toes, for sure. But if you're referring to a couple years ago when they whiffed on the time factor, there's an interesting story to it. If I'm not mistaken, they had worked out a trade with the Ravens, who wanted to draft Byron Leftwich.
I believe the Jaguars were picking next. Knowing that Baltimore wanted Leftwich, the Jaguars tied up the phone lines to the NFL office, and the Vikings couldn't get through and report the trade in time.
As soon as the 15 minutes were up, the Jaguars made their pick of Leftwich. The Ravens later traded picks and took Kyle Boller.
Bob, if that story is true, and if it is - it's a good one, why didn't the league take action against he Jags?
Anything that gets Mel Kiper off the air quicker must be a good thing. Hey Bob, in your spare time can you review Kiper's ratings for the last 5 years and determine his accuracy.
Draft talk in October... You don't see that in New England, Indy, Pittsburgh or Dallas.
Hmmmm, no confidence in the locals Bob? :-)
The NFL did do something about it. They provided more phone lines directly to the league office so that it would be impossible for a team to do it again.
btw, the Jaguars have never publicly admitted this, but it is widely believed in league circles that this was the case.
No confidence in the locals? Certainly not the Jets. Giants are fine ... then again, they've been 5-2 four straight years and still don't have a playoff win to show for it.