Re: Supplemental draft.
Okay, here's Reiss...and yes, somebody else has referenced this in this thread:
2) According to the NFL's official web site regarding last year's supplemental draft, the order of the supplemental draft is "determined by a weighted system that is divided into three groupings. First come the teams that had six or fewer wins last season, followed by non-playoff teams that had more than six wins, followed by the 12 playoff teams." Because the Raiders fall into the first category, that means the Patriots will have one of the first cracks at Oliver if he slips to the third round.
First of all, it appears in a Gil Brandt column, which is certainly not the same as the NFL rulebook. But I think that this is being mis-interpreted by Mike. Logically, it would be the team that falls into that situation, not the pick of the round that was the original property of the team.
In other words, whether the Raiders have the first pick in the round, or the last, they are in the group with the first crack at supplemental picks. Otherwise, why even bother setting up a three-tiered system? The NFL would just award the selection in accordance to the draft order. Their desire is obviously an attempt to help out the weaker teams. So in this specific case, maybe the Raiders forfeit their attempt to be in the first group of the third round bidders, but I doubt that the Patriots go into the pool as a replacement team. More likely the Patriots would be at the front of the line of the playoff teams.
