So I've been kicking around the idea that the 6th and 7th round is pointless

[frash.exe]

As in, there is no incentive to waste time going through this dog and pony show process beyond 5 rounds. Like a player that fell out of the draft? Just pursue them after the draft. The talent curve has flatlined by the time the 6th and 7th round gets here, the only thing the announcers are doing by then is recapping the first three rounds and how good the patriots are at trading into the 2nd and getting some asshole OG from Nebrahoma State. Yes, you could argue that we picked Greg Hardy in the 6th but at the same time you can just schedule a contract signing post draft. And hypothetically if there was an 8th round in an alternate universe somewhere Vontaze Burfict would've been picked there. In 1993 several players that ended up being good were drafted in the 8th round and that's the last time they cut it down. Today the 7th round return is nowhere near that. Teams used to build through the draft (in a literal sense, not in the "wanting to sign free agents is a dirty sin against god" sense) a lot more back then. In 1993, 6 pro bowlers were drafted in the 7th. That's twice as many as the 6th and 7th rounds combined from the 2010 draft.

I know the draft is a ratings grab and people are going to watch it until the end no matter what, so more rounds basically = more money for ESPN and the NFL Network, but I lost interest in following it past the fourth round years ago, and in a practical sense, there's no purpose for GMs to be doing this because it's clear that there's no discerning what's actually good in the crap pile at least past the fifth round and they might as well be picking names out of a hat by then.

[JJman]

Hall of farmers and stars have been drafted in both those rounds. There's no such thing as a pointless round in the draft

[frash.exe]

Hall of famers were also drafted in the later rounds they also eventually got rid of

[jayflip]

Hall of farmers and stars have been drafted in both those rounds. There's no such thing as a pointless round in the draft

Farmers?

Sent from my iPhone using CarolinaHuddle

[Jimbo]

The benefit of being able to draft a player in the 6th or 7th round is that you don't have to negotiate with other teams.

[TANTRIC-NINJA]

Are not we all..8th rounders?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using CarolinaHuddle mobile app

[The Huddler]

If they are talking about making it a week, they aren't going to shorten it.

[LinvilleGorge]

The only problem with not taking a player in the 6th or 7th while planning on signing him as a UFA is that some other team may take him in the 6th or 7th.  This seems plainly obvious.  I'm not sure what point you're trying to make.

[CelticCat]

Honestly, if Goodell extends this out to 4 days I wouldn't be shocked if they added another couple of rounds like the old days.

[ncguy2184]

Thank god Tom Brady didn't see this when he was drafted......

[rayzor]

best use of picks 5-7 is trading for vets.

 

i mean if you've got some cap space. you can get a lot of proven talent via trades with thise picks.

[frash.exe]

The only problem with not taking a player in the 6th or 7th while planning on signing him as a UFA is that some other team may take him in the 6th or 7th. This seems plainly obvious. I'm not sure what point you're trying to make.

The point is:

Sudo apt-get purge 6thand7thround

[CelticCat]

Thank god Tom Brady didn't see this when he was drafted......

 

Or our own Greg Hardy. Munny was a usefull 7th too.

 

[csx]

Thank god Tom Brady didn't see this when he was drafted......

He didn't say that the players were pointless. He said the draft is pointless in those rounds. I am not sure that  I agree but there is a difference.