It’s unknown whether or not the Chicago Bears will take a rare dip into the Supplemental Draft waters. However, there is some intrigue with the major candidates. If you aren’t familiar with how this process works, here’s how it works. Each team in the NFL gets split up into three groups depending on how their season played out. Group one is for the teams that won only six or fewer game. Group two is for teams that won at least six games but wound up missing the playoffs. The final group includes the playoff teams. In this particular case, the Chicago Bears fall in the first grouping. When groups are established, a modified lottery decides the draft order for each group. In this instance, the squads with the worst records will have a better shot at landing the top selection for their group. So the Cleveland Browns have the definitive best shot at landing the top pick, but they cannot fall out of the first group. The same thing goes for teams in the second and third groupings. Once the draft order is set with all three groups, each team makes their bid(s) to Roger Goodell with each player they are interested in and what round they want that player. Whichever team places the highest bid on a specific player gets the rights to draft him. Should there be more than one team that places a bid in the same round, then the team with the higher selection in that round gets the player’s rights. The catch with all of this is that if your team winds up drafting a player, then they forfeit the corresponding selection in the normal NFL Draft next year. If Chicago spends a third-round pick in July, they lose a third rounder next year. To put it simply, these draft selections are rare. Got all of that? Let’s go over the notable entries.<doc-sep>BEAR DOWN, CHICAGO BEARS, BEAR DOWN!!! ! BEARRRSSSS / DRAFT / FREE AGENCY NFL Supplemental Draft: How the Bears can find a steal - 247Sports - The Chicago Bears have a chance to find a diamond in the rough in this year’s supplemental draft. Wiederer: How quickly can Bears rookie Roquan Smith become a Pro Bowl playmaker? - Chicago Tribune - The Bears are thrilled with Roquan Smith's proven production and long-term potential. Now it's up to Vic Fangio to find the best fit for Smith alongside veteran Danny Trevathan. Wiederer: Will Matt Nagy's system be the fire that ignites Tarik Cohen? - Chicago Tribune - As the Bears get ready for training camp, the Tribune assesses the running backs position, analyzing the breakout potential for Tarik Cohen and the best fit for Jordan Howard. 'Madden 19' player ratings: Bears' full list includes underwhelming Mitch Trubisky - Chicago Sun-Times - EA Sports released the complete player ratings for 'Madden NFL 19' on Tuesday, and there's both good and bad news for Bears fans. Gil Brandt's greatest defensive ends of all time features 5 former Bears - NFL.com - NFL Media senior analyst and personnel guru Gil Brandt ranks the greatest defensive ends in NFL history. Take a look at how they stack up. Demara: Colin Cowherd makes picks Bears dead last in NFC North division in 2018 - 247Sports - Colin Cowherd's picks are in for the NFC North in 2018. Eurich: Top storylines of the NFC North heading into training camp - 247Sports - The NFC North is filled with storylines heading into training camp. NFC North Q&A: Who is the rising star in the division? - 247Sports - Dalvin Cook flashed greatness in four games with the Vikings, and there's another young running back in the division to keep an eye on as well. Medina: More Snaps Out of the Shotgun Could Elevate Jordan Howard's Game - 10 Yard Line - The Bears' running game could be in line for big things with a small tweak in the team's offensive philosophy. Mayer: Bears relying on Hicks to anchor defensive line - ChicagoBears.com - The Bears will head to Bourbonnais next week once again counting on veteran defensive end Akiem Hicks to be one of their most productive and dependable players this season. Cox: Trey Burton says Tarik Cohen ‘is right up there with’ Darren Sproles - Bears Wire - Chicago Bears tight end Trey Burton compared Tarik Cohen to his former teammate, Darren Sproles. The similarities go beyond their height. Cox: Bears training camp preview: Defensive line - Bears Wire - Jonathan Bullard may be penciled in as a starter on the Chicago Bears defensive line, but Roy Roberston-Harris is gunning for his spot. Team for the Ages: Dick Butkus, an all-time legend - Pro Football Weekly - Butkus is considered by many to be the greatest defensive player in the history of the game Gabriel: Bears Solid Up Middle But Need Outside Linebackers To Step Up - 670 The Score - The Bears' linebackers have an injury-riddled history. Eurich: Allen Robinson's top games with Jaguars and what it means for the Chicago Bears - 247Sports - History suggests Allen Robinson is only scratching the surface of his potential. Emma: True Potential Of Bears' Mitchell Trubisky Will Be Revealed In Year 2 - 670 The Score - "I know what I'm capable of," Mitchell Trubisky says. Bears training camp questions: Can Mitch Trubisky take off in Year 2? - USA Today - The Chicago Bears are hoping second-year QB Mitch Trubisky can show major improvement in his second season the way peers Carson Wentz and Jared Goff did in 2017. Patra: Trey Burton - Ton of similarities between Eagles, Bears - NFL.com - Tight end Trey Burton says he sees a ton of similarities between the team he won a Super Bowl with last year, Philadelphia Eagles, and his new team, Chicago Bears. POLISH SAUSAGE Supplemental draft begins with a lottery, has 10-minute rounds – ProFootballTalk - For NFL fans, the supplemental draft often feels shrouded in mystery: Unlike the regular draft, which is a much-hyped major event, the supplemental draft comes and goes before many fans even realize it. This year’s supplemental draft begins Wednesday at 1 p.m. KNOW THY ENEMY 5 things EA got wrong with the Lions ratings in Madden NFL 19 - Pride Of Detroit - Surprise, surprise, a Lions blogger thinks EA got it wrong when it came to rating Detroit’s roster. Let’s take another look back at Percy Harvin’s time in Minnesota - Daily Norseman - With every touchdown he ever scored in purple Packers 2018 Roster Prediction: Williams gets the opening week nod at RB - Acme Packing Company - APC expects four backs to make the final roster and Jamaal Williams to start the season opener against rival Chicago. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON Infante: Bears ratings for ‘Madden NFL 19’ revealed - Windy City Gridiron - A lot of Bears players were given the shaft in EA Sports’ ‘Madden’ ratings, while a few received ratings that may have been a little too generous. Leming: Projecting the final 2018 Chicago Bears offensive depth chart - Windy City Gridiron - Training camp is just over a week away. So, what better way to celebrate that than to project the final roster? Wiltfong’s 10 Most Important Bears of 2018: #4 Will Akiem Hicks get some respect? - Windy City Gridiron - For the 10th straight year, I’m bringing you who I believe will be the ten most important Chicago Bears for the upcoming season. Defensive lineman Akiem Hicks is going to have a breakout season. WCG CONTRIBUTORS BEARS PODCASTS & STREAMS 2 Minute Drill - Website - iTunes - Andrew Link; Steven’s Streaming – Twitch – Steven Schweickert; T-Formation Conversation - Website - iTunes - Lester Wiltfong, Jr.; WCG Radio - Website - Robert Zeglinski THE RULES Windy City Gridiron Community Guidelines - SBNation.com - We strive to make our communities open and inclusive to sports fans of all backgrounds.<doc-sep>The 2018 NFL Supplemental Draft, scheduled to take place July 11th, will allow NFL teams to "bid" on players who have met the eligibility requirements and have successfully entered the draft. Six players have been selected in the Supplemental Draft since 2009, with the most recent being current Rams offensive tackle Isaiah Battle in 2015. Other notable Supplemental Draft selections of recent years are Josh Gordon (2012) and Terrelle Pryor (2011). Below is all you need to know about the 2018 NFL Supplemental Draft, including how it works and which players are eligible for selection. NFL Supplemental Draft 2018: How it works The Supplemental Draft is similar to a silent auction. Each NFL team is able to place a bid privately to the league office using next year's NFL Draft picks as currency. The team with the highest bid (highest round of the pick bid) on a given player is awarded that player, and the team loses the draft pick it bid. If two teams bid the same draft round, then the league uses a predetermined order to settle the winner. The predetermined draft order is a three-tiered system: teams with five or fewer wins from last season; teams with more than five wins but did not make the playoffs last season; and playoff teams from last season. Each group undergoes a lottery system with an increased probability for teams with lesser records. For example: Team A finished with a record of 2-14; Team B finished 7-9; Team C finished 13-3 Player X and Player Y were ruled eligible for the Supplemental Draft Team A places a third-round claim on Player X Team B places a third-round claim on Player X and a seventh-round claim on Player Y Team C places a fifth-round claim on Player X and a sixth-round claim on Player Y Team A is awarded Player X because it wins the tie between itself and Team B Team C is awarded Player Y because it was the only team to place a sixth-round bid for the player MORE: Adonis Alexander talks supplemental draft prep, more in Q&A NFL Supplemental Draft 2018: Selection process On July 11th, all 32 teams (if they choose to) will place their bids on any of the eligible players for the Supplemental Draft. After all bids are submitted, the league office will determine which teams bid the highest future draft picks on which players and, in the event of a tie, consider the predetermined draft order. By the end of the business day, the NFL will notify teams of who was awarded which players. The players who are selected will be added to their teams' 90-man rosters for training camp and will have chances to make 53-man rosters for the season. If a player is not claimed in the Supplemental Draft, he is immediately deemed an undrafted free agent and may sign with any NFL team. NFL Supplemental Draft 2018: Players eligible To be eligible to enter the Supplemental Draft, a player must be at least three years removed from high school and entering his final year of college eligibility. The player must be unable to return for his final season in college, generally due to academic issues or indefinite suspension from his team. Each player must submit his name and request for entry into the Supplemental Draft to be eligible. The following are the eligible players for 2018. MORE: Scouting reports for eligible players<doc-sep>STARKVILLE, MS - SEPTEMBER 3: Running back Tyreis Thomas #9 of the South Alabama Jaguars runs the ball past linebacker DeAndre Ward #28 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs and defensive back Brandon Bryant #1 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the fourth quarter at Davis Wade Stadium on September 3, 2016 in Starkville, Mississippi. The South Alabama Jaguars defeated the Mississippi State Bulldogs 21-20. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images) The Redskins have to be eyeing the approaching NFL supplemental draft. But should they act on the opportunity to add a young player? The NFL supplemental draft is set to occur tomorrow, and the Washington Redskins will have the chance to add to their defensive backfield. If they use a pick in this draft, however, they will lose a corresponding pick in next year’s NFL Draft. There is very sound reasoning to pick a player from the draft. They have 11 picks next year, more than enough to use a selection here. And of all the position groups on the Redskins roster, one could argue that the secondary is the weakest position group. This doesn’t mean the group is weak, however. Simply unproven. Five players are scheduled to be available in the NFL supplemental draft: Oregon State linebacker Bright Ugwoegbu, Grand Valley State running back Martayveus Carter, Mississippi State safety Brandon Bryant, Virginia Tech defensive back Adonis Alexander, and Western Michigan cornerback Sam Beal. Of those five prospects the three defensive backs have gotten the most attention. and for good reason. All of those players have promising traits at the next level. Sam Beal has his high-floor, NFL potential. Adonis Alexander has his size and length. And Brandon Bryant has his speed and hard-hitting ability. Want your voice heard? Join the Riggo's Rag team! Write for us! All these players have drawn interest from NFL teams, Redskins included. If they decide to pick a player, it’s not the end of the world. But are these the best gambles to take more than halfway through the offseason? Adonis Alexander has character concerns, and it’s dangerous to assume that reuniting him with Torrian Gray, Tim Settle, and Greg Stroman will alleviate those concerns. Sam Beal and Brandon Bryant are safer bets; both were forced to enter the supplemental draft by minor academic issues. But despite that, there is uncertainty. Bryant, even with his rare speed, failed to produce on a consistent basis with the Bulldogs. Sam Beal is the safest prospect, but as a result, his value could be magnified by teams with an immediate need at cornerback. He could go as early as the second round. Ultimately, the spoils might not be worth the cost for the Redskins in this year’s supplemental draft. The most common knock on the Redskins’ secondary is that it is unproven, and picking any of the aforementioned players will not change anything, in that regard. There’s so much uncertainty. Torrian Gray can work with that. But there are safer prospects in next year’s draft. Judging by the Redskins’ performance in the 2018 NFL Draft, Kyle Smith knows how to scout and scour the later rounds for gems. It might be better for them to wait, save their pick for next year’s draft, conserve their current chemistry, and keep their next batch of young players on a later contract schedule. The implications are not great. But the smallest offseason moves can have the biggest impact.<doc-sep>
June and July are dead periods in the NFL offseason, and most of the time, the league’s supplemental draft that sneaks up out of no where ends up being uneventful. Teams don’t utilize the draft very often. In 2011, a 3rd round pick was used on Terrelle Pryor by the Raiders. In 2012, the Browns used a 2nd round pick to get Josh Gordon. And then in 2015, the Rams used a 5th round pick to get Isaiah Battle. 2018 could be an eventful year for the draft, though, with the Cleveland Browns possibly getting involved early. Eligible Players As Barry Shuck highlighted a few weeks ago, there are three defensive backs in this year’s supplemental draft class, along with two other players: Adonis Alexander , DB, Virginia Tech , DB, Virginia Tech Sam Beal , DB, Western Michigan , DB, Western Michigan Brandon Bryant , DB, Mississippi State , DB, Mississippi State Martayveus Carter, RB, Grand Valley State Bright Ugwoegbu , LB, Oregon State SB Nation has more details on all of the players here. Browns Appear Invested in Beal The players with the best odds of being selected this year are Alexander and Beal, with Beal being the most highly-prized target. All 32 teams in the NFL went to Beal’s Pro Day on June 28, but the Browns were one of the few teams who had their general manager (John Dorsey) present. Beal can compete for a starting spot immediately in the NFL, and the belief is that it will take at least a 3rd or 4th round pick to get him. Erik Galko of the Sporting News predicts the Browns will use a 3rd round pick on him. How the Draft Works The NFL Supplemental Draft begins at 1:00 PM ET. It is not televised, as it is conducted via email. The order of the “draft” is determined by splitting the league into three groups, based on their record. The Browns are in that first group of teams with six or fewer wins. The league then uses a random draw (kind of like the NBA lottery) to determine who picks in what order among that group. Because Cleveland finished 0-16, odds are that they would have close to the first dibs in each “round.” The reason I quote the word “round” is because they don’t actually go through a round-by-round order. The Browns will simply submit a blind bid via email, if they are interested in placing a bid. If they wager a 4th round pick and won the lottery to have the best position in each round, then the NFL would check to make sure no other teams submitted a 3rd round bid.