The Cleveland Browns decided to pass on the five prospects in the 2018 NFL Supplemental Draft. Wednesday’s selection process came and went without Cleveland sacrificing any 2019 picks on the eligible players. There was considerable speculation surrounding Western Michigan cornerback Sam Beal, but the Browns did not pull the trigger in the first three rounds. The New York Giants made Beal the first selection with their 3rd round bid. Because of the blind draw rules in place with the draft, New York picked one spot ahead of the Browns. GM John Dorsey attended Beal’s pro day at Western Michigan in June, showing clear interest in the skinny (he weighed in at just 178 pounds) cornerback. Beal was in the draft due to academic ineligibility. Adonis Alexander and Brandon Bryant, two other eligible defensive backs, did not intrigue Dorsey enough to spend any 2019 NFL Draft picks on them. Washington selected Alexander in the 6th round.<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.<doc-sep>Did the Cleveland Browns miss out on CB Sam Beal but an unfortunate draw in the lottery system? According to Rob Rang of NFL Draft Scout, when the random draw for the 2018 NFL Supplemental Draft took place just prior to 1:00 PM ET, the Browns ended up being fourth in the pecking order behind the Raiders, Jets, and Giants. Breaking: The Oakland Raiders won the lottery and will have the first pick of each round in the 2018 NFL supplemental draft. Followed by the Jets, Giants, Browns, Broncos. — Rob Rang (@RobRang) July 11, 2018 If Cleveland had been intent on bidding a third round pick on Beal, then they had to be nervous that three teams ahead of them could swoop in to take him. If they really wanted to lock him with near 100% certainty, they would’ve had to risk a second round pick, assuming no other team would do so. We may never know if the Browns actually submitted a bit or not, because the Giants (one spot ahead of Cleveland) bid on him. The only other player selected in the draft was CB Adonis Alexander, who went to the Washington Redskins with a 6th round bid.<doc-sep>CLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 10: New General Manager John Dorsey of the Cleveland Browns is seen with owner Jimmy Haslam before the game against the Green Bay Packers at FirstEnergy Stadium on December 10, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) Cleveland Browns: David Njoku comes in at No. 9 tight end in NFL by Randy Gurzi Cleveland Browns general manager John Dorsey has been aggressive in adding talent this off-season, but will he be willing to take a chance in the supplemental draft on Wednesday? Cleveland Browns general manager John Dorsey has spent a lot of money retooling the Browns secondary this off-season. Cleveland has already added seven players to the secondary, including drafting cornerback Denzel Ward with the fourth overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. But could Dorsey’s aggressive approach to fixing the secondary lead to him taking a chance in the supplemental draft on July 11? If Dorsey wants the opportunity to select the best player available in the supplemental draft, he will have to take the chance. Western Michigan cornerback Sam Beal is the player that most teams have their eyes on in the supplemental draft. Beal played 32 games for Western Michigan, compiling 92 tackles, two interceptions, 19 passes defended, and a forced fumble. Beal has the athletic and physical traits that teams want from their cornerbacks. However, he is still young and needs work on cleaning up technique issues. The Browns have enough talent at cornerback that would let Beal sit and learn to improve his game. Every NFL team sent representatives to Beal’s workout for the supplemental, and the Browns even had Dorsey in attendance. Jamal Spencer of WZZM 13 in Grand Rapids posted the results of Beal’s workout, and also shared a picture that shows Dorsey very close to the action. Sam Beal, CB: 6’0, 178 pounds 4.4 40-yard dash with the wind 4.51 40-yard dash against the wind 37 inch vertical 9 inch hands pic.twitter.com/ddUQI0LWeR — Jamal Spencer (@JamalWZZM13) June 28, 2018 With the amount of teams that appear interested in Beal, there will be a bunch of competitive bids to select Beal. Many draft analysts expect teams to offer third-round picks for Beal. It is apparent that the Browns are one of the most interested teams in the 21-year-old cornerback. NFL.com’s Gil Brandt notes that the Browns could be more willing to use a third-round pick on Beal because they have two in next year’s draft after receiving the Patriots third-round pick in the Danny Shelton trade. One team told me they viewed Beal as 2nd-round pick had he been in 2018 draft, but that round likely to be lower in sup draft. Keep eye on teams with extra picks in Rounds 3-4 next year, including Browns (Round 3) and Bills (4). https://t.co/9OOBymQvDE — Gil Brandt (@Gil_Brandt) June 28, 2018 But if Dorsey is seriously considering drafting Beal, he may have to use the team’s only second-round pick next season. It is obvious that Dorsey did not like the Browns poor passing defense last season, which is why adding players to the secondary has been a focal point for him this season. There will likely be a team willing to use a second-round pick to bid on Beal. The Browns offering a third round bid will be in the best interest to the team for next year’s draft, but it might not be enough to get their hands on Beal. If Dorsey wants to add another young, talented player to his secondary, he may have to take a chance and use the team’s second round pick. Dorsey is not afraid to take chances to add talented players to the roster. He may see an opportunity to draft another young cornerback that can be the opposite starter of Ward for years to come. If Dorsey feels that Beal can be a valuable member for the Browns future, it would not be a surprise to see him take a chance and bid a second-round pick for Beal.<doc-sep>
CLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 10: New General Manager John Dorsey (L) and owner Jimmy Haslam talk before the game against the Green Bay Packers at FirstEnergy Stadium on December 10, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) The Daily Dawg Tags brings you all the Cleveland Browns news that you need to know. Today’s featured story talks about the potential for Dorsey to continue to add to the secondary in the supplemental draft. The Cleveland Browns will have new starters at three positions in the secondary in 2018. The Browns have added six new players to the secondary this off-season, and general manager John Dorsey may not be done. With the supplemental draft on Wednesday, the three prospects with the best chance to be drafted all play in the secondary. Cleveland has shown interest in the most coveted prospect in cornerback Sam Beal. Dorsey has not been afraid to pull the trigger on talent to fix the Browns secondary that struggled defending the pass last season. Dorsey may see an opportunity to secure the future of the cornerback position by drafting Beal and pairing him with fourth overall pick Denzel Ward. In today’s Daily Dawg Tags, we feature an article that goes more in depth on the prospects in the supplemental draft and why Dorsey could decide to add to the rebuilt secondary. Cleveland Browns News GM John Dorsey has options in supplemental draft to keep adding to secondary – Scott Petrak, The Chronicle-Telegram The NFL’s annual supplemental draft starts Wednesday at 1 o’clock, and the most intriguing options are defensive backs. Dorsey has done his research — he attended the workout of Western Michigan cornerback Sam Beal last month — and could take a chance on one or more. The Browns have the draft ammo necessary in the 2019 NFL Draft if they want to make a move on of the defensive backs. Cleveland has also been very connected to Beal, who could be one of the most coveted players in the supplemental draft for a long time. Will the Cleveland Browns draft Sam Beal? With the amount of interest the Browns have shown in Beal, Christopher Markoch takes a look at if the Browns will actually decide to make an aggressive bid for the cornerback. CBS Sports analyst ‘all-in’ on Browns in 2018 The Cleveland Browns’ moves this off-season have some NFL analysts talking about the potential of the Browns making the playoffs in 2018. Randy Gurzi points a CBS Sports analyst that is very confident in the Browns. Could the Cleveland Browns sign Johnathan Hankins and Kenny Vaccaro? The Cleveland Browns still have around $70 million in cap space after their aggressive off-season, and one NFL analyst believes that the Browns are the best fit for two different veteran defenders that are still free agents.