I know that players drafted can demand that a certain team not draft them. But can draft prospects demand that they will only sign with one team?
Prior to his entry into the NFL supplemental draft, Bosworth had sent letters to various NFL teams stating that, if they drafted him, he wouldn't report to their training camp and he wouldn't play for them. As a joke, the Tacoma Stars of the Major Indoor Soccer League selected him in the 12th round in their 1987 draft, as their general manager stated, "Because we didn't receive a letter from him that he wouldn't play for us." Bosworth was interviewed on The Today Show byBryant Gumbel shortly after word came out about the letters and declared his desire was to play for the Los Angeles Raiders above all else, saying he felt they fit his personality best. Also, I believe Crabtree for the 49ers, after being drafted, almost decided to go unsigned through the year and be redrafted because he wanted to play for the Seahawks and mainly not the 49ers but ultimately stayed with the 9ers. It's not a very smart decision lol
They can do whatever they like. There is no longer indentured servitude in the US. But the team that drafts them keeps their rights until the day after the next draft and they'd be giving up guaranteed rookie contract money. And a year of service towards the pension and free agency. So unless you have a Major League Baseball contract in your pocket (John Elway) or your Dad is NFL royalty (Eli) or have college eligibility (Peyton) or a high paying Wall Street job lined up, you're signing that contract. _
Yup. Exactly. If you have no other viable options, you're sunk. Btw, you walk across the street and get hit by a bus or blow out an ACL working out? No money. No insurance. No pro team medical/orthopedic staff to rehab with. _
no, they wouldn't be demanding in any effective sense that a certain team not draft them because said team could still draft them regardless of their demand; all a player can do is simply advise that they wouldn't sign with a specific team if that team drafts them. you simply stated the exact same thing differently in your two sentences.
You know if are going to stick it in and break it off do it because you're angry at me. Don't be a turd the doesn't flush because you can be.
What are you upset about in my reply? What leverage would a player have in demanding not to be drafted, which you said you know they can do, other than the threat of not signing with the team? There is no meaningful demand not to be drafted without the threat of not signing, so obviously to have the right to demand not to be drafted inherently means they have the right to demand they won't sign with that team, and that would inherently mean they are demanding that they will only sign with some other team or teams. Your premise, that a player can demand not to be drafted, answered your own question.
You can sit out a year from the NFL if you don't like who drafted you, that's your only recourse. Then next year that team cannot re-draft you. Eli Manning threatened to do it, and Bo Jackson actually did it. (Jackson's backup plan was the MLB. Then he was drafted by the Raiders and they let him play both sports.)
The guys who have done this had a very strong father figure grounded in football backing them up. It's very hard for a 20 to 22 year old guy to stand up to the NFL power structure and win. Playing in the NFL isn't a right, it's a privilege. If you have Jack Elway and Archie Manning in your corner to help you figure out what you can get away with you're ahead of the game.
