Notes: NFL cancels 2021 supplemental draft

This is the second year in a row the league has opted not to hold this event.

For the second year in a row, the NFL has elected not to hold the supplemental draft, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. According to the collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the league holds all the rights to the event and can hold or cancel at its discretion. Last year’s event was not held due to concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, but Pelissero did not elaborate as to the cause of the cancelation of this year’s event.

For those not familiar with the supplemental draft, it is a system set up to allow players who wish to enter the NFL but failed to declare their intentions at the proper deadline. Typically, players who enter the supplemental draft are those who found out after the fact that they were not eligible to return to college due to eligibility issues—like academic or rule violations—and wanted a chance to play in the NFL in the immediate season.

A supplemental draft runs differently than a traditional draft, as teams enter blind bids for players based on the draft pick value they are willing to give up for the player. If a team is awarded a player because they have the highest bid, they immediately roster the player and lose the value of their bid in the upcoming NFL draft.

For example, in 2019 safety Jalen Thompson lost his NCAA eligibility (rules violation), petitioned the NFL to enter the supplemental draft, and was selected with a fifth-round bid by the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals, in turn, relinquished their fifth-round pick in the 2020 draft.

The Lions have only once selected a player in the supplemental draft. Back in 1982, they gave up a ninth-round pick to acquire defensive back Kevin Robinson, but he failed to make the roster and has no recorded stats in his NFL career.

Now on to the rest of today’s NOTES:

• TE University is a training/learning opportunity for tight ends across the league that is organized by Travis Kelce (Chiefs) and George Kittle (49ers), as well as former NFL veteran tight end Greg Olsen. At the conclusion of the players-only event, they awarded a TEU Heavyweight Champion and this year’s recipient was Lions’ Pro Bowler T.J. Hockenson.

• Lions senior writer Tim Twentyman put together a detailed list of 5 numbers that need to change in 2021, including points allowed, yards allowed, offensive red zone efficiency, average rushing yards per game, and sacks by the defense.

• Select members of the staff at the Athletic put together a list of best offseason move by each organization (subscription required). Nick Baumgardner represented the Lions in this exercise and picked the trading of Matthew Stafford for draft capital to jump-start the rebuild—a conclusion echoed by Jeremy Reisman a few weeks back. The Rams were represented by Jourdan Rodrigue, who also picked the Stafford trade as the Rams’ best move allowing them a chance to make a Super Bowl run.

• Expect to see more motions and shifts in the Lions’ new offensive scheme. This is something we talked about in our latest Spotify Greenroom podcast and is expanded upon here by the PFF_Lions Twitter account:

• Even though the supplemental draft was canceled, there are still plenty of other draft formats for you to consume. 2021 mock drafts are still a thing—both Draft Wire and Pro Football Network have new ones out this week—and fantasy football drafts are starting to ramp up, with NBC Sports EDGE (formerly Rotoworld) previewing the Lions’ players fantasy outlooks this week.