With little going on around the NFL in early-mid July, anything that so much as registers as a blip on the radar is worth mentioning.
That's pretty much how one sums up the annual NFL Supplemental Draft, which is now set for July 14th, per NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport.
.@NFL Supplemental draft update! Here are the players eligible for July 14 at 1 pm pic.twitter.com/nwZIe906Q2
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 1, 2016
This is the annual draft that's often used for college players who find themselves in some form of trouble (legally, athletically, or academically) after the NFL Draft.
The process for the draft order is fairly simple. The draft starts with the 10 worst teams (based on the 2016 NFL Draft order) in the first drawing, picking the order to select first through 10th. There's a second drawing with the 10 next worst teams after that. The third drawing will feature the 12 playoff teams from last season.
Once that's determined, the draft starts. Teams submit bids for players in certain rounds without knowledge of what other teams are doing, much like a blind auction, and the highest bid wins. The price that's paid comes in the form of a draft pick next year.
A team that successfully bids on a player in the draft loses that corresponding round's pick in next year's draft. For example, the Cincinnati Bengals gave up their third-round pick in the 2007 NFL Draft after selecting Virginia LB Ahmad Brooks in the third round of the 2006 Supplemental Draft.
Brooks is actually one of the few supplemental picks that's gone on to have a productive NFL career, so it's not unheard of for the team to grab a player in this way.
This year, former Ole Miss Rebels cornerback Tee Shepard is among six players eligible for the draft. Shepard, who has a hearing impairment, left the Rebels team midseason last year, and later alleged that the Rebels coaches cut his playing time unfairly, using his impairment as the reason.
The former four-star recruit was the No. 1 cornerback and No. 18 JUCO overall prospect, according to 247Sports’ Composite Rating. He actually quit football altogether after leaving Ole Miss, but having his name in the draft suggests he's taking one last shot at it in the NFL.
But the one guy the Bengals should be looking hard at is University of Calgary Dinos receiver Rashaun Simonise of Calgary, Alberta (Canada). He's attempting to make the rare jump from a Canadian college to the NFL, but judging by his highlights, he may have the talent to do so:
The problem with most supplemental prospects is that it's hard to know their full background while getting to evaluate them in person.
But, the good news is, Lars Hanson of Rivals.com reports Simonise is holding a pro day prior to the draft.
Former University of Calgary wide receiver Rashaun Simonise, expected to be taken in 2016 Supplemental Draft, will hold pro day July 11 @ UC
— Lars Hanson (@LarsHanson) July 1, 2016
So if the Bengals want, they can go get an up-close look at Simonise and get a lot of the information they'll need when deciding to either spend a pick on him or see if they can wait to try and sign him to a free agent deal once the draft ends.
Whatever happens, any credible pass-catcher is someone the Bengals should at least consider adding to their 90-man roster. If nothing else, perhaps Simonise shows enough promise to earn a spot on the practice squad.
I seriously doubt the Bengals will spend a pick on any supplemental prospect this year, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Simonise draw some interest from the receiver-needy Bengals once the draft ends, if he's still available.
Other prospects eligible for this year's supplemental draft include Virginia Tech long snapper Eddie D’Antuono, Sam Houston State running back Jalen Overstreet, Purdue defensive tackle Ra’Zahn Howard, and Concordia defensive end Cameron Walton.
The Bengals are stacked at running back, defensive tackle and have a good long-snapper. Walton is trying to go straight to the NFL from the JUCO ranks, but his highlights suggest the 220-pound end is not going to get much interest from a 4-3 team like the Bengals.