NFL Supplemental Draft 2014 set for Thursday, July 10th

The Eagles have made very few moves since May's NFL Draft but that could change in July. The annual NFL supplemental draft is set to take place on Thursday, July 10 at 1 PM EST. The event is not televised. The results will be announced shortly after the draft takes place.

Rules

The supplemental draft process features all 32 teams with the organizations bidding for the players in the order of this year's NFL Draft. The teams can offer picks in any round and the squad with the highest bid will claim the player. However, due to the bid, the awarded team will have to forfeit their 2015 draft pick in the round that they offered to select the new player.

Players

There are a total of 4 players eligible to be drafted. Any players not selected will be free to sign with any NFL team as an undrafted free agent.

KR Chase Clayton (New Mexico)
LB Darius Lipford (UNC)
DT Lakendrick Ross (Va.-Lynchburg)
RB Traylon Shead (SMU)

History

While the supplemental draft is considered a minor event for the NFL, there is a history of gems being taken during the selection process. Despite his off-the-field issues, 2012 supplemental draft pick Josh Gordon has been a Pro Bowl talent for the Browns. San Francisco linebacker Ahmad Brooks has also reached the Pro Bowl and he was selected with a third round pick in 2006 by Cincinnati. Former Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar also had a successful career after being selected in the 1985 supplemental draft.

Believe or not, Philadelphia owns the distinction of having selected the only Hall of Fame player taken in a supplemental draft. The team offered a fourth round pick for Ohio State wide receiver Cris Carter in 1987. The Eagles also selected running back Charles Crawford in 1986 with the use of a seventh round pick.

Will the Eagles draft a player?

First, take this note from ESPN Insider Adam Caplan (who is typically plugged in to the Eagles):

"Teams I've spoken with so far do not have a draftable grade on any of the players for the supplemental draft, which is scheduled for Friday."

Despite this, the Eagles have reportedly shown interest in one prospect by the name of Lakendrick Ross. Ross is a 6-4, 366 lb defensive lineman from the Virginia University of Lynchburg. The Eagles were one of 12 twelve teams that attended Ross's pro day.

The supplemental draft typically features players with off-the-field issues, who have been dismissed or suspended by their college programs. Sometimes the reward can outweigh the risk, but in some cases it's an extreme "leap of faith" for an organization to invest a draft pick on a troubled player. With the way Chip Kelly and Howie Roseman have run the Eagles over the last year, it's hard to see them taking a major risk on a worrisome talent.