NFL Supplemental Draft 2015 scheduled for Thursday, July 9

The 2015 NFL Supplemental Draft, which is basically the biggest event of the summer dead zone, is almost here! The event takes place next week on Thursday, July 9 at 1 PM ET.

OK, so this obviously isn't something you should get really excited about. The event is not televised and the results won't be announced until shortly after the draft takes place. But since it's a slow time in the league, we'll talk about it anyway Here's everything you need to know.

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 2016 draft pick in the round that they offered to select the new player.

Players

A total of seven players are eligible to be drafted. Any players not selected will be free to sign with any NFL team as an undrafted free agent. Ben Natan will have a more in-depth look at these players next week.

Clemson offensive tackle Isaiah Battle
West Georgia defensive tackle Dalvon Stuckey
West Georgia defensive end Darrius Caldwell
Houston defensive end Eric Eiland
Connecticut tight end Sean McQuillan
Kansas defensive back Kevin Short
North Carolina Central wide receiver Adrian Wilkins

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 was 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?

There's no indication of the Eagles being interested in any of the prospects. The only player expected to be draft is Clemson offensive lineman Isaiah Battle. One NFL reporter suggests he could be a mid-round pick. The Eagles could certainly use more offensive line depth, so it's hard to completely rule them out, but we'll see.

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 a "leap of faith" for an organization to invest a draft pick on a troubled player. With Chip Kelly's high emphasis on culture, the Eagles might skip participating in this event yet again.