By Tim Graham
This is the slowest week for sports all year. The days before and after baseball's All-Star Game are the only two out of 365 when at least one big-league game doesn't take place. College sports are done.
So an event like Thursday's NFL supplemental draft probably is getting more attention than it should.
While former Baylor receiver Josh Gordon has generated some interest -- the Buffalo Bills were among 21 clubs to observe his workout Tuesday in Houston -- the supplemental draft will be rather dull Thursday. It won't be on television. It's done through computers.
So to give some perspective on what the supplemental draft usually produces, let's review those who've been selected in the AFC East. Rather than just remind everyone who the Bills have taken, I want to share who the Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and New York Jets have drafted for context.
I have removed 1984 supplemental draft picks because that class was an anomaly. It featured USFL and CFL players, not college kids.
Buffalo Bills
1989: fourth round, defensive tackle Brett Young (zero games).
1979: sixth round, running back Rod Stewart (zero games).
Miami Dolphins
2005: fifth round, tackle Manuel Wright (nine games).
New England Patriots
2000: fourth round, defensive back J'Juan Cherry (zero games).
1981: 11th round, receiver Chy Davidson (four games).
New York Jets
1990: first round, receiver Rob Moore (153 games).
So that's six supplemental draft picks from the AFC East, and only three of them saw the field. One played double-digit games. Moore was terrific, a Pro Bowler once for the Jets and again with the Arizona Cardinals. He had 628 catches, scored 49 touchdowns and led the NFL in receiving yards in 1997.
In case you were wondering, the 12 AFC East players taken in the 1984 USFL/CFL supplemental draft combined to play 216 NFL games, and all of them belonged to two players.
Bills defensive back Dwight Drane played 82 games. The Patriots selected receiver Ricky Sanders, but he never played for them. He got in 134 games with the Washington Redskins and Atlanta Falcons.
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