1984 NFL supplemental draft of USFL and CFL players

Background

On June 5, 1984, the National Football League held a draft for college seniors who had already signed with either the USFL or the CFL in an attempt to head off a bidding war in its own ranks for USFL and CFL players. The 28 NFL teams chose 84 players from 224 available during the three-round selection meeting. The draft was for players who would have been eligible for the regular 1984 NFL draft in early May, but had already signed a contract with a USFL or CFL team.

The draft was implemented primarily with the fledgling USFL in mind. The owners did not want to risk potentially "wasting" picks in the regular draft on players who were already signed by another league, but also wanted to ensure there would not be a large influx of free agent talent in case the new league suddenly collapsed. The CFL, being a much more established circuit with strict limits on the number of American players on each team, was not as much of a concern, but was included to shield the NFL from potential antitrust litigation that might have arisen had the league targeted a specific rival with a supplemental draft. Of the 84 players selected, only eight were from the CFL, with 76 from the USFL.

While the Los Angeles Express were a modest 8-7 at the time of the draft, their roster was laden with talent. Future Hall of Famers Steve Young and Gary Zimmerman headlined a group of twenty Express players selected in the draft, including four of the first six selections and eleven in the opening round. (The eventual '84 USFL champs from Philadelphia were second with nine picks; no CFL team had more than two.)

Only one trade involving supplemental draft picks was consummated, as the Cleveland Browns acquired all three of the Chicago Bears' supplemental picks in exchange for the Browns' selections in the final four rounds of the regular 1984 draft. As a result, Cleveland made six selections in this draft (including Pro Bowlers Kevin Mack and Gerald McNeil, both with picks that originally belonged to Chicago) while the Bears made none. The other 26 teams made three selections each.

Player selections

First round

{|class="wikitable sortable sortable" style="width: 100%" !style="background:#A8BDEC;" width=7%|Pick # !!width=25% style="background:#A8BDEC;"|NFL team !!width=15% style="background:#A8BDEC;"|Player !!width=7% style="background:#A8BDEC;"|Position !!width=20% style="background:#A8BDEC;"|Pro Team !!width=20% style="background:#A8BDEC;"|College

Second round

Third round

Selections by teams

Hall of Famers

• Steve Young, quarterback from the USFL, taken first overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. :Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 2005

• Gary Zimmerman, offensive tackle from the USFL, taken third overall by the New York Giants. :Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 2008

• Reggie White, defensive end from the USFL, taken fourth overall by the Philadelphia Eagles. :Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 2006

References

• 1984 NFL Supplemental Draft of USFL and CFL Players
• profootballhof.com

References

1. (June 5, 1984). "NFL will draft 'untouchables'". Eugene Register-Guard.
2. (June 6, 1984). "NFL expresses definite interest in USFL players". Reading Eagle.
3. (June 5, 1983). "Oilers take Rozier in supplemental draft". Pittsburgh Press.
4. (June 6, 1984). "NFL Supplemental Draft". Spokesman-Review.
5. (June 5, 1984). "Football: USFL standings". Pittsburgh Press.
6. Players are identified as a Pro Bowler if they were selected for the Pro-Bowl at any time in their career.