1999 NFL expansion draft

Format

Each of the 30 existing teams were required to expose five players to the draft. Cleveland was allowed to select between 30 and 42 players. No more than two players could be drafted from a single team; after drafting one player from a team, that team had the option to remove up to two of the remaining four players from the draft pool.

Reception

Three years later The New York Times said that the Houston Texans would use the 1999 draft as an example of what not to do in the 2002 NFL expansion draft: "The Browns went for the usual mix of promising young players and veterans who were not over the hill. Apparently, Cleveland did not draft much of either. Only three of the 37 players the Browns took are still with the team and they all play on special teams." The team had the opportunity to draft quarterback Kurt Warner, that 1999 season's eventual NFL MVP and Super Bowl champion, but declined to do so. However, prior to the 1999 season Warner had not yet started an NFL game and only had four completions in 11 passing attempts in the league.

Player selections

References

References

1. Pennington, Bill. (January 16, 1999). "N.F.L. Roundup—Expansion Draft; 130 Veteran Faces For the Browns". [[The New York Times]].
2. "1999 Cleveland Expansion Draft".
3. "Kurt Warner Player Profile on NFL.com".
4. Pennington, Bill. (January 23, 2002). "Pro Football; N.F.L. Expansion Draft: Big Names on the List". New York Times.