a kind of strange question

Butters1075 · Joined: 12 Jan 2005 Posts: 294 Location: Wilmington, NC

What would happen if a player refused to sign with the team that drafted him? For instance, if I were drafted by Arizona, and I decided I didn't want to play on their team. Do the teams have anything such as trading rights to a player they draft, before they are signed? I'm just curious
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BigRich3113 · Joined: 24 Feb 2005 Posts: 1861

Yes they have trading rights to the player and can trade him, BUT if they don't trade them then the player has to wait until next year to sign with another team.

boltfan · Joined: 20 Jan 2005 Posts: 1879

The team has full rights to a player they draft for 1 year. If that player is not signed or traded, they re-enter the draft the following year. It was widely talked about here in San Diego because of the Elaine Manning situation last year.

seminoles1 · Joined: 10 Jan 2005 Posts: 31652

Didn't that happen to Bo Jackson back in the day?

TD-ES-JJ · Joined: 25 Feb 2005 Posts: 1458

That was the case with John Elway. He refused to sign with the team that drafted him (the Colts I think) and was eventually traded before he signed a contract to Denver. Whatever the Colts received certainly wasn't enough considering what Elway went on to do for the Broncos.