When you're drafted or when you're signed?

[Oszuscik]

Maybe you guys can help me with something I've been wrestling with... When players are drafted in today's NFL, it's immediately "Travis Hunter is a Jaguar!" or "Abdul Carter is a Giant!" But, historically, it wasn't always a forgone conclusion that a draft pick would sign with a team. You had the AFL and the USFL poaching players, and then of course there's always examples of players who just didn't want to go to a team. Was Bruce Clark ever a Packer? Was Bo Jackson ever a Buccaneer?

So, historically, when determining the date that a team acquired a player, do you think it's more accurate to consider the date the player was DRAFTED as when he joined the team, or the date he officially SIGNED with the team? Take Peyton Manning. Did he become a Colt on 4/18/1998 when he was drafted, or when it was made official by signing his contract on 7/28/1998?

Maybe a matter of symantics but something I haven't been able to settle on.

[TodMaher]

Maybe you guys can help me with something I've been wrestling with... When players are drafted in today's NFL, it's immediately "Travis Hunter is a Jaguar!" or "Abdul Carter is a Giant!" But, historically, it wasn't always a forgone conclusion that a draft pick would sign with a team. You had the AFL and the USFL poaching players, and then of course there's always examples of players who just didn't want to go to a team. Was Bruce Clark ever a Packer? Was Bo Jackson ever a Buccaneer?

So, historically, when determining the date that a team acquired a player, do you think it's more accurate to consider the date the player was DRAFTED as when he joined the team, or the date he officially SIGNED with the team? Take Peyton Manning. Did he become a Colt on 4/18/1998 when he was drafted, or when it was made official by signing his contract on 7/28/1998?

Maybe a matter of symantics but something I haven't been able to settle on.

That's something you see on Wikipedia posted by people who's knowledge of professional sports only goes back to beginning of the internet - which was when that last person was drafted by an NFL team did not sign. He was Eli Herring by the Raiders in 1995. He declined play on Sundays for religious reasons.
In my book, you're not on a team until you've signed a contract.

[JohnTurney]

That's something you see on Wikipedia posted by people who's knowledge of professional sports only goes back to beginning of the internet - which was when that last person was drafted by an NFL team did not sign. He was Eli Herring by the Raiders in 1995. He declined play on Sundays for religious reasons.
In my book, you're not on a team until you've signed a contract.

Herring wrote teams to say he was not going to play pro ball. Raiders thought they could change his mind.

Also, agree, seems like contract is the way to be on a team ... drafted and not player, does not seem to make it.

[Throwin_Samoan]

Your rights go to that team immediately until and unless you are released, so that's another way to look at it.

You're not anything else once you're drafted. You're that team's property - from an NFL personnel/rights perspective - whether you sign or not.

[Oszuscik]

Your rights go to that team immediately until and unless you are released, so that's another way to look at it.

You're not anything else once you're drafted. You're that team's property - from an NFL personnel/rights perspective - whether you sign or not.

Tod and John's replies had me sold, but this is a great counterpoint.