Super Draft May Get More Super

If this "could be" turns into a "will be," I'd argue that by expanding the number of rounds in the draft that they'd actually be making it in some ways "less super."

(although, I'd love to see some 5th and/or 6th round picks turn out to be fine pros and make an impact in MLS, or just perhaps in the reserve league.)

although, expanding the draft does make business sense, as they've got to find and acquire reserve league and/or inexpensive players from somewhere. (personally, I'd rather the academy systems be prepared to step up and fill the spots in the newly expanded rosters, more so than this potential move to rely more upon the SuperDraft pool of players.)

 

I don't see why they need to expand the draft because of the expanded rosters. Teams can identify players and invite them into camp rather than drafting them.I think this is better for player and team. Players can be invited to multiple camps and teams can invite anyone undrafted player they like. No need for 2 extra rounds and stick teams with players they just had to pick and then limited the players options as well.

 

I'd call it more super...so would Jeff Larentowicz, Geoff Cameron and every other later-round success story in the league.

Let's face it, because of foreign acquisitions in attacking positions, and limited GK slots, most of these college draftees are going to find success in MLS as defenders or d-mids.

So much of that is about grit, heart, determination, and playing the ball out of the back on the ground under extreme pressure (something they usually don't face in college, where long ball is too often excused), that I would say other than obvious super-athletes like Wynne or Opara, drafting defensive help can be a crapshoot.

If I were a GM, I would stock up on defenders and d-mid types in the later draft rounds to fill out those extra slots, then pair them with my top academy forwards and a-mids (mostly in their late teens, since they need to mature sooner) for the Reserve League matches.

Use the Reserve League to whittle down the best defender-types of the bunch, and presto you've got yourself a back-up defender or two for your first 18.

That's how to use the late rounds of the draft.

 

to me, "more roster spots" is something that both the players union and the league should each want.

and yes, it is a true "net gain" for the players union, while for the owners have to pay to fund those spots and run the reserve league. but the owners also wanted (and got) more league games (which I am not certain if that is something the players union wanted). there's a lot of compromising and new realities developing for MLS and their players union, so I don't know if we can specifically point to who "gave" what to "get" something else.

but overall, there are a lot of shared goals for both sides, and the unified progress and prospects look good to me.

 

I went back to the 2000 draft and found that both the Crew and DC United passed on selecting someone in the 6th round. So teams don't have to draft someone if they don't want to. To me, it doesn't matter if a player is selected in a draft or makes it through a tryout but it's probably nice for a guy to tell his kids that he was drafted by MLS.

 

if it were me, I'd rather tell my kids that I made my way up through an MLS team's academy system.

(and yes, I realize the SuperDraft can throw and cover a wider net over this huge geographic market much better than the current, or any potential, MLS academy system can.)

 

For training camps, you can have both your academy prospects, if you have them (many teams don't, and you don't make a mediocre prospect into a good one by signing him) and extra draft picks.

I mean, in the NBA, they only have ~13 roster spots, about 8-10 of which are pretty much set, and yet they start the season in the summer league with like 25 guys. That means, effectively, you're talking around 12 people competing for 3 spots.

 

Isn't this, essentially, the return of the Supplemental Draft that was dropped after rosters were slimmed when they shut down the Reserve League?

Notable signings from the prior Supplemental Drafts:
Jason Hernandez (6th pick in 2005)
Dan Kennedy (38th pick in 2005)
Chris Wondolowski (41st pick in 2005)
Dan Gargan (43rd pick in 2005)
Jeff Larentowicz (45th pick in 2005)
Andy Gruenebaum (3rd pick in 2006)
Jordan Harvey (9th pick in 2006)
Devon McTavish (43rd pick in 2006)
Aaron Hohlbien (3rd pick in 2007)
Kosuke Kimura (35th pick in 2007)
Kyle Reynish (43rd pick in 2007)
Danleigh Borman (7th pick in 2008)
Kheli Dube (8th pick in 2008)
Chris Tierney (13th pick in 2008)

 

I might want to tell my kids that I earned a college degree, which is something I'd also want for them. There are viable life reasons to go to college, and if you could still turn pro, it's not an inconceivable choice.

Soccer-only, you're right. Thinking more broadly, maybe not.

 

I don't know if your idea is right or wrong, but just to play Devil's Advocate, if I were a GM, I'd want to "lock in" a kid with a draft pick. If I understand correctly, once a kid is drafted, that team owns his rights for a couple of years - if he decides to test waters overseas, then comes back.

Also, for team that have strong benches, if they have those draft picks but don't have any need for them, they can trade those to other teams for future picks or allocation money in the future.

 

yeah, but you and your kids couldn't even make the cut at an MLS academy program, so your take is biased.

whereas me and my offspring are incredible players and have no problem getting into and rising up through an MLS academy program.

absolutely. but it should be hypothetically noted that I'd still get my college degree (and would want my kids to get one, as well) after our professional playing days are over (and if we can't go straight into a lucrative coaching/commentating career). (college will always be there, and I'm sure plenty of NCAA football teams will be looking for place-kickers with professional soccer experience.)

I completely understand the historical and present US cultural and socio-economic emphasis on the benefits of a college degree.

but I don't necessarily think the business of MLS on-the-field matters should be all that reliant upon the higher-educated sample of players.

 

that would indeed seem to be the case.

 

This comment really made my morning. Well played.