Some Internet hack has banged out for SportingNews.com an item that explores the question of whether the Miami Dolphins might choose not to choose a player when their ten-minute allotment during round one of the draft expires.

There’s nothing in the rules that prevents a team from intentionally allowing the time to expire.  In such a case, the next team up can submit its pick, and so on.  The team that passed has the ability at any time, however, to submit its card with the name of a guy who has not yet been taken.

In recent years, there have been two incidents when time expired.  In 2002, the Cowboys ran out of time as they tried to trade down a couple of spots with the Chiefs, so that the Chiefs could select defensive tackle Ryan Sims.  The Vikings, who coveted Sims, didn’t realize that the window was open to snag him.  So the trade went through and the Chiefs got Sims.

The next year, the Vikings were trying to trade down with either the Jaguars (who were next up) or the Ravens (who were three spots behind Minnesota); both wanted quarterback Byron Leftwich.  Time ran out on the Vikes, and the Jags grabbed Leftwich.  Then the Panthers took tackle Jordan Gross before the Vikings could submit the name of defensive tackle Kevin Williams.

In the end, the back-to-back gaffes worked out well for the Vikings.  Sims ended up being a bust, and if they’d taken him in 2002 they likely wouldn’t have targeted Williams, who has become a Pro Bowler.  Also, McKinnie is an above-average left tackle.  Leftwich is unemployed.

Anyway, what were we talking about?  Oh, yeah — the Fins could opt to intentionally allow the clock to run out in the hopes of taking a guy a few spots lower and paying him less than he’d get if his name were the first one called.

Surely, such a maneuver would trigger a storm of controversy, and it likely would result in the adoption of a “use it or lose it” rule for future drafts.  But it also would bring the forefront the problem of unproven players taken at the top of the draft getting so much money despite the fact that they’ve done nothing to earn it.

Anyway, the column is right here.