ON SECOND THOUGHT IN NFL'S SALARY-CAP ERA, DAY 2 OF DRAFT IS CRUCIAL.

Byline: Matthew Kredell Staff Writer

They are the picks without fanfare.

Madison Square Garden turns from rowdy to relaxed, leaving staunch fans unmotivated to bemoan their team's selections.

The ESPN television coverage goes from five minutes of video clips, discussions and interviews to a few basic lines of description and stats. Even Mel Kiper doesn't have anything to say about some of them.

Yet, these second-day NFL Draft selections in rounds four to seven will decide who wins future Super Bowls.

Don't let all the hoopla of Saturday's draft coverage fool you. In the salary-cap era, football games are won on Sundays.

``In terms of balancing the salary cap, it is essential that you hit on Day 2,'' said Philadelphia Eagles president Joe Banner. ``If you want to be able to keep a lot of veterans, you need that balance. If you have all free agents and high draft picks, you're going to be in big cap trouble.''

No, the second day of the draft isn't just about filling out the special teams anymore.

For a couple of years after the salary cap was instituted in 1994, teams deferred salaries and tried to win right away. Those deferred salaries piled up, and the aftermath was that teams could no longer fill all their holes through free agency.

NFL general managers were forced to find starters who would contribute for a small salary and alleviate cap woes. Late-round draft picks and undrafted free-agent pickups were the answer.

``Anytime you hit on a lower-level free agency or the draft, it allows you to keep salaries in check,'' San Diego Chargers general manager A.J. Smith said.

``Their salaries are low, which helps you pay the superstars more money. It's the structure we all work under.''

The New England Patriots won their second Super Bowl in three years last season with a sixth-rounder starting at quarterback (Tom Brady), a seventh-rounder starting at receiver (David Givens), a fifth-round rookie starting at center (Dan Koppen) and a fourth-round rookie contributing on both lines (Dan Klecko).

Their Super Bowl opponent, the Carolina Panthers, relied offensively on former fourth-round pick Stephen Davis and undrafted free-agent quarterback Jake Delhomme.

``What we have stressed is no secret,'' Panthers general manager Marty Hurney said.

``We need to get core players out of the draft every year. So we have to draft well, and drafting well means not just on the first day but the second day. Obviously, the best market value bargains come on the second day. ... The second day is just as important as the first day.''

Part of the reason the Eagles could afford to give big money to Terrell Owens was the six undrafted free agents who made last year's team and contributed to Philadelphia's run to the NFC Championship game.

Philadelphia also started fourth-round pick Mark Simoneau and fifth- rounder Dahni Jones at linebacker.

``I think people learned to take the second day seriously instead of considering them throw-in picks,'' Banner said. ``It's a great place to find players that can make a real difference. It's also a great way for scouts to make an impression, to find a couple of late-round or undrafted players. It establishes credibility as a scout.''

Finding contributing players in the second half of the draft is necessary for salary-cap help. But there are also those hidden gems that can turn a franchise around.

Some more recent second-day steals, along with Brady and Davis, include former Denver running back Terrell Davis (sixth round, 1995), Miami linebacker Zack Thomas (fifth round, 1996), New Orleans receiver Joe Horn (fifth round, 1996) and quarterback Aaron Brooks (fourth round, 1999), St. Louis quarterback Marc Bulger (sixth round, 2000), Green Bay defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila (fifth round, 2000) Kansas City kick returner Dante Hall (fifth round, 2000) and Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck (seventh round, 2001).

Twelve of the 32 quarterbacks scheduled to start on opening day were selected after the third round, if at all.

The two running backs taken in the first round last season - Kansas City's Larry Johnson and Buffalo's Willis McGahee - will begin their second seasons on the bench.

Three fourth-round running backs from 2003 - Houston's Dominick Davis, Minnesota's Onterrio Smith and Cleveland's Lee Suggs - could be starters.

``For the fourth round all the way through undrafted free agents, the number of Pro Bowl players is only a bit less than the first three rounds of the draft,'' Banner said.

``It may seem like it thins out a lot after Day 1, but a lot of players are going to do well. You just have to find them.''

The most amazing statistic for teams to think about Sunday is that six of the past nine Super Bowl MVPs were drafted the second day or not at all.

``The first day is glamour,'' Smith said.

``That's why it's (such a big deal) on television. Coming out of college, they are your megastars. But that sixth-rounder could go to the Pro Bowl in three or four years.''

Or, as Brady can attest, that sixth-rounder could be Super Bowl MVP.

Matthew Kredell, [phone]

matthew.kredell(at)dailynews.com

SUPER BOWL SLEEPERS

Six of the past nine Super Bowl MVPs were either selected on the second day of the NFL Draft or not at all. Here's a look:

Tom Brady

New England

MVP: 2003, 2001

ROUND DRAFTED: Sixth, 2000

Dexter Jackson

Tampa Bay

MVP: 2002

ROUND DRAFTED: Fourth, 1999

Kurt Warner

St. Louis

MVP: 1999

ROUND DRAFTED: Undrafted

Terrell Davis

Denver

MVP: 1997

ROUND DRAFTED: Sixth, 1995

Larry Brown

Dallas

MVP: 1995

ROUND DRAFTED: 12th*, 1991

*- The draft was reduced to seven rounds in 1994

CAPTION(S):

7 photos, 2 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- color) Tom Brady has gone from being a sixth-round pick in 2000 to a two-time Super Bowl MVP with New England.

Dave Martin/Associated Press

(2 -- color) Tom Brady

(3 -- color) Dexter Jackson

(4 -- color) Kurt Warner

(5 -- color) Terrell Davis

(6 -- color) Larry Brown

(7) Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells, left, and owner Jerry Jones discussed possible picks during the NFL Draft last year. Like many teams, the Cowboys are searching for that diamond in the rough.

James Smith/Associated Press

Box:

(1) NFL DRAFT

(2) SUPER BOWL SLEEPERS (see text)