Despite concerns from GMs, the NFL will barrel ahead with its draft as scheduled. The draft will take place from April 23-25. More particulars of this year’s unusual selection event emerged Tuesday.
- While NFL staffs are currently operating remotely, teams will be permitted to assemble modified war rooms during the draft. Teams can have up to 10 staffers in their respective war rooms, but they must follow the social distancing guidelines that have been recommended nationwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. The staffers must stay six feet apart, NFL executive Peter O’Reilly notes (via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero, on Twitter). This will be a significant adjustment for teams, but a draft taking place without a main-stage component will certainly overshadow it.
- Another change the NFL is considering: expanding the time teams will have to make picks. The competition committee will debate giving teams a one-time-only option to extend their clock by one or two minutes, Pelissero tweets. This is in response to GMs who voiced concerns about completing trades under this unusual format. Normally, teams have 10 minutes to make their first-round pick; those numbers steadily decrease throughout the weekend. This could be a way of throwing GMs a bone. After all, the NFL disregarded front office staffers’ concerns and has threatened to punish those who speak out against the league’s plan.
- National Football Scouting, which works the Combine for the league, has instituted a voluntary medical recheck process, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports (on Twitter). Teams can no longer visit with prospects, work them out or attend pro days before the 2020 draft. While a recheck process would provide additional clarity for teams regarding prospects with medical issues, La Canfora notes it has placed additional pressure on players. Not voluntarily submitting to a recheck would naturally arise suspicion.
- The NFL has implemented new rules regarding virtual communication. It will allow teams to speak with more prospects leading up to the draft.
The draft is one of my favorite events of the entire year. It’s gonna suck it’s gonna be so screwed up, but I also think ppl need some type of distraction from everything going on.
“After all, the NFL disregarded front office staffers’ concerns and has threatened to punish those who speak out against the league’s plan.”
This pretty much tells me everything I need to know about the NFL “leadership.”
I would just love to see Goodell try to punish FO people who express disapproval with his plans. If he want’s a public backlash that bad he could just bring Kaepernick back into the league.
War room with up to 10 people but must maintain social distancing… they gonna meet out on the field? I don’t think the NFL has ever looked at war rooms
Giving more time on the clock for each pick isn’t a bad idea. I think the number of viewers will be much higher this year – there’s simply nothing else sports-wise going on except historical replays.
I dunno if it’s just my local provider, but I really get annoyed when the listing for the classic games being aired (football and baseball) mention who is playing, when the game was originally played… and the final score.
Hub,
I’m getting the same. Let’s me chose If I wanna watch or not. Rather know then not know so I don’t waste my time. Lots of other stuff to catch up with what’s going on.
For me, if I know in advance who won (and often why… “A two homer game from xxx propelled the Dodgers to victory”), there’s zero reason to watch. I make the assumption that, of all the games the networks must have in their “back catalog,” anything they pick to replay will be for a reason. Just seems unlikely to me that a network would reshow a 49-3 football game or the like…
Anyone else catch McShay outing some club on ESPN get up? Maybe the NFL doesn’t know about a team renting the entire 3rd floor of a hotel right now…. Like dude, now they know. Now they will investigate.
Bet it’s the Patriots. Bunch of cheaters.
Lol for some reason I think it’s the Raiders. They are at the Venetian or Wynn or Mandalay Bay with a whole floor suite setup.