Despite Objections, NFL Draft Proceeding As Planned

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has told NFL teams that the league will be moving forward with the NFL Draft on April 23-25, amid the coronavirus pandemic. The virus has seemed to shut down nearly every sporting even worldwide, but the NFL commissioner says the draft can continue with no large gatherings, thus preventing a further spread of the virus. The draft was originally scheduled to take place in Las Vegas.
Goodell wants teams to know he’s already made his decision, and any backlash from teams may result in disciplinary action.
“Clubs have already reached out to us to discuss particular issues, and we encourage clubs with questions or concerns to continue to raise them with me, members of the CEC, or our staff,” Goodell said. “The CEC was also clear, and I share the Committee’s view, that public discussion of issues relating to the Draft serves no useful purpose and is grounds for disciplinary action.”
The general manager of the New Orleans Saints, Mickey Loomis, said “I’d be personally in favor of delaying the draft so that we could get some of the work done that our scouts and personnel people ordinarily do. And then just the logistics of trying to conduct the draft with not having access to your draft rooms and your offices creates a lot of logistic problems,”
John Elway, the Denver Broncos’ team president, also said, “Our scouts haven’t been here, and they’ve been off the road, so there’s a lot of information on the college side that we have not been getting.
“For the most part, the staff on the pro side has been in the office, and so we’re able to start this free-agent period, and we’re excited about where we sit right now having it started a couple weeks ago and to be where we are right now, we’re excited about it.
Goodell is taking some precautions, however, as he told all 32 teams to close their facilities on Wednesday. Essential workers are allowed to continue working.
Pessimistic View
Kirk Herbstreit went on ESPN Radio to give his take on the coronavirus. He said he would be “shocked” if the NFL and NCAA did not postpone their seasons due to the CVOID-19 outbreak. Herbstreit’s statements rattled football fans across the country, as fans are dying for any kind of sports action.
Experts say a postponement will likely happen considering how bad the pandemic is. Early predictions say the duration of this pandemic could last well into football season, if not much longer.
Herbstreit said on ESPN Radio, “I’ll be shocked if we have NFL football this fall, if we have college football. I’ll be so surprised if that happens. Just because from what I understand, people that I listen to, you’re 12 to 18 months from a (coronavirus) vaccine. I don’t know how you let these guys go into locker rooms and let stadiums be filled up and how you can play ball. I just don’t know how you can do it with the optics of it.”
Hall of Fame running back Terrell Davis is doing all he can to help those impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak. Davis donated $400,000 worth of products from his performance beverage company to Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Detroit.
When asked about what he thinks the NFL should do about the upcoming draft, Davis said, “I think they should push it back, at least for a month.”