First off, I’d like to give a round of applause to the NFL, league executives and everyone else (even commissioner Roger Goodell, I guess) who played a role in a successful 2020 NFL Draft.
I’ll admit I wasn’t sure how it would play out, and I think it’s an understatement to say it went better than many thought. It was a breath of fresh air to see Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores and so many others drafting with their kids. And I was among the many who thought Bill Belichick’s dog, Nike, sitting inside his war room was incredible content.
It showed it could be done, both in terms of the draft itself and the pre-draft process that goes into it. It seems many NFL executives have taken note of that as there are even discussions about said executives perhaps tweaking organizational practices. I think that says a lot about the 2020 product, and the impact it could have on many — coaches, scouts, team personnel, etc. — going forward.
San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch is someone who already has spoken up about possibly making pre-draft changes. He followed Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn, who said much of the same.
“Listen, you guys know how important my family is to me. You guys saw my kids on TV all weekend,” Quinn said after the draft, as transcribed by MichiganLive’s Benjamin Raven. “I thought that was cool for them, but it’s hard. It’s hard being a coach in this league; it’s hard being a scout in this league; it’s hard being a GM in this league when you’re away all the time or in the office all the time. If we can figure out a better work-life balance for the months of February, March and April — I’m all for it.”
Lynch, speaking with NFL Network’s Andrew Siciliano, agreed.
“… But moving forward to be certain, we’re going to allow coaches to go home for two weeks and say, ‘By the end of these two weeks we to expect you to have your stacks, have your rankings.’ It was such a good part of the part the process. We are going to incorporate that. And I’m right there with Bob (Quinn).”
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Now, obviously, nobody is hoping the virtual draft will become the new normal. We’re certainly hoping sports, and the world itself, is able to return to normalcy as soon as possible. But those messages depict how NFL organizations are happy with not only the product shown to the public, but their staff’s work (scouting, virtual pre-draft interviews, etc.) behind the scenes.
Making what was implemented because it was the only way to go about things, the new normal? Who could’ve seen that coming?
One way or the other, it’s a pretty neat thought.
Here are some other random thoughts from the day in sports.
— It seems the virtual draft is gaining some steam.
The 2020 Major League Baseball Draft, while still scheduled for June 10, could be on its way to a virtual reality as well, according the MLB Network’s Jon Heyman. The WNBA, as you may know, had a virtual draft prior to that of the NFL.
The good news is, if MLB does decide to go that route, it’ll give us some sports to look forward to. Well, that and the fact the league continues to be “cautiously optimistic” the season will start in June.
— Nike was back in the news Tuesday.
No, not that Nike, but Nike the dog of New England Patriots head coach Belichick. As you may have heard, the Alaskan Klee Kai made an appearance during the NFL Draft on Friday night, which caused quite the reaction from the social media world.
Well, Belichick’s girlfriend, Linda Holliday, spoke about Nike’s debut to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and simply noted how the two-year-old Alaskan Klee Kai was “just waiting patiently for the word to be able to take his treats.”
A #PatsDraft ?
Meet Nike, BB's show-stealing dog: https://t.co/x0Ps96OpRd
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) April 25, 2020
Good boy, Nike.
— Cam Newton to the Patriots?
While some analysts (like Ryan Clark) may think it makes since, and others (like Chris Simms) think the rumor is “stupid,” I’m going to throw my hat in the ring as someone who can’t see it happening, either.
Both The Athletic’s Jeff Howe and NFL Media’s Mike Giardi, each of whom are intertwined in the Route 1 rumors, have said it’s not gaining any steam, and those are informed opinions I’d pay attention to if I were a Patriots fan.
Tweet of the Day
Jameis Winston officially signed a one-year deal with the New Orleans Saints on Tuesday. And it seems Winston is excited about who he’ll be teaming up with.
“Being a part of (the) New Orleans Saints, with Drew Brees, Taysom Hill, Sean Payton … when you think about that room, that’s like a Harvard education at quarterback school,” Winston said on Instagram Live, as transcribed by The Athletic’s Greg Auman.
Jameis Winston on Instagram live video earlier: "Being a part of (the) New Orleans Saints, with Drew Brees, Taysom Hill, Sean Payton, coach Joe Lombardi, coach Pete Carmichael Jr., when you think about that room, that's like a Harvard education at quarterback school."
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) April 28, 2020
Video of the Day
The Boston Red Sox tweeted out a video showcasing some Eduardo Rodriguez stats, and we figured you (like us) miss baseball. So, with that being said, let’s all remember the pitcher’s dominant 2019 campaign.
Missing Eddie, so here's a reminder of his 2019 season: pic.twitter.com/y8H8n3gVOY
— Red Sox (@RedSox) April 29, 2020
Stat of the Day
In the aftermath of many NFL analysts blasting the Green Bay Packers for how they didn’t help quarterback Aaron Rodgers with their weekend selections, one stat released showed it isn’t a one-time thing.
Aaron Rodgers has thrown just one touchdown to a first-round pick in his entire career, according to a stat displayed on ESPN’s “SportsCenter” and elsewhere Tuesday. Notably, Peyton Manning threw 293 touchdowns to first-round picks while ex-Patriots quarterback Tom Brady also finds himself in the top 10 having thrown 105 touchdowns to first-round picks.
From @SportsCenter today: pic.twitter.com/PmAayf6WAF
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) April 28, 2020
That’s something else.
