Tone deaf as it might be, the NFL Draft will go on as scheduled.
That’s hardly a surprise, as Roger Goodell has not shied away from keeping the league’s offseason calendar untouched, beginning with an on-time start for free agency. A memo also was sent to teams last week indicating that the draft would continue as originally planned for April 23-25.
Obviously though, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic complicates things, so this year’s draft is going to be virtual according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. That means teams can’t be at their facilities for the draft.
“Goodell had acknowledged there would have to be significant changes and told teams to prepare to conduct the draft outside team facilities and with a limited number of people. …
“General managers had expressed concern that in this current environment, with offseason activities canceled and some teams’ facilities closed, there won’t be enough time for player physicals, gathering psychological testing and getting further verified information about the players, sources told ESPN.”
The coronavirus outbreak has forced people around the world to adjust their lives, and the NFL, in some respects at least, is no different.
