NFL cancels all pre-draft travel due to coronavirus. Free-agent visits allowed--for now
The NFL is going to do its draft preparation the way the rest of the real world is forced to do business right now.
Remotely.
In its ongoing response to our society’s attempt to contain the COVID-19 pandemic through social distancing, and to make pre-draft competitiveness equal, the league on Friday sent a memorandum to the Seahawks and its 31 other teams prohibiting all pre-draft travel.
Scouts, coaches, all team personnel are prohibited from flying to campuses or any other locations for pro days or to meet with prospects. Prospects are also prohibited from flying to any team’s headquarters for pre-draft visits. Each team usually gets to host 30 players before each draft.
The memo specifies to teams they can have telephone or video conferences with prospects. All those telephonic interactions must be reported to the league, and there can be no more than three of them per week. The maximum length of any such telephone of video conference with a draft prospect is one hour.
“We have not taken this step lightly but believe that it is most consistent with protecting the health of our club personnel, draft eligible players, and the public,” the memo states, as reported by NBC Sports.
“It also has the ancillary benefit of ensuring competitive equity.”
Left unspecified by the league, at least so far: free-agent visits.
For now, the market is set to open as scheduled on Wednesday—though NBC’s Pro Football Talk has reported “the NFL currently is contemplating the possibility of announcing on Sunday a delay in the start of free agency.”
Sunday is a day after the all votes are due from players on the owners’ proposed collective bargaining agreement.
Monday, unrestricted free agents are scheduled begin contact with other teams in a two-day negotiating window before free agency and the league year begin at 1 p.m. Wednesday.
The Seahawks reportedly have had plans to host on free-agent visits former Browns and Raiders defensive back T.J. Carrie, who has played multiple positions in the secondary, and Washington tight end Jordan Reed.
Any player flying to Seattle, the national epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak right now, must REALLY be interested in the Seahawks.
The Browns are among the teams who have stated their are cautiously proceeding with free-agent visits in what they call a “fluid” situation. Some around the league believe the league should cancel free-agent visits, too.
Coach Pete Carroll particularly has used pre-draft and particularly free-agent visits to show off the Seahawks’ opulent team facility along the shore of Lake Washington—and to give the prospect a taste of his players’-first, basketball-hoop-in-the-meeting room environment with the team.
The draft is April 23-25. It is in Las Vegas, for the first time. It’s for now scheduled to be a grand spectacle, as is typical for Vegas events. The league has been planning to have the main stage of the draft amid the fountains and man-made lagoon in front of the Bellagio Hotel and Casino along the Las Vegas Strip. Players drafted are to get to a red carpet stage via boat. The draft’s main stage is to be at the Ceasars Palace Forum.
We are six weeks away from that. We can only hope either the virus—or the NFL’s currently inappropriate excess—is better contained by then.
This story was originally published March 13, 2020 at 1:13 PM with the headline "NFL cancels all pre-draft travel due to coronavirus. Free-agent visits allowed--for now."
