Goodell on Thursday reaffirmed the Draft will happen as scheduled from April 23-25GETTY IMAGES
One of the only American businesses that “isn't getting hammered by the domino effect triggered by the coronavirus” is the NFL, and while the league has had to navigate its own issues, the “contemporary big picture [shows] the country is reeling and the NFL is steamrolling,” according to Brian Smith of the HOUSTON CHRONICLE. With team facilities now “mostly shut down, daily business can be conducted with social distance-friendly computers and phones.” As long as human lives “aren’t being negatively affected, the NFL theoretically can go on as-is for months.” It has been argued that the NFL “looks cold and clueless ... from a PR standpoint,” but “during a time of nothing, the NFL is giving us something” (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 3/26).
NO REASON RIGHT NOW TO MOVE DRAFT: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Thursday reaffirmed that the Draft will begin as scheduled on April 23, and ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the NFL "doesn't see a reason to change" because health experts are not sure if the conditions around the coronavirus pandemic would be "worse two weeks later, four weeks later." The league is "being very patient" about the Draft's status, as it "wants to see where this country is on April 8 and beyond before it makes a final decision” (“SportsCenter,” ESPN, 3/25). Schefter did reiterate that some GMs do want to "move it to a later date to have more time to go through this process." ESPN’s Dianna Russini: “You talk to a lot of organizations right now and they just feel like they have no direction because they’re not able to talk to any of their guys, be face-to-face and even meet with these potential draft picks. A lot still up in the air” (“NFL Live,” ESPN, 3/25). However, NBCSN's Mike Florio said, "The NFL is hell bent on going forward with the Draft, as hell bent as it was on going ahead with free agency." NBCSN’s Chris Simms: “I don’t think we’re going to hear anybody in New England complain. I bet you they’re ready. Baltimore, Seattle ... they’re always prepared” ("PFT," NBCSN, 3/26).
JUST USING THIS AS AN EXCUSE? FS1’s Jason Whitlock said many GMs and other execs are "making the biggest decisions of their lives ... and their careers are on the line when they do blow these picks." Whitlock: "They want to be able to sit down face-to-face and interview these guys in as much detail as possible." But FS1’s Marcellus Wiley said coronavirus did not interrupt the NFL Draft process, it "just interrupted GMs second- and third-guessing themselves through this process.” FS1’s Mark Schlereth: "This is nothing more than an excuse not to do your work." He added this is “nothing more than quantifying your opinion as a general manager or a scout so you don’t have to take any responsibility for drafting garbage” (“Speak for Yourself,” FS1, 3/25). ESPN's Tony Kornheiser said, "Watch the tape. Do your job. Make the pick. ... This will weed out the stupider general managers" ("PTI," ESPN, 3/25).
