The outbreak of the coronavirus has halted a lot of things in their tracks. That includes sports as the NBA and the NHL have suspended their seasons. The XFL followed suit, as the NCAA cancelled the March Madness tournaments and the MLB is delaying the start of their season.
It's a different situation for the NFL though because they are already in their offseason. So this situation not might change things as drastically for them as it is for other leagues.
However, with free agency and the NFL Draft both around the corner, some precautions do need to be taken.
And according to Albert Breer, the NFL has sent out a memo prohibiting teams from visiting with draft prospects.
The NFL sent a memo out to teams prohibiting them, for the time being, from visiting draft prospects or having them to their facilities. So no more Pro Days.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 13, 2020
Here’s the NFL memo that just went out prohibiting all visits. pic.twitter.com/cZ2QB7hqgW
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 13, 2020
This will certainly put a wrench in the plans of quite a few teams. It's definitely a necessary precaution though.
Basically, teams can not travel to visit players, and players can not travel to visit teams. They are trying to keep everyone as safe as possible by keeping travel and in-person contact as low as possible.
Phone and video conferences are still allowed, but they have some rules as well. Teams can conduct no more three conferences with any player per week. And those conferences can not last longer than an hour each. Finally, the conferences can not interfere with the player's academic schedule.
That last one might not be a problem at all. A lot of schools are closing down or at least suspending classes for the time. So teams might not have to worry too much about figuring out a time to meet with players. They might have more time on their hands than usual.
This shouldn't hurt teams too much when it comes to the draft. Yes, they don't get those in-person one-on-ones with the players. But they still can conduct interviews over the phone or a video conference.
So it's essentially the same thing. You could argue a few nuances will be hurt by that. But relatively speaking, teams will be able to figure it all out.
This likely won't change anything when it comes to the top picks. A lot of those picks are already locked in basically. Or, at least, the teams have a shortened list.
If anything, it could have a much larger impact on the later rounds. Teams will not have had as much of a chance to get to know the players. We'll have to see how long this ban lasts.
Will teams have a chance to meet with players before the draft? Or will this even spill over into the draft and change the way that is done?
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