Major leagues, minor leagues and a slew of NCAA schools have begun to either cancel or suspend major events due to the coronavirus, but the NFL has yet to make any formal announcements as it relates to possible changes to the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft. While the league's front office mulls what to do in that regard, they have made the decision to require the majority of their staff begin working from home and their follow-up decision indicates more big changes could be on the way to the offseason calendar.
The NFL Annual Meeting was originally set for March 29 through April 1, but that is no longer the case. It's now been canceled outright, the league has formally announced.
Per the NFL front office:
"NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell notified clubs today that after careful consideration and consultation with medical experts, the NFL's Annual Meeting scheduled for March 29 - April 1 has been canceled.
"There will be full consideration and votes on any open football issues, including playing rules, bylaws, and resolutions, as well as other business matters that were on the agenda for the Annual Meeting, at the Spring Meeting scheduled for May 19-20. Most of the first day will be dedicated to football-related issues. Head coaches and general managers will participate in the meeting.
"This decision was made consistent with the league's primary concern to protect the health of club and league employees and the public while enabling the league to continue with its essential business operations.
"We will continue to closely monitor developments, consult with leading experts, and be prepared to make any changes necessary as circumstances warrant."
In the meantime, there is much to be decided going into the draft.
There has not been a mandate issued by the league to teams regarding how they should handle pre-draft visits and travel, but several teams have already taken the proactive step of recalling their scouts and canceling official 30 visits, which is just as well as this point when considering agents have begun to advise prospects against traveling to visit teams. The same issue applies as NFL free agency readies to fire up on March 18 (with the league tampering period starting two days prior), with teams and players working to figure out how to structure visits in a manner that is most safe.
That is, of course, if free agents decide to risk their health by taking flights to make their rounds. With such an unprecedented time in sports, everything remains fluent, and changes can and likely will happen at a moment's notice.
