Report: NFL zeros in on draft structure

As the NFL maintains its plan to hold the draft April 23-25, the originally scheduled dates, the league reportedly issued a memo Thursday outlining two options it is considering as to how teams would participate in the event. According to a report by NFL.com, a league memo sent to all clubs said the league is considering either allowing each club to work out of its own facility (subject to medical approval) or to work remotely, but only at a private residence and while adhering to limits on the number of team personnel gathering in one spot.

The NFL last week shut down all club facilities for at least two weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic. While the league has scrapped plans to hold the draft along the Las Vegas Strip because of the COVID-19 outbreak, it has remained steadfast in holding the draft on its scheduled dates. Multiple reports have suggested the draft could end up being held in a way akin to the way the league conducted the event into the mid-1980s, with teams calling in their picks rather than the televised spectacle it has become.

Under Option 1, according to the memo obtained by NFL.com, teams would be allowed to conduct draft operations out of team facilities, "subject to mandatory health and safety guidelines issued by Dr. (Allen) Sills, which will include limitations on the number of permitted club personnel at the facility and rigorous cleaning requirements." Earlier Thursday, Sills, the league's chief medical officer, spoke with NFL.com and stated numerous hurdles remain before the league would be able to reopen in time to conduct a full regular season without pushing back any game dates.

Under the second option, team personnel would spend the draft working in "personal residences, with a clear prohibition on any number of club personnel gathering in one residence," according to the report. "The NFL will decide on (1) or (2) above based on several factors, most notably guidance from Dr. Sills, the CDC and the impact of any shelter in place or similar executive orders that are imposed in club jurisdictions," the memo went on to explain.

If the second option is chosen, per the memo, "then no club will be permitted to operate from any club facility or off-site location (other than a private residence and adhering to the guidelines)." On Wednesday, the New Orleans Saints announced plans to turn the Dixie Brewing Company into their draft night war room. The bar is owned by the Benson family, which also owns the Saints.

A total of six or seven people, including team scouting personnel, head coach Sean Payton and general manager Mickey Loomis, would be at the brewery. Payton tested positive for COVID-19 on March 19, but he announced on March 26 that he was symptom-free. --Field Level Media

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