NFL Moving Draft to May Next Year

[Jooser]

Goodell: Keeping draft in April would require looking for other venues

Posted by Josh Alper on May 21, 2013, 5:32 PM EDT
AP
At a press conference to wrap up the league meetings in Boston, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said that the league saw “no choice” but moving next year’s draft to May because of a conflict with Radio City Music Hall.

Goodell said that a choice would be made soon about whether to hold the draft from May 8-10 or May 15-17 in New York. The change has been forced by a conflict with another event at the venue and Goodell said that there’s been no determination about when the event would be held beyond 2014. Because the conflicts with the spring event at Radio City will recur, the Commissioner also said that the draft could move if the decision was made to move things back to April in future years.

“Beyond that, if we want to move the draft back into April, we’ll have to look at other alternatives,” Goodell said.

Goodell also said that other proposed changes to the offseason schedule, including moving the start of the league year ahead of the combine were still being discussed with the NFLPA. Goodell said that he believed that such alterations would be a “good change for fans and for football” and that the league would continue working toward an agreement on a new calendar for February, March, April and May.

[Jooser]

Looks like we'll be bored a few extra weeks next year.....waaa, waaa

[flippy]

I'd love to see them move the draft each year and award it to different cities. It's kinda like a mini SuperBowl for some of us.

[DukieBoy]

Wondering if it is simply about money.

[Jooser]

How will this effect draft strategies as well as free agency? Plus, teams will have less time with their draft picks to get them moved to their new home and conduct OTA's.

[phillyesq]

Selfishly, I'm quite pleased. The draft always seems to fall on my birthday, and while I'm fortunate to have family and friends that want to spend time on me, I'd prefer to stay at home like a recluse during the draft. Now, I'll be able to do that.

[Ghost]

Goodell can't tell the truth to save his life. This has nothing to do with Radio City Music Hall. He's acting as if there isn't a single venue in all of NYC. Madison Garden would love to have it. Move it to the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Or strong arm RCMH - I guarantee the NFL has the power and clout to get any place they want, any time they want. A quick threat to move the whole draft to a new city and the Mayor of NYC and possibly NY Governor step in and make it happen. This is just another money grab to have NFL events every month of the year. An already insanely over-hyped process now has an extra month to drag on. Sucks.

[BradshawsHairdresser]

This is just another money grab to have NFL events every month of the year. An already insanely over-hyped process now has an extra month to drag on. Sucks.

Exactly my sentiments.

[Djfan]

Exactly my sentiments.

Me too. Everytime this clown opens his mouth you have to wonder what he is not saying.

This issue gets a big yawn from me. Do it on the fourth of July for all I care. Just be honest about it. And why are the wed to NYC? I get that the NFL is there, but spread the wealth around Roggie!

[Sugar]

Me too. Everytime this clown opens his mouth you have to wonder what he is not saying.

This issue gets a big yawn from me. Do it on the fourth of July for all I care. Just be honest about it. And why are the wed to NYC? I get that the NFL is there, but spread the wealth around Roggie!

Perhaps they should do it in LA? They don't have an NFL team, so it would be a neutral site.

[SteelerOfDeVille]

probably IS about money like some of you say... But, OTAs and rookie camps already happen in May, so the calendar is kinda full already...

In my mind, i'm HOPING it turns out to be better for some of the draft picks... basically pushing everything back just a week (or three) and maybe there will be fewer kids who are impacted by finals...

[Slapstick]

probably IS about money like some of you say... But, OTAs and rookie camps already happen in May, so the calendar is kinda full already...

In my mind, i'm HOPING it turns out to be better for some of the draft picks... basically pushing everything back just a week (or three) and maybe there will be fewer kids who are impacted by finals...

We would have guys like Wheaton (this year) and Adams (last year) available for OTAs...

[RuthlessBurgher]

I think they are moving the draft 2 weeks later now (from the last weekend in April to mid-May) in anticipation of going back to the good ol' "safety first" Goodell 18 game plan in the future (there's the predictable money grab!). If they add 2 games to the season, that could push the Super Bowl from the first Sunday in February to Presidents' Day weekend (at least that would give most of us the Monday off following Super Bowl Sunday, though).

[thor75]

I think they are moving the draft 2 weeks later now (from the last weekend in April to mid-May) in anticipation of going back to the good ol' "safety first" Goodell 18 game plan in the future (there's the predictable money grab!). If they add 2 games to the season, that could push the Super Bowl from the first Sunday in February to Presidents' Day weekend (at least that would give most of us the Monday off following Super Bowl Sunday, though).

I heard this same thing being discussed on the radio (mike n mike maybe). Sounds very plausible. They also said the 18 game season would bring the players a bigger payday because they're being paid for 18 instead of 16. Not sure how that works on a set contract amount, but maybe they were talking about future deals.