Buftex Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 (edited) I am guessing that there are a few factors involved in this strategy, little of it having to do with football... I am not sure, but might they want to move the draft back a month to avoid conflict with student graduations? I don't understand all the nuances, but I believe there have been draft and NCAA conflicts over when a college player can officially participate in NFL functions. In recent years (and I don't recall this being an issue before) there have been numerous draft picks and un-signed college free agents who have been unable to participate in rookie "mini-camps" until their academic semester is officially over. So, you had rookie post-draft mini-camps, where high profile draft picks were unable to participate. Also, while May and July are lull months for the NFL, April is pretty busy with NBA and NHL playoffs in full swing....that is 32 pro sports teams taking attention away from the NHL in early April...move it to May, and you have fewer NBA and NHL teams involved in playoff races, so fewer eyeballs diverted from, lets' face it, has become a couch potatoes holiday, in the NFL draft. For me, it doesn't matter so much when the draft is (April or May, though I prefer April)...when they moved the first round of the draft to Thursday nights, the amount of time I have spent watching draft coverage has dissipated significantly. The first day of the draft (when it was on Saturday) used to be a big event...it was the first sort of off-season event that the Bills Backers group that I watch games with would meet, after the completion of the previous years regular season. Now, we don't really meet...Thursday nights killed it for most of us...I still pay attention to the draft, but I don't sit in front of the tv for hours listening to the endless speculation... I am more content to just tune in every two hours or so, and get a re-cap of what I "missed". Having the first round on seprate night (a work night, no less) and then the 2nd and 3rd rounds on Friday was deal breaker for me...and I will be damned if I am sitting around on Saturday to watch the late rounds....for me, anyways, the NFL had me with the draft, but they lost me... Edited May 21, 2013 by Buftex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LynchMob23 Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 One of the reasons NFL network mentioned was Radio City being reserved for an Easter show spectacular that weekend in 2014...Goodell even mentioned "being bumped by Easter Bunny" prior to draft apparently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbb Posted May 21, 2013 Author Share Posted May 21, 2013 It was like pulling my finger nails out waiting for the draft in late-April. Then again, if we somehow make the playoffs, we likely won't start talking draft in early December Same here...........Actually some years, we're talking about it in October! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumbalaya Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 I don't get the point of this. It seems to take forever to get here, as it is, and this gives less time for rookie OTAs, etc.: http://espn.go.com/n...g-draft-sources It seems like forever because our off season starts as soon as we are eliminated from the playoffs usually by week 8. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbb Posted May 21, 2013 Author Share Posted May 21, 2013 Haha - we were making the same point at the same time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajzepp Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 I don't get the point of this. It seems to take forever to get here, as it is, and this gives less time for rookie OTAs, etc.: http://espn.go.com/n...g-draft-sources On the Rich Eisen podcast a few weeks ago they were talking about how the NFL is interested in having more "regional combines" prior to the draft, and how that was one of the biggest factors in potentially moving the draft. Don't remember much of the details, but they did spend a fair bit of time talking about it. I'm with you, though...April never comes fast enough once the season ends...waiting another month is going to suck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo Barbarian Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 I don't get the point of this. It seems to take forever to get here, as it is, and this gives less time for rookie OTAs, etc.: http://espn.go.com/n...g-draft-sources I agree, draft should be in February and then start spring league with farm club for each team :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nucci Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 More info http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/05/20/2014-draft-would-start-may-15/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chandler#81 Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 Now we have to go through five additional Mock Drafts from the clowns in ESPN and NFL network. And be even more criticized because we didn't take THEIR guy with the pick.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.Biscuit97 Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 Seriously, the NFL keeps ruining things. The draft weekend used to be my one of my favorite sports' weekends of the year. I'd go away and have an excuse to drink and eat all day while watching the draft. They killed that. Now they are going to move it to May, when the NBA and NHL playoffs are going on? Goodell needs to stop screwing with everything. Trying to "fix" the NFL is like telling Adrienna Lima she needs to lose 10 lbs. So stupid and greedy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nucci Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 Seriously, the NFL keeps ruining things. The draft weekend used to be my one of my favorite sports' weekends of the year. I'd go away and have an excuse to drink and eat all day while watching the draft. They killed that. Now they are going to move it to May, when the NBA and NHL playoffs are going on? Goodell needs to stop screwing with everything. Trying to "fix" the NFL is like telling Adrienna Lima she needs to lose 10 lbs. So stupid and greedy. He said Radio City is not available late April next year. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000204701/article/nfl-union-working-on-deal-to-move-2014-draft-to-may Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Jose Bills Fan Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 He said Radio City is not available late April next year. http://www.nfl.com/n...14-draft-to-may Rightly or wrongly I call BS on this. The draft has been held there since 2006 and I'm sure the NFL pays top dollar for this venue. I don't trust this story. In my mind, Goodell is using this as another excuse to move his agenda forward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nucci Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 Rightly or wrongly I call BS on this. The draft has been held there since 2006 and I'm sure the NFL pays top dollar for this venue. I don't trust this story. In my mind, Goodell is using this as another excuse to move his agenda forward. Agree, plus it's the first of many steps to get to an 18 game season, I believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbb Posted May 21, 2013 Author Share Posted May 21, 2013 Agree, plus it's the first of many steps to get to an 18 game season, I believe. How so? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chandler#81 Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 Agree, plus it's the first of many steps to get to an 18 game season, I believe. So we gotta draft ANOTHER great young QB prospect next year? Teams may just need 3 quality starters to play 21 games, including the SB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Vader Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 Also, while May and July are lull months for the NFL, April is pretty busy with NBA and NHL playoffs in full swing....that is 32 pro sports teams taking attention away from the NHL in early April...move it to May, and you have fewer NBA and NHL teams involved in playoff races, so fewer eyeballs diverted from, lets' face it, has become a couch potatoes holiday, in the NFL draft. Ever since the NFL went to the 3 day format, the ratings for the draft have gotten bigger, so they are doing better while going up against the NBA & NHL playoffs and the start of the MLB season. Moving the draft to May won't hurt it's ratings even when the NBA & NHL playoffs get more intense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
26CornerBlitz Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 http://www.awfulannouncing.com/2013/may/nfl-to-move-draft-to-may.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LynchMob23 Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 Keep in mind Goodell is an employee (and shield) for the owners. So if the owners really want to stretch this out, he's just doing his job and taking the heat for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papazoid Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 The quid pro quo apparently will come from the movement of the start of the league year (and in turn the launch of free agency) from after the Scouting Combine to before it. While at first blush this suggests the new league year will land in February, the more likely outcome is that the Scouting Combine will happen in March. Regardless of the precise dates for the Scouting Combine, the change means that the Combine no longer would be the league’s annual tampering swap meet. The market already would be open, and agents would be trying to do deals with teams instead of merely laying the foundation for those deals in a way that violates NFL rules. The league had wanted to move the Combine to March, to delay the launch of free agency to April, and to nudge the draft to May. The NFLPA wisely balked, since it would delay the transfer of offseason funds from teams to players. http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/05/20/offseason-overhaul-close-to-happening/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoSaint Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 One of the reasons NFL network mentioned was Radio City being reserved for an Easter show spectacular that weekend in 2014...Goodell even mentioned "being bumped by Easter Bunny" prior to draft apparently. Odd how its not been an issue in the past but will be for all future April schedules according to his statement today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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