No basement blues: Roger Goodell on hand for draft in Cleveland

Roger Goodell’s leaving his man cave for this year’s NFL draft. The Commissioner missed welcoming new players last year — and being booed.

“He’s excited to get out of the basement,” joked league executive Peter O’Reilly.

A year after a three-day stop in Las Vegas was scrapped and one of its signature events had to go virtual because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the league announced Monday initial plans for this year’s draft in Cleveland, where thousands of fans will be safely welcomed in a step toward normalcy.

Goodell hosted last year’s draft from home, but he’ll be on hand for this year’s event, which will incorporate all the health and safety protocols learned by the league over the past year as well as the city’s best known locations along Lake Erie — FirstEnergy Stadium, home of the Browns, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Before announcing picks, one of Goodell’s duties on the first night is to open the draft, a moment followed by a chorus of loud, playful boos.

This year, they’ll be music to his ears. The NFL feels confident it can hold a large-scale event after a successful run at this year’s Super Bowl in Tampa, Florida. And, given the events of the past year, the league feels this draft can have an even deeper meaning than just teams picking new players.

“The draft is every year about hope. It’s about fans having hope with new players, clubs having hope,” said O’Reilly, Vice President, Club Business & League Events. “The weather turning in parts of the country to spring, and the hope that comes with that.

“But this year, probably more than ever, is about coming together and signaling a brighter future and communities being able to come together safely with the right protocols and pointing to what’s ahead.”

With health and safety guidelines changing almost daily, the league does not yet have an “exact” figure of how many fans will be allowed to attend the free, outdoor festivities associated with this year’s draft, which coincides with the Browns’ 75th anniversary season.

AP-Charlie Riedel, File NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will announce the names of this year’s rookie draft class within shouting distance of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The league announced some its plans for this year’s event in Cleveland, which will include some of the prospects being in person after last year’s draft in Las Vegas was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.