Cleveland cuts air travel as NFL nixes all pre-draft visits
The Browns and the NFL continued Friday to ramp up the precautionary measures they’re taking because of the coronavirus pandemic.
In a prepared statement attributed to a Browns spokesperson, the team announced it eliminated air travel for scouts and coaches. The statement came a day after the Browns said they had reduced air travel for scouts and coaches in the buildup to the NFL Draft, which is scheduled, at least for now, to be held April 23-25 in Las Vegas.
The Browns also announced Friday they’re keeping most of their employees away from team headquarters in Berea.
“We have directed the majority of our employees to work from home or remotely in an effort to help limit person-to-person contact,” the statement read.
Later Friday, the NFL shut down all in-person pre-draft visits involving prospects until further notice.
It’s common practice for NFL scouts and coaches to travel frequently during the pre-draft process. Attending the pro days and private workouts of prospects at college campuses throughout the country is part of the routine.
But concerns over the coronavirus have changed the way NFL teams are conducting business. Many are taking the same steps the Browns announced Friday. Pro days will likely be canceled or postponed anyway.
An NFL spokesman said Thursday the league had no plans to alter the start of free agency, which is slated to begin at 4 p.m. Wednesday. The negotiating period for teams and the representatives of soon-to-be unrestricted free agents is set to open at noon Monday.
Free agents and draft prospects often visit NFL teams this time of year. Although digital communications could be used to replace face-to-face meetings, a free agent’s contract cannot be finalized without the player passing a physical.
Whether the Browns will still open their doors to host free agents “remains fluid,” Peter John-Baptiste, the team’s senior vice president of communications, said Friday.
The Browns no longer have a choice to make regarding draft prospects visiting.
In a memo posted on social media by NFL Network, the league informed teams Friday that prospects are not permitted to meet with club personnel at team facilities or other locations.
The memo states teams are allowed to conduct interviews with prospects via phone or video conference through the day before the draft. Clubs can schedule no more than three interviews via phone or video conference with an individual prospect per week, and each conversation can last no longer than one hour.
The Browns are scheduled to begin their voluntary offseason workout program under first-year head coach Kevin Stefanski on April 6 in Berea, but those plans obviously could be in jeopardy, too.
The NFL announced Thursday it canceled owners meetings that had been scheduled for March 29-April 1 in Palm Beach, Florida. The league stated it plans to rely on its May 19-20 owners meetings in Marina del Rey, Calif., to make decisions on potential rule changes and other business matters.
In the meantime, the Browns said they will continue to monitor and discuss matters related to the coronavirus with the leadership of University Hospitals and the Ohio Department of Health.