DRAFT HEADED FOR DALLAS IN APRIL 2018
YORK» The NFL draft NEW is headed for Dallas.
Well, for AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, which the Cowboys call home. It’s the first time the draft will happen in an NFL stadium.
The Cowboys will host the 2018 draft from April 28-30. Virtually every NFL city, plus the Pro Football Hall of Fame site in Canton, Ohio, has expressed interest in holding the draft now that the league moves it around.
After decades in New York, the draft was moved to Chicago in 2015 and was held there again in 2016. It drew huge crowds, whetting the NFL’s appetite for taking bids to host it.
Last year, the draft was in Philadelphia at the iconic Art Museum steps. It drew 250,000 fans for the first draft held outdoors.
NFL receives B in diversity study.
FLA.» During a time in which player activism in the NFL has become a polarizing issue, the league continues to receive high grades for racial hiring practices in a diversity report that also finds that gender hiring has slightly dipped.
The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport released its annual racial and gender report card Wednesday, giving the NFL its eighth straight A for its racial hiring — primarily on the strength of incremental increases in coaches and general managers of color. The league received just a C for gender hiring, and an overall B grade for race and gender hiring.
Goodell: National anthem policy will stay.
YORK» The NFL is NEW not changing its national anthem policy to require players to stand during the national anthem.
Commissioner Roger Goodell and several owners said at the league’s fall meetings that altering the language from “should stand” to “must stand” was not discussed.
Goodell reiterated that the league and its 32 clubs “believe everyone should stand for the national anthem. It’s an important part of the game.”
Kizer to start again.
CLEVELAND» After a week watching, Browns rookie DeShone Kizer is starting again.
The second-round pick will start Sunday against Tennessee.
The Browns demoted an ineffective Kizer last week in favor of Kevin Hogan, who had provided a spark in previous relief appearances but threw three interceptions in a 33-17 loss to the Texans. Kizer had thrown an NFL-high nine interceptions — four in the red zone — in his first five games, and coach Hue Jackson wanted him to spend a week on the sideline.
Footnotes.
Colts quarterback Andrew Luck will not practice this week after developing soreness in his throwing shoulder. … Defensive end Cliff Avril is expected to be placed on injured reserve by the Seahawks as he continues to deal with a neck injury. … Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette sat out practice Wednesday while recovering from a sprained right ankle.