CLEVELAND, Ohio – Cleveland is still fully available to host the NFL Draft from April 29 to May 1, despite restrictions on COVID-19, league spokesman Brian McCarthy told cleveland.com on Friday.
The league sent NFL Events officials to Cleveland this week to work on logistics and finalize plans with host David Gilbert, president and CEO of the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission.
“The expectation is that we will be at the site in Cleveland and we are working on the details,” said McCarthy. “Can we have fans? Where would they go? Can we have potential projects? Local media? All of these items are under consideration and plans are in progress. ”
Of course, the NFL is prepared to pivot if necessary, but it hopes to broadcast live to the world of Cleveland during those three days. The event will be held in conjunction with the Browns, who are celebrating their 75th anniversary.
“We have several plans for all of our events and games from last year, but the expectation is that we will have the draft in Cleveland,” said McCarthy. “At the moment, we are looking at different scenarios. ”
McCarthy noted that the NFL is working closely with the Host Committee, the CDC, city and state officials, NFL medical staff and others to ensure that the draft can be conducted safely for everyone in the midst of the pandemic. Events are tentatively scheduled for locations around FirstEnergy Stadium and North Coast Harbor.
He added that the league will incorporate what it learned from the 2020 season and Super LV in Tampa last month, where 25,000 fans were allowed to watch the game and thousands participated in events in and around the city.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine is also in the process of easing coronavirus-related restrictions in the coming weeks, meaning that more fans may be allowed to attend until then.
He announced during a coronavirus briefing on February 25 that indoor entertainment venues will be able to reopen at 25% capacity, while outdoor events, including Indian games and other sports, will have 30% capacity. According to him, mandatory masks and social distance will be a condition for reopening.
“There is no reason for these events not to occur, as long as they follow security protocols,” he said.
When Cleveland was first awarded the draft in 2019, Gilbert hoped to possibly exceed the 100,000 fans who visited Nashville every day for the 2019 event. This is impossible now, but officials still believe that a smaller event will be of great benefit. for the city and for the decaying businesses of the city center.
The 2020 project, originally scheduled for Las Vegas, was conducted entirely due to the pandemic. Vegas is now scheduled to host the event in 2022, but the league hopes to keep its date in Cleveland.
He also informed clubs in a memo on Friday that they can conduct the selection meeting in their recruiting rooms this year after doing this from home in 2020, which means fans will not see Bill Belichick’s dog sitting on his computer again, unless he brings the dog to work.
Club officers must wear masks and distance themselves physically, regardless of vaccination status. Eating and drinking will be prohibited inside the drawing room, and cameras will be installed close to the GM and the technician.
Clubs must submit a draft of the room plan to the NFL Medical Director, Dr. Allen Sills, by March 26, with detailed plans for location, layout, number of individuals and entry / exit.
Teams can also use external third-party facilities, but the rules above still apply. In that case, teams must also submit plans to be reviewed and approved by NFL Information & Technology and NFL Security.
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