The NFL draft is being evicted from its spring headquarters for a slightly more popular tenant:
The Easter Bunny.
The 2014 NFL draft may be forced to move to May, according to multiple reports, because of a conflict Radio City Music Hall has on the last weekend in April. With Easter falling on that same weekend, the venue -- which is the annual host to the NFL draft - already has booked Easter shows.
The league has not yet confirmed the move of the draft dates next year.
The conflict may actually work in the NFL's favor, USA Today reported, because it has been attempting to push back its offseason schedule. The league has authority to hold the draft at any time without having to get permission from the NFL Players Association, CBSSports.com says, but it does require NFLPA approval to move back the start of free agency.
ESPN is reporting that the NFL and the players' association are close to an agreement that would push back the draft to May for the next three years and move up the official start of the league year to before the scouting combine in February.
The move would allow free agents a chance to sign with new teams sooner in the new year.
The new league year would start before the combine in 2015 and 2016, a source told ESPN. This year's scouting combine took place from Feb. 20-26. The 2013 league year began on March 12.
According to CBSSports.com, however, not everyone is in line with the projected shift in dates. Moving the calendar back would put it out of sync with the annual college football schedule, alter days for pro days on campuses and add to a pre-draft evaluation process that is fairly comprehensive.
"The colleges are (annoyed) at us enough already," a team executive told CBSSports. "I'm reading all of this stuff about moving the combine and moving the league year, and I don't see how it will all work. But the league hasn't told us any specifics yet."
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
