One of the major effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on preparations for the 2021 NFL season has to do with the scouting combine. The format has changed, as all in-person workouts will occur at college pro days instead of at the combine. Psychological testing and interviews will take place virtually, and there will be limits on in-person medical examinations. This is a major change from the usual week-long combine that takes place in February. USC and South Carolina held their pro days on March 24, and all 32 NFL teams had representatives at both events. One of the big winners was South Carolina’s Jaycee Horn, a cornerback who posted a 4.39 40-yard dash time, a 41.5-inch vertical jump, an 11-foot, 1-inch broad jump and 19 reps with the bench press. These numbers should move him up most draft boards.
Take a look at other news items related to the pandemic that could influence your online betting against their NFL odds.
NFL News: March 25 COVID-19 Report
Cleveland will host the 2021 NFL draft
The 86th NFL draft will take place in several venues through downtown Cleveland between April 29 and May 1. The venues include FirstEnergy Stadium, home of the Browns, the Great Lakes Science Center and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. There will be COVID-19 restrictions in place, but some of the select prospects will be allowed to come on the stage in person, and commissioner Roger Goodell will be present to welcome players, but at a distance. Other draft choices will take part remotely. Fans will be able to attend, but they will have to follow social distancing and wear face coverings. The league will erect a stage near Lake Erie to function as a main hub for the draft, with several unnamed musical acts set to perform. Last year’s draft averaged 8.4 million viewers over three days, a record, with the first round averaging 15.6 million viewers, so this is a highly anticipated event. The draft will also serve as a way for the NFL to promote vaccination against COVID-19. At this writing, more than 13 percent of Americans have received full vaccination.
NFL punishes Saints for COVID-19 violations
Both the New Orleans Saints and the Las Vegas Raiders took punishment from the NFL because of violations of COVID-19 protocols, but it sounded like the penalties would only be financial, as NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy had told Pro Football Talk that neither team would lose draft picks.
However, that has changed, as the NFL has announced a $700,000 fine for the violations — and the loss of a sixth-round draft choice in 2022. It could be that McCarthy was only referring to the 2021 draft, but that remains to be clarified. It will be interesting to see if the Raiders (who have been fined a reported $800,000) will also lose a draft choice, either in 2021 or 2022. Teams such as the Baltimore Ravens and the Tennessee Titans, whose case spread caused significant changes to the league schedule that put other teams, especially the Pittsburgh Steelers (who lost their bye week) at a competitive disadvantage.
The issue with the Saints dealt with at least one celebration that took place without masks, along with tailback Alvin Kamara socializing in a public setting near others without wearing a mask.
Off-season workout negotiations underway
The league and the NFLPA are working towards an agreement toward the parameters for off-season workouts. Owners are projected to approve a 17-game regular season, decreasing preseason to three games. Union president J.C. Tretter said back in December that offseason should be virtual permanently due to wear and tear on players. If owners also want in-person workouts, though, the union will ask for daily COVID-19 testing, which could prove a sticking point as owners will argue that most players will have received vaccination by then. In 2020, the NFL spent over $100 million on COVID-19 protocols, with a big stack of that money going to daily testing. It will be interesting to see how these talks work out.
