The NFL sent a memo to all 32 teams Friday prohibiting the hosting of draft prospects and stopping all travel by club personnel to college campuses.
The decision was made after the league consulted with Dr. Allen Sills, their chief medical officer, and medical experts regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The start of the league year remains scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday and the draft is still April 23-25.
Each team is usually allowed 30 pre-draft visits. Prospects can’t be put through an on-field workout, but can have a physical examination and also meet with team officials. (Any on-field workout by a prospect must occur on his college campus.)
A source said the Broncos had not used any of their slots yet, but had two scheduled for next week that have been cancelled and the two scouts who were on the road earlier this week have returned to their homes. On Thursday, the Broncos gave employees the option of working from home.
In the memo, the league said teams are permitted to conduct prospect interviews via telephone or video conference until April 22. The call can’t last longer than an hour and all communications must be reported to the league’s player personnel department.
Not having any pre-draft visits could have an impact on the Broncos.
Coach Vic Fangio elected not to bring his assistant coaches to Indianapolis for last month’s scouting combine, feeling their time could be better utilized watching college game video at the team’s Englewood headquarters.
The thinking was the assistant coaches would get one-on-one time with the prospects during their visits to Denver.
Asked last month how the Broncos use the pre-draft visits, Fangio said: “It kind of depends on the player’s background. Are there some issues that we need to get resolved from a mental standpoint or emotional or maybe (from) a troubled past?”
Fangio said some players have an X-and-O discussion with their coordinator or position coach.
“We’ll maybe try and teach them some things and see how well they understand it,” Fangio said. “If there are issues, once you (talk about) all that stuff, you just talk football with them and how literate they are with that talk.”
Also in Friday’s memo, the league office said it is working with the competition and general manager advisory committees to discuss a procedure for distributing medical information for draft prospects.
