March 12, 2020   2 MIN READ

Cancellations Complicate Pre-Draft Process

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The NFL offseason has come to a screeching halt.

Like the NBA, NHL, NCAA and virtually every other American sports organization, the NFL — at least most of it — has adjusted to the growing threat posed by the Coronavirus by almost entirely shutting down its vital offseason operations.

As early as Monday of this week, some NFL teams were already pulling coaches away from travel to pro days and advising scouts to drive, not fly, to schools in their regions. By Friday, scores of teams had barred coaches from traveling and scouts from attending pro days.

The NFL cancelled its league meetings. The new league year and free agency, slated to start Monday, could be delayed.

One by one, schools announced cancellations of pro days. The Eagles on Friday announced a near-shut down of operations at NovaCare Complex, including top-30 prospect visits. Other franchises have reacted similarly.

One agent told me he pulled two of his prospects off flights. One longtime AFC scout told me he’d be surprised if all remaining pro days weren’t postponed by Monday.

It’s unclear and unknown how long the freeze on the league’s pre-draft process will last, but for a look inside how the shutdown impacts the pre-draft process, check out this Inside the Birds video from Adam Caplan and me.

Listen to the latest Inside the Birds podcast here:

About The Author

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Geoff Mosher is an award-winning journalist with more than 20 years experience covering the Eagles, the NFL and other college and pro sports across several different multimedia platforms. He is co-host of the acclaimed Inside the Birds podcast, the leading podcast for intel on the Philadelphia Eagles, and co-host on 97.3 ESPN's drive-time show. He has also hosted on Philadelphia's sports-talk station, 94.1 WIP and 97.5 The Fanatic. Geoff was the lead Eagles Insider from 2012-2015 for NBC Sports Philadelphia, where he wrote for the website and appeared daily on the station's TV shows, including Quick Slants, Philly Sports Talk, Eagles Pregame/Postgame Live and Eagles Extra. Prior to joining NBC Sports, Geoff worked the Eagles beat from 2005-2012 for the Wilmington News Journal, where he broke several major news stories and also won an Associated Press Sports Editors award under the category of Breaking News for his coverage of the sudden death of Phillies play by play broadcaster Harry Kalas. Geoff has appeared on ESPN's SportsCenter, NFL Network, NBC Sports Network, FOX29, 6ABC and has conducted interviews for Sirius/XM NFL radio and countless other radio stations across the country.

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