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NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy just confirmed on a conference call that the league will have the ability to pause the draft at any point if a team or trade call experiences technical issues.
— Chris Burke (@ChrisBurkeNFL) April 17, 2020
The NFL is finishing up its preparations for the 2020 NFL Draft, having to adjust this year’s event to a virtual format in response to the novel coronavirus and travel restrictions enacted because of it.
Per a report from The Athletic’s Chris Burke, one of those changes includes an ability by the league office to pause the running clock on selections should a team experience technical difficulties. It’s easy to envision a scenario where one team’s general manager is teleconferencing with a rival executive, hammering out the details of a trade — only for the call to be dropped unexpectedly. So the NFL is doing the fair thing and making time for everyone to wrap up their business.
How could this impact the New Orleans Saints? Saints coach Sean Payton is one of the most aggressive shot-callers in the NFL, especially on draft day, having made a trade up the board in each draft he’s conducted since his first year on the job (way back in 2006). While his personal war room is set up for success, he’s probably as grateful as anyone else around the league that the NFL won’t penalize him for possible technical issues.
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