Washington General Manager Bruce Allen says the NFL’s decision to move the draft into May was not what the majority of teams wanted.
“I think as an organization, most of the organizations in the NFL, I don’t think, wanted the draft moved back,” Allen told the Washington Post.
The NFL’s official reason for moving the draft back was that there was a conflict with Radio City Music Hall, although there’s a lot of talk that the league office likes the later date and will consider keeping it in May going forward. Allen said that as it turned out, however, there were advantages to getting more work done before the draft.
“But when you have a new head coach and can have that extra [pre-draft] minicamp, I think [it’s] very valuable for us. . . . I don’t know if it’s gonna change our draft board at all. But it’ll be a good, eye-opening experience for everyone,” Allen said.
Whether NFL teams see moving the draft as a good thing or a bad thing, NFL fans seem to be overwhelmingly opposed to having the draft in May. Yet the league might keep the draft in May anyway.