NFL to conduct 'fully virtual' draft, closes team facilities indefinitely

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Commissioner Roger Goodell told teams Monday to prepare for a "fully virtual" 2020 draft and announced that team and league facilities are closed indefinitely, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

The draft will be conducted "with club personnel separately located in their homes," Goodell wrote in a memo. Goodell also noted that all states that contain an NFL franchise are under some form of shelter-in-place order.

The league previously confirmed that the draft would proceed as planned on April 23-25 despite a unanimous recommendation from the general manager subcommittee to postpone it amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"I have spoken to many of you in the past several days and recognize the challenges facing all of us," wrote Goodell. "We are operating in an environment unlikely anything we have experienced before, one that requires flexibility, patience, and cooperation."

Team facilities have been closed since March 26, but it was thought some clubs might be able to return for the draft, while others could have a small group of personnel working together in off-site locations.

Goodell said that in addition to following government health directives, the league's decision to conduct a completely virtual draft was based on a desire to avoid putting some teams at a competitive disadvantage.

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