10:09 AM
If club representatives conduct themselves in a way that is not professional in interviews with draft prospects, they could be fined and lose a draft pick.
The league told clubs in a memo obtained by The Associated Press that if a club representative displays disrespectful, inappropriate or offensive conduct, a draft pick will be forfeited and the team will be fined a minimum of $150,000. Individual club employees could be suspended or fined according to the memo.
TroyVincent told the AP that the league aims for dignity, respect and professionalism. "It's simple."
The Wonderlic test for prospective players is going to be eliminated by the league, and it is revising some of its scouting combine drills. Running backs will run option routes instead of corner and post-corner routes, and wide receivers and tight ends will run crossing routes instead of wheel routes.
The drills for offensive linemen and defensive players were changed to better assess player movements.
The collective bargaining agreement between the league and the Players Association prohibits discrimination based on race, color, disabilities, religion, sexual orientation, national origin and marital status, as well as questions on these subjects, as per the league's yearly reminders. This is the first time that the NFL has threatened specific accountability measures if draft prospects are asked about any of these subjects.
The memo states that prospective draft picks should be given a respectful and professional environment that is consistent with state and federal law. The same is true for free agents who your club may consider signing. It is important for your club to make sure prospective players know the values your club places on character and the standards of conduct expected of everyone associated with the NFL.
The medical and professional experience for draft prospects at the combine is something the NFL is looking to improve.
Prospects are encouraged to report offensive conduct.
There have been reports of inappropriate questions being asked of draft prospects.
Jeff Ireland apologized to Dallas Cowboys first-round draft pick Dez Bryant for asking if his mother was a prostitution business during a pre-draft visit.
Eli Apple was asked his sexual preference by one of his coaches, and that's when Dan Quinn apologized to him.
One team inquired if his mother was a prostitution business, while another asked about his sexuality at the combine.
The interview process is similar to an interrogation, according to a former NFL tight end.
"I can remember sitting in a dark room with a big spotlight," he told the AP last year. There's a seat in the back of the office that looks like you're being questioned for a crime, and the front-office staff are in the shadows. The guy grabbed my wrist and said that he could feel my pulse so he knew if I was lying. Have you ever used marijuana? I said no. I didn't. I have never smoked. He said he thought you were lying. I can feel your pulse. Are you telling the truth to us? I said I was not.
I thought I had smoked marijuana, but maybe I need to confess to a crime I didn't commit. These sorts of tactics that are happening at the combine need to be stopped.
The league has taken steps to make sure draft prospects are not offended or embarrassed during interviews.
The league's executive vice president of football operations and a former five-time Pro Bowl corner said that student-athletes should be celebrated.
The one orthopedic examination that prospects will have is different from previous ones. Medical interviews will be conducted before the combine.
The combine will be held in Indianapolis again this year, but it could be moving to a new city in 24 years. Indianapolis, Dallas and Los Angeles are vying to host the combine in the next two years.
The next host city will be decided in May, according to Peter O'Reilly, the NFL's executive vice president of club business and events.
O'Reilly said that interest in the combine gets greater and greater every year. The opportunity to find ways to elevate the post-Super Bowl window and lead into the next year is high in our mind.
The league wants to expand media coverage with more prime-time workouts and enhance the fan experience.
The combine is a football evaluation event and medical evaluation event for the clubs, but there is so much fan interest that we're thinking about the evolution of that. It has become a significant media event. We will continue to find ways to make it more accessible to fans as we head into Indy this year and then beyond, given the huge interest in college and the NFL at its best.
