The Draft..why not now?

Can't get my head around this waiting until May concept. Perhaps someone can help me understand why it's a better idea to wait...months after the season, to draft these kids? Would it not make more sense to get them drafted now so they can start relocating and studying the team that drafted them?

Not to mention this gives the team a heckuva lot more time to put their puzzle together for the upcoming season. I see no logical reason for waiting on the draft. Get the kids through the combine, invite some players in, then do the draft in mid-March. Am I missing something?

I agree. I can't stand waiting a couple months for the draft. I understand having a little time but it should happen a little bit after the combine.

Pretty sure the NFLPA would object.

UFA signing period before the draft means if a team wants to be more sure of filling a hole, they need to go the UFA route. If you let teams draft first, then teams can make decisions on whether to cut or let UFAs walk with the foreknowledge that they've addressed their needs with rookie labor.

I think it's more about the NFL attempting to extend it's brand all the way through the offseason. From a marketing perspective, they want headlines all the way through the year. If the draft was now(late feb), then free agency(mid march), we would have a dead period from may-late july. Around 3 months with nothing much going on.

I wish it was in April, this whole waiting til May thing is dumb

The NFL wants one headline event each month of the offseason.

February: NFL Combine
March: Start of Free Agency
April: Schedule release
May: NFL Draft
June: mini-camps
July: training camp
August: preseason games

Holding the draft now would be before most senior prospect graduation dates, which may be some NCAA illegal professional contract (insert legalese term). Also each player has the option to attend their schools Pro Day. But, IMO it is frustrating having the draft pushed back two weeks this year.

Some good input here..at least it's starting to make a bit of sense. But with the NFL at it's most prosperous, why not increase the roster size and add another 4 games? I vote YES.

We have a lot of great minds in this forum. I find it damn hard to believe one of you guys can't get this done.

SeatownJay":3m9ajxzn said:

The NFL wants one headline event each month of the offseason.

February: NFL Combine
March: Start of Free Agency
April: Schedule release
May: NFL Draft
June: mini-camps
July: training camp
August: preseason games

Click to expand...

Bingo

It helps the Hawks. Good time to push it back. Are we lucky or what?

nyc-seahawk":289n3sog said:

I think it's more about the NFL attempting to extend it's brand all the way through the offseason. From a marketing perspective, they want headlines all the way through the year. If the draft was now(late feb), then free agency(mid march), we would have a dead period from may-late july. Around 3 months with nothing much going on.

Click to expand...

This. When they made the change this was stated the reason. I want the Draft now

So March 11th is free agency. That gives almost 2 months to the draft (May 8-10). It is going to be interesting.

It's actually genius marketing. It "sucks" for us fans to wait so long, but the longer we wait the more we talk about the draft. NFL is trying to limit it's "off season" and delaying the draft is the perfect way to do that.