What Roger Goodell says isn’t often in line with praise.
But speaking on Friday on The Pat McAfee Show, Goodell may have found an exception.
“Last night we started thinking we had to keep it short [the draft]Goodell said. You can call it, but then you can’t get the rest of the draft again. ”
It’s hard to believe that this is universally popular among fans, especially considering the way the first round is dragged for hours.
Thursday’s first round ran for nearly four hours from 8pm to 11:43pm, with the Chiefs winning their 32nd pick.
There is an NFL precedent for changing draft formats.
In 2007, the timer was added 15-10-10 minutes in the first round, then three years later, and the draft was added from weekends to Thursday-Saturday.
Teams may oppose changes as they will take less time to consider and trade picks.
But the obvious counterargument is that many transactions occur when the clock gets shorter in the later rounds. The time Goodell suggests taking off may be unnecessary given that.
Drop 3 minutes for each pickoff in the first round equals a total of 96 minutes saved. For example, the first round of the year was a much more attractive time, especially for viewers on the East Coast, finishing at 10:07 for launch on weekday nights.
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Of course, it could amount to less advertising revenue, so ESPN may not line up behind the idea.
But for fans, you’ll imagine this to be one of the most popular ideas Goodzel has ever put out.
