Browns Coaches Permitted To Return To Facility Friday With Caveats
The NFL released a memo that permits coaches to return to facilities as of Friday, June 5th.
The states the teams operate have to allow this to happen and currently the state of Ohio does, so both the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals can have their coaches return Friday. The important caveat is that this is not a free for all. When the league allowed personnel to return to the facility, which the Browns did not do until last week, they set a cap of 100 people in the building. That number is not changing.
The memo also encourages teams to use caution when it comes to coaches that might be at an increased risk of infection for COVID-19. So while the Browns will be permitted to have coaches in the building, which is an important step in this process, it's unclear how many of them will return immediately.
Players are still not permitted in the facility at this point, short of for rehabbing an injury. The dynamic for coaching players does not change at this point. It does make it far easier for coaches to collaborate and plan for when players do return to the facility.
The other dynamic that improves is how coaches are able to communicate with the front office. Front office personnel were part of the first wave of people permitted to return to the building. As an example, Glenn Cook, the newly promoted VP of Player Personnel was in his office when he was a guest on the 'Best Podcast Available', hosted by Beau Bishop and Andrew Gribble.
Whether the Browns opt to have coaches return on Friday, how many coaches they plan to have return and when are unclear at this point, but the fact that is now an option represents progress as teams adjust to this new normal in the NFL.
