Virtual Draft forces Saints Draft War-Room Out of Dixie Brewery

After announcing that the Saints would conduct their draft at the Dixie Brewery location, the Saints and the rest of the NFL must change their draft day plans. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced via memo to all 32 teams that every team facilities will remain closed indefinitely and that the league will conduct an all virtual NFL draft.

“All clubs should dedicate their personnel and technology resources toward preparing for a fully virtual draft, with personnel in separate locations.” via the memo sent to the leagues teams today.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell just informed clubs in a memo that club facilities will remain closed indefinitely and the league will conduct a “fully virtual” draft, with club personnel separately located in their homes. pic.twitter.com/28t2kNnLAI
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 6, 2020

Dixie Brewery, owned by Saints owner Gayle Benson, is where members of the Saints front office and head coach Sean Payton planned to conduct their war room on draft day later this month. However, with the announcement today of an “all virtual draft” the Saints staff members must conduct their war-room via Skype as each member is in their own home.

"I'd be personally in favor of delaying the draft, so that we could get some of the work done that our scouts and personnel people ordinarily do. And then just the logistics of trying to conduct the draft with not having access to your draft rooms and your offices creates a lot of logistic problems. This is not a fantasy draft that you conduct out there with just a list of things on a piece of paper. There's a lot of things that go into it to prepare, and there’s a lot of work that is done during the draft."

NFL teams cannot gather at one person’s home. Each person for him or herself during the draft. https://t.co/oNSFyhuCpj
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 6, 2020

The NFL announced in March that the Draft would still be televised but the events in Las Vegas will be canceled.

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