Webcams, chat rooms, security guards at their front doors: Chiefs’ virtual draft plans
A week before drafting a handful of players to shape the Chiefs’ future, general manager Brett Veach hopped on a conference call with the NFL office.
And held a mock draft.
Of a different kind.
The league’s executives and coaches convened not to project and analyze prospects but rather to practice the logistics of the most unique draft in NFL history — one that will be held next week in basements across the country and with security guards at the front doors of those involved.
(Seriously.)
“We’ve been doing some mock drafts and throwing crazy scenarios just to be prepared,” Veach said. “But you really won’t know until the lights come on how it’s going to work.”
Here’s the hope: Veach will headquarter the draft from his basement — which apparently includes a framed photo of “Do we have time to run Wasp?” based on a glimpse he provided the media during a Zoom call Thursday morning. On one monitor, Veach will have coach Andy Reid. On another, owner and CEO Clark Hunt.
His personnel staff, coordinators and area scouts will float in and out of a virtual chat room, a setup that is the result of the COVID-19 pandemic response. The NFL is marching on with its seven-round, three-day draft next week but in a form resembling nothing like the spectacle into which the production has transformed over the past several years.
There were plans for Las Vegas and players being transported on boats as they made their way to the stage at the Bellagio in Sin City. Instead, the entire thing will be conducted remotely, each front office member alone in their homes. OK, not completely alone — they will be allotted one IT worker in case something goes awry and one security guard, you know, in case a fan gets angry over a pick and wants to swing by and let someone know about it.
Welcome to the 2020 NFL Draft.
The Chiefs are doing all they can to replicate a normal working environment. Their employees have been working from home for a month now, and Veach said after some early adjustments, the team’s IT department has developed a streamlined process.
For the draft, they would typically gather in one room — the war room, as it’s dubbed — where gathering the input of each representative is as easy as turning your head and asking a question. Next week, when it all goes live, assistant director of player personnel Ryan Poles will man the control room, cycling coaches and scouts in and out of the chat room at Veach’s request.
Veach has lined his basement walls with depth charts and draft board rankings. Names, pegs and notes.
“I think we have a plan where we have a computer dedicated to Clark and Andy, and we can talk through some big picture stuff. And then Ryan Poles has the ability to bring in coordinators, bring in coaches, bring in medical very quickly,” Veach said. “I think we have a plan. I think it’s going to be smooth. We’re excited about it.”
Think.
There is no certainty. There have been expected hiccups as professionals across the country move to video chat room services to conduct important meetings. Sports are not immune. Hackers found their way into a Zoom call with a New York Rangers hockey prospect and unleashed a series of racial slurs. A Los Angeles Rams executive told NBC Sports it was “unnerving to think there’s even a small possibility” one team could hack into another’s chat room.
There are other less-than-ideal scenarios, too. What if a signal gets lost as a team is on the clock? What if the connection lags momentarily?
“One thing I think every team is probably the most concerned about is just the flow and the effectiveness of communication,” Veach said. “I think the scenario we’re all playing through our minds is (you are) on the clock, and you’re about to turn the card in and, with 45 seconds left, a team comes in and presents a really interesting trade. When you’re in the office, you can just look to a guy.
“So just making sure we don’t have a slow connection during that 45 seconds. So that’s a little bit of a concern — just that last-minute trade that you get a phone call on the clock.”
The league provides each team with 10 minutes to make a first-round selection on April 23, the draft’s opening night. Then it’s seven minutes for the second round, five for the third through sixth rounds and four minutes in the final round.
It will still be broadcast live on ABC, ESPN and the NFL Network, and 58 of the top prospects have confirmed to participate virtually in some form.
The Star is also planning to broadcast a livestream on its Facebook page and accessible via Kansascity.com all night, from before the first pick is made until after the final one is determined. More details on that to come.
In typical years, if a team is late to make a selection, the next team on the clock can rush the podium and beat them to the punch. In the virtual world, teams are expecting some more leniency.
But they’re doing all they can to help the process run smoothly. The league held its second mock draft Thursday. Another one is lined up for Monday.
A week later, with the TV cameras silenced, the webcams turn on.