Teams have until the end of the draft to speak with rookies

[Hurricane Season]

NFL teams will have a two-day window to speak with their first-round draft picks later this month.

As soon as the Houston Texans make the final selection of the three-day draft late on the afternoon of Saturday, April 30, all NFL teams will be prohibited from further contact with their rookies until the labor dispute is settled, the NFL confirmed Friday.

Each NFL team will be allowed to arrange for draft picks to travel to their headquarters to meet with team personnel and conduct media conferences. But there is even a limit on what coaches can discuss with players after they've been drafted, the NFL told CSN Bay Area.

"There can be no football instruction or activities involving drafted rookies," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello wrote in an email.

The 49ers own the seventh overall pick, which should occur after 6 p.m. (PT) on Thursday, April 28. The 49ers are planning to hold a press conference in Santa Clara the following day.

The 49ers might even bring in their second- and third-round draft picks from Friday, April 29, for a visit to the organization's Santa Clara facility on Saturday, April 30. But any players chosen during the draft must be out of the building when the final selection is made.

Teams have been allowed to visit with draft-eligible players during the lockout. Veteran players have been banned from NFL facilities since March 12, when the owners instituted a lockout.

After April 30, team officials will not be allowed to have any contact with players -- rookies or veterans -- or their agents until there's an end to the lockout. Moreover, teams will also not be allowed to sign undrafted rookies or their draft picks to contracts until there's a new collective bargaining agreement.



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http://www.csnbayarea.com/04/08/11/Teams-have-until-end-of-draft-to-speak-w/landing_maiocco_v3.html?blockID=500193&feedID=5936

Puts the players and coaches in a pretty awkward situation.

 

[playmaker7]

This whole thing is just so weird

Oh well though. This atmosphere for the draft might be weird

 

[Elite]

So fucking dumb that coaches and players can't talk