2011 NFL Draft: Update on Allowing Player Trades—Not Yet, but Hopefully Soon

Update from "Can the NFL Block Draft-Day Trades."

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has stated that the NFL has given teams instruction to "open up the doors" to players at 8:00 AM on Friday.  While the NFL is acting as though the lockout is still "on" for the first day of the NFL Draft, players will be able to start to meet with coaches and use team workout facilities.

This is good news for unsigned QB Matt Hasselbeck and Seahawks TE John Carlson, who resorted to playing catch in a Goodwill parking lot a few weeks ago.

The lack of player movement could modestly diminish some of the draft-day intrigue, as any trades for draft positioning can only involve other draft picks.  This could be an advantage for some QB-needy teams, though, as it will eliminate the temptation of sending their first round draft pick to another team to acquire a quarterback.

What is still unknown is if or when the NFL is going to to allow player trades.  In an interview earlier today, Goodell said the NFL is "working on a plan for player transactions, but we're also waiting for judgments from another court, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, so we'll have to take those decisions into account also." 

This leaves open the possibility that player trades will be an option as early as Friday.  It is unfortunate the NFL didn't see this eventuality coming and have a contingency plan in place so that teams could better prepare for the 2011 season.