In the future, the league teams should be careful when interviewing rookies. Based on a memo the league sent to teams this week, the league laid out new rules for joint training camp interviews. Teams that violate the rules may face penalties for draft picks and hefty fines.
The memo mentions that if the league rules that the personnel of the relevant team have "disrespectful, inappropriate or unprofessional" behavior during the interview of the rookie, the team will be fined the draft between the first and fourth rounds, with a minimum fine of $150,000. At the same time, the league can also impose fines or bans on individual staff members involved.
The alliance also plans to cancel the Wonderlic test. The test has 50 questions and is mainly used to do a general IQ test for players who are about to enter the league. The league is also optimizing the training program in the joint training camp to better align with the actual situation of the game and help the team more intuitively examine the level of the players.
For example, the outside receiver and the near end will run the cross route to catch the ball, rather than the previous outer route; the route the running back will run has become the option route, not the far-reaching route.
In the document, the league also expressly prohibits teams from discriminating against players on various grounds, including but not limited to race, color, disability, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, ancestry and marital status. The team forbade questions to players on these topics.
Once players are asked these questions, the league encourages them to come forward and expose them directly to the league without fear of retaliation from others. This is the first time that the Alliance has taken concrete and responsible measures on this issue.
Previously, a number of NFL players broke the news that they were asked by the team about their sexual orientation during the joint training camp. This is also the direct reason why the union added this provision this year. Jeff Ireland, then general manager of the Miami Dolphins in 2010, apologized to Dallas Cowboys for their first-round pick, Dez Bryant. In the interview, Ireland asked Bryant if his mother was a prostitute.
The same thing happened in 2018. Former Louisiana State University running back Drius Guise broke the news that a team at the joint training camp asked about his sexuality and another team asked if his mother was a prostitute.
This year's Joint Training Camp for League Rookies will be held from March 1 to 7, and the draft will run from April 28 to 30.