PFT:Roger Goodell positions himself as protector of the NFL draft

[cowboyjoe]

Roger Goodell positions himself as protector of the NFL draft
http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/...ve-risers.html
Posted by Michael David Smith on April 27, 2011, 8:30 AM EDT

ReutersNFL Commissioner Roger Goodell knows that the draft is the most fun part of the offseason for football fans. And he knows that this year’s draft is being overshadowed by the league’s labor unrest. So in his efforts to win public support for the owners’ side in the labor situation, Goodell is positioning himself as the protector of the draft.

In an interview with ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Goodell re-stated his case that the owners want to keep the draft in place, while the players want to do away with it.

[arglebargle]

PR move.

Like the 18 game season he touted, the players' anti-draft rhetoric is a bargaining chip to give away. The players might generally prefer a wide open system, but a draft, with draft salary cap, is actually better for the veterans.