Nick Saban renewed his complaints about the NFL Draft Advisory Board grading system Sunday, arguing that players should not receive their advisory grades until after the season has concluded, according to ESPN's Joe Schad:
Nick Saban again calling for NFL Draft grades delay, and his players agree
The Crimson Tide coach took the opportunity of a National Championship Game press conference to renew criticism of the NFL Draft process.
Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports
Nick Saban says NFL shouldn’t give players grades before end of year. ESPN reported Bama players voted to withhold info until after Mon.
— Joe Schad (@schadjoe) January 10, 2016 Saban previously criticized the timing of Draft grades at SEC Media Days, arguing that the Advisory Board grades had distracted his team during its preparation for last season's Sugar Bowl. This year, the Crimson Tide are voluntarily trying to avoid the distraction. Schad had previously reported that Alabama's players had voted to voluntarily withhold any Draft grades until after the National Championship Game:
Alabama TE OJ Howard told me the team took a vote to withhold NFL Draft grade feedback until after the championship game
— Joe Schad (@schadjoe) January 9, 2016 Clemson coach Dabo Swinney agreed with Saban’s assessment, via Brad Senkiw of the Anderson Independent Mail:
Swinney says the NFL draft grades are a distraction and echoed Saban's idea of getting grade after each team's season ends.
— Brad Senkiw (@BradSenkiw_AIM) January 10, 2016 Saban also suggested the date by which an underclassman must declare his intention to enter the Draft be moved back. Currently, players must declare for the NFL Draft by Jan. 15. If grades were delayed until after the end of the season, players would have just four days to make a decision. Saban has been critical of the Jan. 15 deadline in the past.
The NFL Draft Advisory Board is a panel of NFL scouts that provides draft-eligible sophomores and juniors with advisory opinions on where they could be drafted should they choose to leave school early. Grades are typically delivered to players requesting them in late December. The Advisory Board does not publish its grades, but players may divulge their grades to anyone.
In 2014, the NFL changed the grading scheme and limited the number of players per school that could apply for grades after yet another round of criticism from Saban.
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