The NFL still thinks it has a chance to keep underclassmen Maurice Clarett and Mike Williams out of the April 24-25 draft, according to league lawyer Jeff Pash.
The U.S. Court of Appeals of the 2nd Circuit in New York said Tuesday it will hear the NFL’s appeal of the Clarett case on April 19 or 20. Pash said such a fast track of U.S. District Judge Shira Sheindlin’s February decision in favor of Clarett is “a very positive development.”
Pash said the league has “a very substantial chance” of blocking the early entry of underclassmen either through a stay of the Clarett decision or a reversal. Pash said if a stay would be dissolved subsequently, the league promised the court it would conduct a supplemental draft within 10 days to allow Clarett and others into the league next season.
Clarett’s lawyer, Alan Milstein, persuaded the appeals court not to stay the effect of the lower court ruling Tuesday, saying such a ruling would cause NFL teams not to take his client as seriously before the draft.
Milstein said Clarett would lose leverage to negotiate a contract, as well as practice time and time to learn his new team’s playbook, if he were not drafted in April and later placed into a supplemental draft.
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Clarett played one season at Ohio State as a freshman in 2002 and was suspended for the 2003 season. Williams is a sophomore at USC. Sheindlin’s decision called the league’s rule against drafting players less than three years out of high school an illegal group boycott. The league argued the rule was collectively bargained with the players union.
Before Tuesday’s announcement, Bears general manager Jerry Angelo said he will attend next Tuesday’s personal workout session by Williams in Tampa because Angelo believes the newly eligible sophomore will be available when the Bears pick 14th in the first round of the April 24-25 draft.
Angelo also is trying to arrange a personal interview with Williams, but his agent is limiting interviews to the top eight teams.
Williams declared his eligibility after invitations for the Indianapolis Scouting Combine were sent, so teams are scrambling to catch up. Because Clarett and Williams will remain draft eligible until further notice, teams must continue to scout them.