The NFL is preparing to offer draft picks as an incentive for teams to hire minority coaches and general managers, according to a report.
The owners signed onto a resolution Tuesday that will compensate teams for adding blacks to their top leadership positions, according to USA Today.
The paper wrote that the gist of the resolution maintains, “A team that loses a minority assistant coach who becomes a head coach or loses a personnel executive who becomes a general manager will receive third-round compensatory picks in each of the next two drafts.”
Also, “a team that loses two minority staffers to head coach and general manager positions would receive three third-round picks.”
The plan is intended to develop minorities for the lower support positions at the same time a team promotes a minority to a top position.
“In a league where roughly 75% of players are African-Americans, there are only four minority head coaches. A similar pattern exists at general manager, with the Cleveland Browns’ Andrew Berry and Miami Dolphins’ Chris Grier the only Black men to hold the position,” USA Today wrote.
Rod Graves, executive director of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, insisted that the lack of minority representation among the front office and head coaches could be evidence of racism.
“You look at the NFL and its track record and you have to wonder: How much of it is the result of racist attitudes and disregard to fairness?” Graves said. “Those types of issues have to come up when you look at the NFL’s track record.”
The league was considering similar plans in May. Though, that plan only offered teams a top draft pick if a minority candidate was hired for a top spot and did not address the development issue.
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