Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh is concerned about the cybersecurity of team and league data during the upcoming NFL draft, which will be a “virtual” event for the first time, commissioner Roger Goodell confirmed Monday.
Harbaugh said during the team’s pre-draft press conference that the Ravens are using all hands on deck while working from separate locations, and logistics have become a major and widening hurdle.
“It’s a big concern,” Harbaugh said. “Every time I read something in, like, the Wall Street Journal or the New York Times that talks about how messed up Zoom is, or some of these other deals … I immediately text it to our IT people, and (director of football administration) Nick Matteo’s one of those guys, and they assure me that we are doing everything humanly possible.”
“Hopefully we’ll be OK. I really wouldn’t want the opposing coaches to have our playbook or our draft meetings. That would be preferable, if we can stay away from that.”
Los Angeles Chargers general manager Tom Telesco said Tuesday he is comfortable with the plan put in place by the NFL, but recognizes it will be a unique situation.
Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta downplayed Harbaugh’s fears, saying he would prefer Zoom or video conferencing to Harbaugh and team vice president Ozzie Newsome sitting in their cars holding a physical draft board.
“I have more confidence in Zoom than I do in Ozzie (Newsome, executive vice president), John, Steve (Bisciotti, owner) and Dick (Cass, team president), with a copy of our draft board that they just leave in the car on their front seat or something like that,” DeCosta said.
–Field Level Media
