NFL could take draft picks from teams that announce moves early

The NFL is cautioning teams against announcing transactions that aren't yet official, warning that draft picks could be forfeited as punishment, according to a notice NFL Network's Tom Pelissero obtained.

The league is concerned about teams using premature announcements to convince other clubs a player is off the market. The NFL management council will determine whether a team attempted to gain a competitive advantage and then levy the discipline.

The policy applies specifically to 2020 because the coronavirus pandemic is preventing most players from getting physicals, which officially completes acquisitions.

The league informed clubs Thursday that teams can announce transactions under two conditions, as Jacksonville Jaguars public relations director Tad Dickman laid out:

1. The club and the player have reached an agreement on contract terms.
2. The written contract has been sent to the player and his agent.

Several teams have posted reported transactions on social media while their fans anxiously await official word: