NFL

Former NY Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum is advising Roger Goodell to postpone the NFL draft ... telling TMZ Sports it's just impossible for teams to pick under quarantine conditions.

"I just don't know how you can have a draft without three or four people in a room," the ESPN Front Office insider says.

Mike tells us during his days of conducting a draft for an NFL team ... he required AT LEAST four people to be on phones in a room -- saying that's just the way it had to be done.

"If we're sitting there, and we're on a team and we're picking 10th, we may be talking to picks eight and nine, and also 11 and 12," Tannenbaum says ... "And, without the ability to have three or four of us at a minimum in a room, I just don't know how you can do that."

Tannenbaum also says he has concerns over the restrictions the pandemic has placed on the pre-draft process, saying the lack of in-person meetings can really affect a team.

In fact, Mike tells us Darrelle Revis might have never been a Jet if the former GM and his staff weren't able to meet the legendary corner face-to-face weeks before the selection show.

"After he came in for his pre-draft visit, that gave us the feeling and the comfort that we could go ahead and trade up for him," Mike says. "But, without that, there's no way we would have done that."

For his part, Goodell has taken the draft out of Las Vegas over coronavirus concerns ... but insists the picking process will still go down on April 23-25.

Jacksonville Jaguars legend Tony Boselli says he was THIS close to dying amid his battle with coronavirus last month ... saying the disease straight-up "buried me."

The former offensive lineman broke his silence about his COVID-19 complications Thursday ... and hearing him speak about his experience with the virus is downright terrifying.

The 47-year-old told The Florida Times-Union that on March 16 -- days after a round of golf in Florida -- he began to feel ill ... and woke up two days later on March 18 with a fever.

Boselli says nearly a week later -- after docs confirmed he had coronavirus -- he could "barely move" and was eventually hospitalized.

While in the ICU, Tony says he fought for his life ... requiring two IVs, oxygen and other medication to get him through it all.

"I guess the thought was there’s no way this is how the story is supposed to end here,” Tony said. "This is nuts. I never felt like, ‘poor me, or why me?’ You get sick, it happens."

"But the fact I was in the hospital with the coronavirus and crazy thoughts were going through my mind, like ‘I can’t believe this is going on.'"

Tony -- whose wife also tested positive but didn't have the same dire symptoms -- was able to make it through ... although he said he lost 20 pounds in the fight and still isn't quite 100 percent.

But, Boselli is expected to make a full recovery ... and, now, he's urging people to get serious about stopping the virus' spread.

"The reality is the majority of people my age or younger who get it are probably going to be fine," Boselli said. "But look at me, I was healthy with no issues at all and ended up in ICU. I guess you can play the odds and be okay."

Not only is Christian McCaffrey an NFL mega-star who's dating a flaming hot supermodel (hi Olivia) ... he's also doing his part to help out during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Carolina Panthers star running back just announced the launch of his "22 and You" COVID-19 relief program -- which will raise money to support front-line medical workers including physicians, nurses and other hospital staff throughout the Carolinas.

The 23-year-old -- who wears #22 -- says he felt compelled to take action after watching these heroes risk their own lives to save others.

"I am moved by the heroic and selfless efforts of our frontline healthcare providers throughout the Carolinas and beyond. As such, I have decided to launch an effort to help them in their life-saving work."

CMC says he's teamed up with his partners at Lowe’s Home Improvement and Bose -- both companies are making significant donations -- and the funds will be directed to the North Carolina Healthcare Foundation and South Carolina Hospital Association Foundation.

Christian says he will match the donations from those companies -- which is a pretty big deal considering he's still in the middle of his 4-year, $17 million rookie contract.

Well, we've never seen beer and football together quite like this before ...

Sean Payton says since the NFL has closed down his team's facilities amid the coronavirus pandemic ... he's moving the Saints' draft war room to a local New Orleans brewery.

For real.

The coach made the announcement Wednesday ... saying the team will set up its whole draft headquarters at Dixie Brewing Company (which is also owned by Saints honcho Gayle Benson) in New Orleans East later this month.

Payton -- who's just now getting over his battle with coronavirus -- says his team will take every precaution necessary inside the brewery to make sure they're not violating social distancing rules.

Sean says only around six or seven people -- including himself and GM Mickey Loomis -- will actually be on-site ... while the rest of his staff will be there via monitors in the room.

"This facility is fantastic," Payton said ... "We're certainly distanced away from each other. There's plenty of space. And, then the monitors have all the scouts and everyone else, so the total people in the meeting might be 20."

Payton added, each day those who enter the brewery will have their temperatures taken as an extra precaution to keep his employees safe.

The NFL Draft is slated to kick off on April 23. Payton's Saints currently hold pick No. 24 in the first round.

Like millions of Americans, Bill Belichick is working from home today. Unlike millions of Americans ... HE'S NOT WEARING SWEATPANTS!!

Instead, the Patriots head coach squeezed into his best pair of tight jeans, set up a cam in his office and just gave a signature Belichick pep talk to America about how to crush the coronavirus!

"Hello, this is Bill Belichick," ... (like we didn't already know).

"I want to reach out to you in these uncertain and unprecedented times to let you know that I, and the New England Patriots, are behind you. We are all in this together."

Belichick shouts out all of the heroes on the front lines -- "medical professionals, doctors, nurses, medical workers and others" -- and praises them for "doing their job."

You know Bill ... the "Do Your Job" thing has become his battle cry over the years.

"We are facing a difficult opponent. It will take teamwork, discipline and commitment to do the right things all the time. That includes staying at home."

"I encourage everyone to shelter in place for as long as necessary as we fight this virus together."

BONUS -- WANNA KNOW WHAT'S ON BILL'S BOOKSHELF?!

We zoomed way the hell in and spotted a few notable hardcovers

-- "Roots" by Alex Haley

-- "Medal of Honor" by Peter Collier

-- "These United States" by Glenda Elizabeth Gilmore

-- "The Best and the Brightest" by David Halberstam

It also looks like he's got a Bon Jovi book in there!

Houston Texans long snapper Jon Weeks wanted to thank 1st responders for all their hard work during the COVID-19 pandemic ... so he sent them free lunch -- FROM WHATABURGER!!

The NFL player, along with his adorable daughter, sent burgers, chicken tenders and pies to the Houston Emergency Response Center and several fire departments Tuesday ... and accompanied the food with an awesome thank you video.

"Thank you for everything that you guys are doing," said Weeks, who's been playing for the Texans since 2010. "Thank you for being there on the front lines making the ultimate sacrifice to protect us to make sure that we're safe."

Weeks added, "We hope that you guys can enjoy lunch on the Weeks family today."

In total, we're told Weeks copped 125 burgers, 125 chicken tenders, 75 cherry and apple pies and 80 cookies from Whataburger for the hard-working people ... and they couldn't have been happier about the awesome gesture.

"The firefighters were very thankful," Houston Fire Department spokesperson Sheldra Brigham told TMZ Sports. "Not just for the Whataburger (which we love in Texas!) but the fact that Jon took the time to record a special message made the gesture even more special."

Reportedly, eight Houston firefighters have tested positive for COVID-19 recently, with many still awaiting testing results in quarantine.

But Brigham tells us Weeks' action brought the crew some much-needed joy, saying, "Lunch and a special message from Jon definitely gave us all something to smile about."

A spokesperson for the emergency center added, "The staff is very grateful that they were even thought of."

NFL agent Buddy Baker -- who's repped stars like Doug Baldwin and Jack Doyle -- lost both his parents to COVID-19 on Sunday ... and now, he's begging the public to help stop others from suffering the same fate.

Baker posted an emotional video Tuesday explaining the tragic news ... saying both his mom and dad were in "perfect health" just a few weeks ago.

Sadly, he says, both contracted coronavirus ... and the two -- who were married for 51 years -- died from complications of the disease just six minutes apart on Sunday.

Now, Baker is pleading with others to practice social distancing, self-isolation and quarantining in order to help stop the spread of the disease to others.

"We live in a world of, 'It can’t happen to me, it can’t happen to us, it can’t happen to my family,'" Baker said. "Well, it happened to us."

He added, "I’d like to take this time to make people start thinking about making a change."

Several of Baker's clients backed the agent on social media Tuesday, with Redskins star Terry McLaurin retweeting Baker's message with a prayer emoji.