Browns, Canton partner for bid to host NFL draft in 2019 or 2020

Aug 17, 2017 - 4:03 PM The Cleveland Browns have partnered with the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission to submit a bid to host the NFL draft in either 2019 or 2020.

The contingent delivered its application to league headquarters in New York last week.

The 2019 draft would celebrate the league's 100th season, or its centennial in 2020. The league was formed in Canton, Ohio, home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, on Aug. 20, 1920.

"Since even before the establishment of the NFL nearly 100 years ago and the legacies of household names like Jim Brown, Paul Brown, Otto Graham and Lou Groza, Northeast Ohio has been rooted in football and NFL history and has been dedicated to developing the sport we love at all levels of competition," Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam said in a release.

"With the support of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, Cleveland and Canton are the ideal sites for the NFL draft due to our region's unmatched passion and respect for football, as well as our commitment to its future and the next generation of Hall of Fame players."

Cleveland's competition for the 2019 or 2020 draft includes the Green Bay Packers, who have submitted proposals to host the event in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

Philadelphia, New York, Denver, Detroit, Kansas City, Jacksonville and Los Angeles have also reportedly expressed interest in hosting the 2019 NFL draft.