Quote:This whole argument is ridiculous.  The teams are so hampered now by the NFLPA agreement and the very limited practices, the rookie camp is important.  People are always arguing that the players need to be ‘coached up’.  The coaches are getting their first (or one of the first) up close experience with these players.  That's the whole point, there are no veterans there.  Only rookies.

 

Using the proposed logic…and I use that term loosely…we shouldn’t have OTAs either.  The veterans are just running around with the shorts on anyway and we ‘know they are going to make the team anyway’.  So we should just limit all coaching and preparation to the two weeks of training camp.  I mean, we shouldn’t be making these players prepare when it doesn’t matter anyway.

 

Let’s just ignore the fact that the players are going to be running around in full pads…at close to full speed…once training camp begins.  If anything, that’s where you should be worried about an injury.  It was a freak accident.  There was far less contact than there would have been in training camp.  [BAD WORD REMOVED] happens.  Get over it.  I find this whole premise laughable.

 

Clearly badger has some sort of research supporting the premise that 11x11 drills specifically in non-contact, non padded practices are far more likely to result in injuries to rookie draft picks, so they should be eliminated from rookie mini-camps.  The other drills are perfectly alright based on the fact that nobody else was injured during these.  Of course, Heuerman injured his ACL in Denver doing special teams drills.  So, we need to eliminate them as well.  We don't need these rookies trying to familiarize themselves with the practice regimen in the NFL, especially if they were drafted.  Now, the undrafted guys?  Meh.  Who cares?

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