Most important change to the league since realignment

[JohnnyGold]

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/12172630/nfl-hold-combine-veteran-free-agents

wow.

wow wow wow.

the implications to this are staggering--and im not being facetious.

no time to post now, ill be back on later, wondering if anyone else thinks this is as big (huge?) as i do?

[Night Train]

I thought it was the Bills hiring Rex. :usflag:


This...is a great idea.

[Ed]

I honestly don't think this is a huge deal like you do. It just allows all teams to see a bunch of guys workout at the same time instead of having more private workouts.

I think it's nice for those veteran players that are trying to get noticed to have some extra exposure, but I don't see what's so eye popping about this.

[GvilleBills]

Not earth shaking, but a cool idea.

[YardRat]

Not a bad idea for the group of FA's that nobody really knows about.

[Rob on the Job]

Wonder if they have to re-take the Wonderlic test ...

[DraftBoy]

Vets have been working out the regional combines for a few years now. Those are almost exclusively no name guys that got signed to rookie free agent deals and then spent a year or two on practice squads. This will become a big deal if there are names attached to it that are working out.

I think it also has the potential to be of benefit to players coming off injury that want to show that they are healthy now.

[JohnnyGold]

As I see it, there are so many ways this could change the league and the way free agency takes place.

I know people think "this isn't really anything new," but it's revolutionary for the fact that players are going to be judged against one another, as opposed to private workouts or smaller scale events. And it will be under the same "quality control" measures that the NFL puts all of its on camera products through--meaning it won't be second rate: the best announcers will be there, cameras all over the stadium, etc. It will become an event.. and there will be bench marks.

*best 40 time
*most reps
*most accurate qb

Basically, players are going to come out of this with more hype than the NFL draft combine... with the difference being, EVERY team has the option to sign that player, as opposed to the selection process of a draft.

And yes, for now, it will likely just be washed up guys who have been out of the league looking for a break... unless it isnt.

Picture a guy like, Matt Moore. Is he good? Bad? Middle of the road? He has a backup slot now, and maybe a team like Buffalo would be willing to take a flyer on him and give him a small deal. But what if he went to the vet combine, and looked WAY better than any player in the draft.

[Ed]

As I see it, there are so many ways this could change the league and the way free agency takes place.

I know people think "this isn't really anything new," but it's revolutionary for the fact that players are going to be judged against one another, as opposed to private workouts or smaller scale events. And it will be under the same "quality control" measures that the NFL puts all of its on camera products through--meaning it won't be second rate: the best announcers will be there, cameras all over the stadium, etc. It will become an event.. and there will be bench marks.

*best 40 time
*most reps
*most accurate qb

Basically, players are going to come out of this with more hype than the NFL draft combine... with the difference being, EVERY team has the option to sign that player, as opposed to the selection process of a draft.

And yes, for now, it will likely just be washed up guys who have been out of the league looking for a break... unless it isnt.

Picture a guy like, Matt Moore. Is he good? Bad? Middle of the road? He has a backup slot now, and maybe a team like Buffalo would be willing to take a flyer on him and give him a small deal. But what if he went to the vet combine, and looked WAY better than any player in the draft.
It's definitely a great opportunity for those fringe/lower tier free agents, but we're still talking about the bottom of the free agent barrel. I think you're overestimating the impact on the league. I mean think about how much significance a 4th preseason game has. Those games are widely ignored and criticized because it's mostly guys that aren't going to make it. We're not even talking about a game though, just a big workout for a large group of players that for the most part aren't good enough.

To call it the most important change since re-alignment is a pretty big stretch. I would say that just expanding the practice squads last year or whenever it was is a much more significant change than this.

[Mace]

It's definitely a great opportunity for those fringe/lower tier free agents, but we're still talking about the bottom of the free agent barrel. I think you're overestimating the impact on the league. I mean think about how much significance a 4th preseason game has. Those games are widely ignored and criticized because it's mostly guys that aren't going to make it. We're not even talking about a game though, just a big workout for a large group of players that for the most part aren't good enough.

Hard to say until we see who the initial group of 100 is, though you're most likely right about the group.

I thought it was a great idea though for the players, to give them a league wide exposure to scouts instead of trying to wrangle camp invites or tryouts. Final cutdowns release a flood of guys who could have been in the wrong place at the wrong time otherwise because they slipped through the scouting cracks of some team where they could have been a better fit.

Gives them another shot to apply what they learned previously to improve and be noticed if they failed to stick anywhere their first try.....stronger, improved conditioning, hungrier, more disciplined, etc.....after they've learned the lesson.

It will also greatly improve camp efficiency I think, allowing teams to focus their choices.

I'm looking forward to it, it will give you a better look at some prospects instead of trying to decipher why they were cut last camp or relying on their dated college scouting profiles.

It probably is, or could be a pretty big deal. And we'll get to watch Trent Edwards dazzle again when he's not playing in a real game so some poor fools buy in and sign him again. He could get an injury start the week we play them !

[Lucidvizion]

I don't see this as any more than the NFL wanting another televised event to sell.

[IlluminatusUIUC]

I mean, anything that helps avoid players slipping through the cracks can help improve the league, but it's not that big a deal.

[sukie]

Wonder if they have to re-take the Wonderlic test ...

Hey man!!!!!!

[Historian]

I'm getting this image of Jim Otto and Len Dawson competing in a 40 yard dash in their wheelchairs, lol.

[Saratoga Slim]

I don't see this as any more than the NFL wanting another televised event to sell.

That's almost certainly the primary motivation....like any business they're always looking for opportunities to grow. And clearly we'll watch anything with the NFL logo.

[jamze132]

It's by no means Earth-shattering news, but it's a good idea and will lengthen the careers of veterans who can still perform, yet don't get a looksie due to their age.

[Homegrown]

Nothing more than a bunch of scrubs and one/two media whores (i.e. TOwens) ....not a big deal at all

[mightysimi]

I hope the most important change comes next year with 2 more playoff teams.

[jamze132]

I hope the most important change comes next year with 2 more playoff teams.

Then we can make it! **** it, its the playoffs!

[mightysimi]

Then we can make it! **** it, its the playoffs!

At this point I don't care if the plane of the 6th seed goes down and we get in by default.