Should the NFL change its rules?

[Mike]

About age of starting players, for the NFL draft? Right now they have to be at least three years out of high school.

I kind of agree with the rule, but perhaps lower it down to two years?

Think about how often a player like LeBron James or Carmelo Anthony comes along - NFL teams want a player that is ready, and has played under pressure. (Which I can understand).

Personally, I believe Maurice Clarett should be slapped upside his head anyway. He wants the NFL, shame he broke several NCAA rules.

[Omardeth]

i think if they can handle it they should be able to play .

the nfl doesn't want to pay to "train" its players . that what they have the ncaa for now .

it isn't about age persay it is about money .

it was only a matter of time before someone forced the issue .

[Bill in SD, CA]

If you're old enough to vote and fight for your country then ..............................

Oh, wait!!

That's the argument for lowering the drinking age.



Bill

[Mike]

Yeah, I knew it was about the money - And like I said, I kind of agree with them. Why should they take the chance and waste time/money/resources to have a kid quit or get fired before the first season is over.

I find it ironic on Clarett being the first person to push the issue - The same one that probably won't be allowed to play at OSU again.

[vass0922]

--- edit ---

ok next time I'll read and not scan

DUH

[Mike]

hmm vass, the NFL requires the kid to be out of high school at least three years. WTH are you going on about?

(i.e. Most of them are 17-18 when they leave. )

[jkrohn]

You try to equate Hish schoolers coming into the NBA with the NFL. This is a VERY different situation.

In the NBA, 90% of the time, when a team drafts a high school kid he is:
1) Undersized
2) Not expected to contribute for a few years (at least as a star)
3) Learns "on the job" or in garbage time

Why this doesn't work in the NFL.
1) There is no garbage time in the NFL. You don't have thr 6th, 7th, and 8th man that gets rotated in for 15 minutes a game. As a result, the only way for a young player to learn is to throw them in there.
2) Look at kids making the transition from 3 years of college experience. They SUCK. The game is much faster and much different. This difference can be seen mostly on the offensive side of the ball. DB are faster and defenses are much more difficult.

Now imagine coming from high school, which is significantly slower and much less complicated than even college is. Not gonna work too well.

3) The last factor is physical size. 99% of High School kids are GROSSLY undersized compared to the NFL. They just don't have the musclemass. They haven't been in an environment where they have been lifting weights for 7 straight years. You can't make this up with natural ability. Even Clarett, who is large for a 2nd year college player, is undersized in the NFL.

You combine these things and you get a bad combo. You get an underdeveloped player, as far as size as well as knowledge of the game, who cannot learn "on the job" as they will get killed.

You put an underveloped player out on the field against veterans and not only will they get physcially hurt, they will kill your team.

Jkrohn

[John Prophet]

as usual....its about money.

The NFL is a product
The broadcast is a product
The players are products

When a player steps on the field they have to perform..so the closest thing to it may be what Omar said --->"the nfl doesn't want to pay to "train" its players . that what they have the ncaa for now . "

Possibly also they were trying to have the people being 21 years old to avoid possible issues with drinking age and people getting in trouble for exposing minors to alcohol etc.

[Mike]

JK: Good point. I remember watching the Senior Bowl, and one of the lineman had something like an 18" bicep. Slight difference from a kid that has been playing college football for a year or two...

Then again, it would imagine on the position a player has. A physically set running back should be allowed to make the jump - The career span of a running back isn't very good.

A lineman on the other hand, needs all that weight and muscle.

[jkrohn]

Then again, it would imagine on the position a player has. A physically set running back should be allowed to make the jump - The career span of a running back isn't very good.

No, this directly contradicts what you just said. RB's are some of the *most* undersized coming out of HS. Second really only to lineman/linebackers.

Even most backs after *4* years of college, and constant weight lifting, as still too small. Plus the chance of an undersized back getting hurt is MUCH greater. It makes no sense to let an undersized back go up against 350lbs linemen and linebackers that will tear their heads off.
You say their career is short already, well if you want to shorten it, throw them out there too early. You will see a lot more injuries, and a lot more ended careers.

The only players who could really make the jump IMO (physically, not mentally) are DB's and WR's. They don't rely on strength as much as they do on speed, cunning, and timing. Now I also don't think that a DB or WR out of HS will be able to grasp the pure speed increase or complexity, but we are talking from a physical standpoint.

Jkrohn