I find these kinds of answers unfulfilling. Anything we don’t like gets tossed into the big bucket of things we think are terrible and the Red or Blue team is to blame for it. This seems to be even more common when simple material, financial answers are involved because no one wants to confront how the core structure of how this world functions - that we’re instilled from near birth to believe is immutable - could actually be the force that erodes the traditions were hold dear.

As I’ve said early, the primary reason opt-outs are more significant today than a decade ago is simply a financial decision magnified by the NFL diminishing the rookie contract numbers far more precipitously if you aren’t an early pick. An injury in an exhibition football game that could affect combine performance or rookie year availability is potentially a hefty loss of incoming.

I don’t want to be too political but people who accept that capitalism breeds innovation need to also accept that capitalism can and will destroy tradition at a whim. It is simply a function of the structure we live in: sometimes the things you like will get chewed apart because it can be repurposed in a way to make someone or somebodies more money. Paying rookies less creates less investment risk for NFL ownership. In turn, it has made those heading to the pros have to weigh the consideration of playing an exhibition v. guarding their likely draft position (money).

This post was edited on 1/5/21 at 9:50 am