Every year many observations can be made after the first-round of the NFL Draft and 2017 is no different. This year it could be concluded that the three teams who moved up to select a quarterback Thursday night most likely reached since those particular signal callers are probably second-round talents. Something else that could be taken away from the first night of the draft, that probably flew under the radar a little bit, is that more college players who declare for the draft will skip their team’s bowl games going forward.
First-Round of NFL Draft Means More Players Will Skip Bowl Games
Both Christian McCaffrey, out of Stanford, and Leonard Fournette, out of LSU, skipped their respective team’s bowl games last season. McCaffrey declared for the NFL Draft and left Stanford prior to their matchup against UNC in the Sun Bowl. Fournette made the decision to skip LSU’s game against Louisville in the Citrus Bowl. At the time there was a lot of talk of whether or not this would wind up being a trend in coming years. With both Fournette (drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars fourth overall) and McCaffrey (selected by the Carolina Panthers eighth overall) it is easy to believe that more and more players will begin to skip their team’s respective bowl games.
An Extra Game Increases A Player’s Chance of Injury
Jaylon Smith, a linebacker out of Notre Dame, was expected to be drafted in the top-10 of the 2016 NFL Draft. But, Smith played in Notre Dames’ Fiesta Bowl game against Ohio State and ended up tearing his ACL and LCL. That injury caused Smith to not only drop out of the top-10, he didn’t even get drafted in the first round at all. Smith finally heard his name called on the second day of the draft when the Dallas Cowboys selected him with the 34th overall pick.
Yes, Smith and the Cowboys wound up agreeing to a four-year, $6.1 million deal ($2.9 million signing bonus), which is a lot of money to most people. But if Smith never sustained that terrible injury he would been drafted much higher, which would have meant a lot more money in this first contract. Smith caused his draft stock to plummet and ended up signing for far less than his talent calls for, all because he played in an essentially meaningless bowl game and got injured. Smith also wound up missing the entire 2016 NFL season as he tried to come back from the injury. Both Fournette (missed five games with an ankle injury) and McCaffrey (missed one game due to an undisclosed injury) dealt with injuries last season. Why should they risk their future to play in a game that really doesn’t mean anything? Most players are going to start seeing their NFL future is more important than playing in a bowl game no one will remember.
If A Player Has Proven To Be A First-Round Talent Skipping A Bowl Game Will Not Hurt His Draft Stock
Both Fournette and McCaffrey being selected in the first eight picks Thursday night proves that most NFL teams don’t care about a player skipping a bowl game that means nothing. It appears that the general managers, head coaches and other front office personnel for the Jaguars and Panthers don’t believe McCaffrey and Fournette skipping their respective bowl games reflects upon either player poorly.
In fact, some general managers and coaches probably believe it’s smart for certain players (those with almost nothing left to prove) to manage their health, especially if they have dealt with injuries, before they head to the next level.
Last Word
This reasoning, of course, does not pertain to players whose teams wind up in the College Football Playoff. Of course those players will suit up and take the field. But for the players who find themselves looking at a meaningless bowl game, there’s almost no upside to them playing. Plus, coaches consistently leave teams and bail on a bowl game in favor of getting a head start on their next job. The players shouldn’t be held to a different standard and it appears that NFL teams are, correctly, not holding players to a different standard. Be prepared for more and more players to use Fournette and McCaffrey as examples when considering whether or not to play in their team’s bowl game.
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