NFL draft and underclassmen

[Bo Darville]

One internet site said that a record 73 underclassmen entered the NFL draft last year and 17 of those did not get drafted. This year (2014) will break last year's record on early entries. Am I the only one thinking that this is getting out of hand? I understand guys leaving who are going to be first, second, or even third round picks. But there are guys leaving who will get drafted in the 7th round. There are guys who have considered it (Jameon Lewis for example) who probably would not get drafted at all. Some of these guys don't have a clue what they are getting themselves into, and what the real chances are of making an NFL roster.

[Coach34]

well, you have to understand that alot of these guys are only in school because of football. They dont give a shit about a degree. Many of them just take classes that will keep them eligible. They want to get to the NFL and it's hard to explain to someone that has put all his eggs in that basket that he isnt good enough to do it

[smootness]

Yeah, I think it's become an issue. I don't know if they're getting bad information or what. Last I read, there were already 87 early-entrants this year, and there have been some more and will be even more by tomorrow.

There will probably be close to, or more than, 100 by the time the deadline passes, and clearly not all of them will be drafted. It's strange, but I guess it's their decision. The NFL just needs to make sure the information they're giving is good information.

[Pollodawg]

What Coach said. A large number of these kids don't give a shit about getting a degree. They have one dream, and that is too play professional sports. That's the only reason they were ever in school to start with. And reality will hit them hard in April.

[Bo Darville]

well, you have to understand that alot of these guys are only in school because of football. They dont give a shit about a degree. Many of them just take classes that will keep them eligible. They want to get to the NFL and it's hard to explain to someone that has put all his eggs in that basket that he isnt good enough to do it

I think you are correct. It just baffles me when some guys consider it who would be drafted in the 14th round (not a good thing when the draft only has 7 rounds).

Cam Lawrence and Chad Bumphis are two guys who prove just how tough the NFL is. These guys were big-time players in the SEC who put up good numbers. Neither were drafted. Lawrence is hanging on the Cowboys roster by a thread and Bumphis is on a practice squad I think.

Edited to add: I know Lawrence and Bumphis were seniors. I'm not insinuating that they were underclassmen.

[Goat Holder]

Going to get worse until we let them go pro directly out of HS. Just like basketball. NFL and NBA are having their cake and eating it too.

[smootness]

Why would allowing them to go pro even earlier help the process? That would just lead to even more players who make bad decisions that hurt them long-term.

And I assume you mean 'just like baseball' rather than basketball. But baseball has a minor-league system, and they don't keep a kid from playing college if they aren't drafted or choose not to play professionally after they are drafted.

Football already has the 'you can't leave until 3 years after you enter college if you go to college' part of the baseball rule; including the option to go pro out of HS will help hardly anyone, especially considering that the NFL might draft one or two kids every several years out of HS, and that's it.

You could change the rules to where if you aren't drafted, you can go to school anyway, but all that would do is ensure that no HS player ever gets drafted in the NFL. The NFL doesn't have draft slots to throw away like baseball does.

I have no issue with the NFL and NBA 'having their cake and eating it, too'. I think it's best for everyone involved.

In basketball now, you have fewer players making bad decisions by going pro out of HS and ruining their careers without giving themselves a chance to get a college scholarship. That's a good thing.

[messageboardsuperhero]

Going to get worse until we let them go pro directly out of HS. Just like basketball. NFL and NBA are having their cake and eating it too.

I agree about basketball, but an 18 year-old straight out of high school would be eaten alive in the NFL.

The NFL needs to set up a committee of former coaches, scouts, GMs, etc., who have to approve each early entry into the draft. Another problem is the agents- they will tell a kid everything he wants to hear about how high they'll be drafted just to get a cut of the money. The agents don't give a shit about the player's well-being, but some college players buy everything they say.

[BoomBoom]

One internet site said that a record 73 underclassmen entered the NFL draft last year and 17 of those did not get drafted. This year (2014) will break last year's record on early entries. Am I the only one thinking that this is getting out of hand? I understand guys leaving who are going to be first, second, or even third round picks. But there are guys leaving who will get drafted in the 7th round. There are guys who have considered it (Jameon Lewis for example) who probably would not get drafted at all. Some of these guys don't have a clue what they are getting themselves into, and what the real chances are of making an NFL roster.

Why is a 'sound decision' equated with being drafted? Non-drafted FAs and practice squad guys still make 6 figures, right? Would you forgo a 6 figure salary to stay in college for another year for a degree you'll never use? Especially if your career will likely be over by 30?

[smootness]

No, they don't make 6 figures. Practice squad guys do make just shy of that, though, but that's only if they stay on the practice squad all season. If they stay all 17 weeks, they'll earn just under $100,000 for the year but the downside is that they can be cut at any point and won't receive any further compensation. UFA's are the same...they generally sign some small bonus (nowhere close to 6 figures), then try to make the team. If they don't make the team, it's up in the air. Maybe they go to the practice squad, maybe they don't.

It can be a decent gig, or it can leave you out in the cold. Sure, you can also go to the CFL or find another way to make some money, but it doesn't compare to the amount you can make if you make an NFL roster...and staying in school could give most of these guys a much better chance of doing that.

[maroonmania]

On the basketball side it really amazes me how difficult it is to make and stay on an NBA roster. For MSU players for example you have an SEC Player of the Year in Lawrence Roberts (back when the SEC was better than it is now) and he couldn't stay on a roster and then all of the other good players we've had over the last 20 years and really the only guy out of that whole time that truly made the NBA a career was Dampier. Most of it is just a sheer numbers game but its just MUCH easier to make the NFL as a career than trying to do so in the NBA. Of course the other factor these days in the NBA is international players taking up such a large number of roster spots.

[Dawg61]

Football is a violent sport with a limited shelf life for these players. If I'm physically ready for the NFL I am headed there too. I'm not letting the college game take away a year of substantial pay from my pro career. Now the weighing option comes into play if I could wait a year and move into the 1st round where the pay will be significantly higher with a higher guarantee. How much is a year of the college life worth to you because that's essentially what you are paying to stay in college by not getting your NFL salary that year. $800,000+ all sorts of perks and other incentives is really really hard to pass up.

[Dawg61]

On the basketball side it really amazes me how difficult it is to make and stay on an NBA roster. For MSU players for example you have an SEC Player of the Year in Lawrence Roberts (back when the SEC was better than it is now) and he couldn't stay on a roster and then all of the other good players we've had over the last 20 years and really the only guy out of that whole time that truly made the NBA a career was Dampier. Most of it is just a sheer numbers game but its just MUCH easier to make the NFL as a career than trying to do so in the NBA. Of course the other factor these days in the NBA is international players taking up such a large number of roster spots.

Good post. It is so difficult to make an NBA roster. Which baffles me as to why Travis Outlaw is still playing in the NBA.

[TexasDawg]

Going to get worse until we let them go pro directly out of HS. Just like basketball. NFL and NBA are having their cake and eating it too.

JJ Watt could literally kill an 18 year old kid on the field. Hell no they shouldn't skip college

[Dawg61]

JJ Watt could literally kill an 18 year old kid on the field. Hell no they shouldn't skip college

Haha this must be why Ray Lewis retired. Doesn't want to get tried for murder a second time.

[Goat Holder]

I'm a little ahead of you here. I meant that football is going to get WORSE just like basketball. Anyone with a brain knows that MLB/NCAA baseball have the formula figured out in baseball. It's the best situation for the schools, the athletes and the pros. So in essence, I disagree with you on the NBA's and NFL's way of doing things.

I think the NFL and NBA should fund a developmental league, or just be very selective. If nobody gets drafted out of HS, that's fine. And in basketball, they really should go back to the 20 year old minimum if you choose to go to school. Just like baseball.

And I don't really care about these guys ruining their careers. It's a win/win for them as it is. The best ones go pro and if don't, go to school. If you screw that up then it's your fault. A lot of these guys are just making a mockery out of the 'student athlete' anyway. Kentucky basketball is the absolute worst. That shit is just uncalled for.

[Bo Darville]

Why is a 'sound decision' equated with being drafted? Non-drafted FAs and practice squad guys still make 6 figures, right? Would you forgo a 6 figure salary to stay in college for another year for a degree you'll never use? Especially if your career will likely be over by 30?

Fair assessment and I don't necessarily disagree. I'm mainly talking about the guys who are going to struggle to make a roster or practice squad. There are many more players that don't make it than there are players that do make it.\

Let's take 2 draft-eligible sophomores. If McKinney comes out, he has a reasonable chance to make some money at the game. Draft status is okay, odds of making a team are good, must stay away from injuries. He stands a good shot at getting a paycheck of some sort. If Morrow comes out, his chances are not good. He doesn't get drafted, and his odds of even making a practice squad are slim. So you must weigh the odds. Too many are coming out with the odds stacked against them.

[TexasDawg]

I'm a little ahead of you here. I meant that football is going to get WORSE just like basketball. Anyone with a brain knows that MLB/NCAA baseball have the formula figured out in baseball. It's the best situation for the schools, the athletes and the pros. So in essence, I disagree with you on the NBA's and NFL's way of doing things.

I think the NFL and NBA should fund a developmental league, or just be very selective. If nobody gets drafted out of HS, that's fine. And in basketball, they really should go back to the 20 year old minimum if you choose to go to school. Just like baseball.

And I don't really care about these guys ruining their careers. It's a win/win for them as it is. The best ones go pro and if don't, go to school. If you screw that up then it's your fault. A lot of these guys are just making a mockery out of the 'student athlete' anyway. Kentucky basketball is the absolute worst. That shit is just uncalled for.

As far as the NBA goes there is a development league.

[Goat Holder]

Like Jadaveon Clowney? Tell me again why that dude should be made to go to college? Todd Marinovich is probably another that would have been better served going straight to the NFL. Not all of them, but some. Jerrell Powe might have even made it had he done that. Maurice Clarett is another. Marcus Dupree probably could have done it. Chad Jones from LSU could have too. Julio Jones, Bryce Brown.....come on, man. They don't need to f*ck with college.

It's definitely not for everybody. This is for some of the guys who could actually hurt people in college.

[Bo Darville]

JJ Watt could literally kill an 18 year old kid on the field. Hell no they shouldn't skip college


That is actually the reason that the NFL has always given for not allowing high school draftees. Football is such a physical game compared to baseball and basketball. 18-year olds need time for their bodies to physically mature. Fletcher Cox weighed 240 during the spring of his senior year of high school (when the NFL could have drafted him if rules allowed). 240 pound defensive tackles can't handle the NFL.

[TexasDawg]

The top link is a pic of Clowney in HS, bottom one is him in college. I am sorry but you can't tell me that college didn't help prepare him physically for the NFL

http://images.maxpreps.com/site_images/editorial/article/d/8/7/d87b0df7-05d7-df11-9889-001cc494a4ac/8cfd3664-b5d7-df11-9889-001cc494a4ac_original.jpg

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/si/dam/assets/131006171920-jadeveonclowney-100613-single-image-cut.jpg

[Pollodawg]

I don't really see how letting kids get drafted earlier is going to make it better......In fact, it could make it worse from a health and well being standpoint. There isn't a high school football player out there whose body is conditioned to go from high school to the NFL.

[Bo Darville]

Like Jadaveon Clowney? Tell me again why that dude should be made to go to college? Todd Marinovich is probably another that would have been better served going straight to the NFL. Not all of them, but some. Jerrell Powe might have even made it had he done that. Maurice Clarett is another. Marcus Dupree probably could have done it. Chad Jones from LSU could have too. Julio Jones, Bryce Brown.....come on, man. They don't need to f*ck with college.

It's definitely not for everybody. This is for some of the guys who could actually hurt people in college.

The NFL would need to expand rosters to allow for teams to stash some young guys while they physically develop and mature. Clowney was 235 pounds when he signed with South Carolina.

[smootness]

Like Jadaveon Clowney? Tell me again why that dude should be made to go to college? Todd Marinovich is probably another that would have been better served going straight to the NFL. Not all of them, but some. Jerrell Powe might have even made it had he done that. Maurice Clarett is another. Marcus Dupree probably could have done it. Chad Jones from LSU could have too. Julio Jones, Bryce Brown.....come on, man. They don't need to f*ck with college.

It's definitely not for everybody. This is for some of the guys who could actually hurt people in college.

Dude....no.

And it doesn't really help your point by including guys who didn't make it in the NFL even after going to school...like Marinovich, Clarett, Bryce Brown. You're telling me players who are marginal NFL players or complete busts after being in college for a few years to prepare didn't need to go to college? That they were ready to play in the NFL after HS? Gigantic LOL on that one.

ETA: FWIW, I may agree with you on Dupree. Like I said, there may be a guy or two every once in a while that the NFL is willing to take a chance on, but they are few and far between. Most of the ones you cited definitely don't apply.

[smootness]

The NFL would need to expand rosters to allow for teams to stash some young guys while they physically develop and mature. Clowney was 235 pounds when he signed with South Carolina.

No teams are going to be willing to do that. The reason it works in baseball is because their years of team control don't kick in until they make the majors. In the NFL, their contract would begin immediately, yet you'd have to sit them out a couple of years to 'develop' them. By the time they're ready, you may get them for one year before they hit FA.

And there's no way riding the bench in the NFL is going to prepare you as well as playing in the SEC would. NFL coaches do not care about developing players, for the most part. They want to plug players into their scheme and let it go.

[Goat Holder]

Think outside the box for once. The failures of all those natural freak athletes was not due to lack of athleticism, pal. It was from the pressures of this, that, whatever, that they ran into in college. College does not prepare everyone for the NFL. College ruins some guys' careers as well. For that matter, there will NEVER be a fail-safe way to do this. People have to make decisions for themselves. Marinovich just flat out didn't want to play football after he made the NFL. There's nothing another college was going to do to help him. Those guys I listed PERFECTLY made my point. I guess I need to quit assuming you are grasping the basic premises here...I mean obviously I realize that college is going to produce many 'developed' players and will be good for the vast majority.

I am, however, willing to give a little on high schoolers going straight to the NFL. A development 'minor-league' would be the top choice (get rid of Arena and all that shit), but if the NFL will not do that, send the top athletes to JUCO where they can go pro at any time. You can do this in baseball as well. Best case scenario for the athletes and it protects the integrity of the institutions.

[smootness]

Think outside the box for once. The failures of all those natural freak athletes was not due to lack of athleticism, pal. It was from the pressures of this, that, whatever, that they ran into in college. College does not prepare everyone for the NFL. College ruins some guys' careers as well. For that matter, there will NEVER be a fail-safe way to do this. People have to make decisions for themselves. Marinovich just flat out didn't want to play football after he made the NFL. There's nothing another college was going to do to help him.

I am, however, willing to give a little on high schoolers going straight to the NFL. A development 'minor-league' would be the top choice (get rid of Arena and all that shit), but if the NFL will not do that, send the top athletes to JUCO where they can go pro at any time. You can do this in baseball as well. Best case scenario for the athletes and it protects the integrity of the institutions.

There's no outside-the-box thinking needed. Clarett failed because he wasn't fast enough. He was drafted in the 3rd round, he had his chance. The NFL doesn't get rid of players who are good enough for any personal issues, at least not early in their career. He just wasn't good enough. Pretending he would have been with less time in college is crazy.

Todd Marinovich also got his shot. He was in the NFL. He busted out due to mediocre play, the fact that his coaches claimed he couldn't learn the playbook, and his drug issues. Pretending that had he come straight out of HS, he would have been able to pick up offenses and succeed and would not have had drug issues is also crazy. I don't care about his athleticism or arm...this is the case of a guy who needed more time to prepare and get himself right before entering the NFL, not less.

Bryce Brown is in the NFL now. Who cares about his off-field issues in college at this point? They have no bearing on his career. He is a pretty good RB who doesn't start, and it has nothing to do with the fact that he spent too much time out of HS before entering the league. Coming straight out of HS wouldn't suddenly make him a better RB that a team would be willing to start.

[Bo Darville]

No teams are going to be willing to do that. The reason it works in baseball is because their years of team control don't kick in until they make the majors. In the NFL, their contract would begin immediately, yet you'd have to sit them out a couple of years to 'develop' them. By the time they're ready, you may get them for one year before they hit FA.

And there's no way riding the bench in the NFL is going to prepare you as well as playing in the SEC would. NFL coaches do not care about developing players, for the most part. They want to plug players into their scheme and let it go.

100% agree. That is why guys need to wait 3 years. The NFL would need to allow high schoolers to physically mature (minor leagues or extra roster spots), and they aren't going to want to do that.

[ShotgunDawg]

I don't see what the problem is. All players go to college for at least 3 years.

Unlike basketball and baseball, College Football allows you to see the cream of the crop best players on the planet for at least 3 years. No other college sport is better.

I think college football has it better than any other college sport, but, no matter the system, you can't legislate stupidity and no matter how good the scouting information, you can't completely legislate Agents that don't care about the player and family members that believe their isn't anyway that their pride and joy can't play in the NFL.

In the end, it comes down to the education level, down to Earth thinking, and awareness of the player.

I hope they keep the college system like this for eternity, there will be eb and flows with more players declaring in some years than other, but it beats the hell of out of college basketball, where we only get the good players for 1 year, and college baseball, where for the most part, we have to watch inferior talent.

College Football has it right, and as long as the NFL keeps rosters at 53 and there is only a 7 round draft, players declaring like this year, is only a minor glitch in an otherwise awesome system for fans, schools, and TV.

Keep it the way it is

[Coach34]

Exactly Shotgun

NFL and MLB rules are the same- you have to go to college for 3 years. People just get in an uproar because some guys redshirt that 1st year- then blossom like McKinney.

[maroonmania]

Exactly Shotgun

NFL and MLB rules are the same- you have to go to college for 3 years. People just get in an uproar because some guys redshirt that 1st year- then blossom like McKinney.

Well the primary difference is this "declaring" stuff. MLB can draft ANY JR they want and then the college player can decide if he wants to take the deal or come back to college. That is a MUCH better system than a guy "declaring" and losing his amateur status just by going through the draft before he even knows for certain where he ends up in the draft OR if he gets drafted at all. I know it all comes down to the fact that NFL has very few rounds (as compared to MLB) and feels like they can't take the risk of a guy turning down the offer and going back to college but the fact remains that the MLB system is MUCH more player friendly.

[dawgs]

Well the primary difference is this "declaring" stuff. MLB can draft ANY JR they want and then the college player can decide if he wants to take the deal or come back to college. That is a MUCH better system than a guy "declaring" and losing his amateur status just by going through the draft before he even knows for certain where he ends up in the draft OR if he gets drafted at all. I know it all comes down to the fact that NFL has very few rounds (as compared to MLB) and feels like they can't take the risk of a guy turning down the offer and going back to college but the fact remains that the MLB system is MUCH more player friendly.

this i agree with. imo, there needs to be a system in place that allows MBB and CFB players to return to school if they go undrafted or don't like their draft spot and contract offer. that's what ruins careers. i know you now have to add in the extra rules regarding agents acting as advisers like in baseball, but not as an agent with a signed deal, but that shouldn't be too difficult since the rules are already in place for baseball. but when a guy either gets bad information or maybe has a bad combine/pro day or feels the pressure to declare and he doesn't get drafted, it just seems counterproductive to tell him tough shit and not allow him to return for his senior season and to, ideally, finish off his degree.

[Goat Holder]

There's no outside-the-box thinking needed. Clarett failed because he wasn't fast enough. He was drafted in the 3rd round, he had his chance. The NFL doesn't get rid of players who are good enough for any personal issues, at least not early in their career. He just wasn't good enough. Pretending he would have been with less time in college is crazy.

Disagree. He spent like 2 years out of sports altogether and got fat. Same thing happened to Marcus Dupree. Clarett was absolutely NFL-capable.


Todd Marinovich also got his shot. He was in the NFL. He busted out due to mediocre play, the fact that his coaches claimed he couldn't learn the playbook, and his drug issues. Pretending that had he come straight out of HS, he would have been able to pick up offenses and succeed and would not have had drug issues is also crazy. I don't care about his athleticism or arm...this is the case of a guy who needed more time to prepare and get himself right before entering the NFL, not less.

Maybe, maybe not. College didn't help him much though, and it's pretty obvious he was likely 'less f*cked up' coming out of HS than he was coming out of USC.


Bryce Brown is in the NFL now. Who cares about his off-field issues in college at this point? They have no bearing on his career. He is a pretty good RB who doesn't start, and it has nothing to do with the fact that he spent too much time out of HS before entering the league. Coming straight out of HS wouldn't suddenly make him a better RB that a team would be willing to start.

It's not just about them getting their 'shot'. This sort of thing would help cut down on players getting paid by boosters as well. None of the boosters can come anywhere close to what the NFL can pay, even league minimum. Booster gifts are chump change.

Let me say that I don't care about keeping the best players in college. I care more about the rivalries of the different schools. And it gets away from that when the kids are only concerned about getting to the NFL.

[smootness]

Maybe, maybe not. College didn't help him much though, and it's pretty obvious he was likely 'less f*cked up' coming out of HS than he was coming out of USC.

My point is that it's insane to think the pressures and opportunities at USC got to him but that the greater pressures and opportunities in the NFL wouldn't.

He got himself screwed up partially because in HS and growing up, all he did was train to be a QB at his dad's direction. He didn't do anything outside of school, didn't have many friends, etc. His whole life was dedicated to playing QB and doing what his dad told him to do. Once he got to USC, he had freedom, and he went wild. In the NFL, he would have had even greater freedom and more opportunities. No way would he have come out of that less screwed up than he was at USC.

[Goat Holder]

OK, but that doesn't prove or disprove my point. All that means is that Marinovich was f*cked up. But my big issue was that college was an unnecessary step for him, as it is for many athletes.

[dawgs]

Disagree. He spent like 2 years out of sports altogether and got fat. Same thing happened to Marcus Dupree. Clarett was absolutely NFL-capable.


clarett was evaluated as 3rd or so round talent even as a freshman and questions about his speed were already being posed when he was a freshman. his entire life for 2 years was to bust his ass to stay in shape and improve his speed and the reward would be millions, and his ass still didn't find the motivation to work out. that sounds like he had a discipline problem that wouldn't have been solved by going from HS to college.

[Coach34]

Well the primary difference is this "declaring" stuff. MLB can draft ANY JR they want and then the college player can decide if he wants to take the deal or come back to college. That is a MUCH better system than a guy "declaring" and losing his amateur status just by going through the draft before he even knows for certain where he ends up in the draft OR if he gets drafted at all. I know it all comes down to the fact that NFL has very few rounds (as compared to MLB) and feels like they can't take the risk of a guy turning down the offer and going back to college but the fact remains that the MLB system is MUCH more player friendly.

good point. Should be a system in place to allow these guys to get back in school

[ShotgunDawg]

Well the primary difference is this "declaring" stuff. MLB can draft ANY JR they want and then the college player can decide if he wants to take the deal or come back to college. That is a MUCH better system than a guy "declaring" and losing his amateur status just by going through the draft before he even knows for certain where he ends up in the draft OR if he gets drafted at all. I know it all comes down to the fact that NFL has very few rounds (as compared to MLB) and feels like they can't take the risk of a guy turning down the offer and going back to college but the fact remains that the MLB system is MUCH more player friendly.

I'll use my post from the other day to explain why football is different:

I think it has to do with the nature of the sport and draft.

In baseball, there are 40 rounds to the draft and, even 1st round picks, usually take 2 or 3 years to get to the big leagues. Therefore, not signing one of your picks isn't that devastating. MLB teams are drafting to acquire talent, not to fill a current hole on their roster. NFL teams are drafting to fill a hole on their roster.

Imagine, if Andrew Luck was drafted by the Colts, decided he didn't want to play for the Colts, and returned to Stanford.

The Colts' franchise would be devastated, and will have lost their 1st round pick.

The NFL only has a 7 round draft and with the amount of injuries in the sport, NFL teams simply can't afford to not sign a draft pick.

Furthermore, the baseball draft is much more of crap shoot than the NFL draft, so players should have a better idea where they are going.

The NFL also has the combine. Due to that, the pool of eligible players needs to narrowed down.

There's a 1-week grace period after Jan. 15 underclassman deadline. If kids haven't signed an agent, they can "un-declare", return to school

Plus, with national signing day in February, coaches need to know how many scholarships they will have; thus underclassmen needing to declare. In baseball, there are partial scholarships, so coaches can adjust percentages to make things work. In football, you can't do that.

[maroonmania]

I'll use my post from the other day to explain why football is different:

I think it has to do with the nature of the sport and draft.

In baseball, there are 40 rounds to the draft and, even 1st round picks, usually take 2 or 3 years to get to the big leagues. Therefore, not signing one of your picks isn't that devastating. MLB teams are drafting to acquire talent, not to fill a current hole on their roster. NFL teams are drafting to fill a hole on their roster.

Imagine, if Andrew Luck was drafted by the Colts, decided he didn't want to play for the Colts, and returned to Stanford.

The Colts' franchise would be devastated, and will have lost their 1st round pick.

The NFL only has a 7 round draft and with the amount of injuries in the sport, NFL teams simply can't afford to not sign a draft pick.

Furthermore, the baseball draft is much more of crap shoot than the NFL draft, so players should have a better idea where they are going.

The NFL also has the combine. Due to that, the pool of eligible players needs to narrowed down.

There's a 1-week grace period after Jan. 15 underclassman deadline. If kids haven't signed an agent, they can "un-declare", return to school

Plus, with national signing day in February, coaches need to know how many scholarships they will have; thus underclassmen needing to declare. In baseball, there are partial scholarships, so coaches can adjust percentages to make things work. In football, you can't do that.

I've heard all that and what I'm saying is that the current rules are set in place to fully protect the NFL, NOBODY CARES about the players. No way can you say that the MLB and NFL drafts are set up the same because they aren't. The only way a 1st round pick like an Andrew Luck is going to not sign is if they are holding out ala Eli Manning style because they didn't get picked by a team they want to play for. Except the holding out in this case would allow them to return to college instead of sitting around and doing nothing. Well that could be worked around. You could make it where that if you are picked in the first 4 rounds of the draft EVEN if you go back and play another year in college your NFL rights are still held by the team that drafted you once you come out. That would protect the NFL teams while still allowing guys that are picked very low or not picked at all the chance to have some freedom to go back and improve their stock. NFL teams would KNOW they are taking a risk by drafting an underclassman in a low round. There are ways around all of this stuff but the NFL teams aren't worried about it and the colleges don't want to buck them I guess. The NFL doesn't determine college eligibility, colleges do.

[dawgs]

I've heard all that and what I'm saying is that the current rules are set in place to fully protect the NFL, NOBODY CARES about the players. No way can you say that the MLB and NFL drafts are set up the same because they aren't. The only way a 1st round pick like an Andrew Luck is going to not sign is if they are holding out ala Eli Manning style because they didn't get picked by a team they want to play for. Except the holding out in this case would allow them to return to college instead of sitting around and doing nothing. Well that could be worked around. You could make it where that if you are picked in the first 4 rounds of the draft EVEN if you go back and play another year in college your NFL rights are still held by the team that drafted you once you come out. That would protect the NFL teams while still allowing guys that are picked very low or not picked at all the chance to have some freedom to go back and improve their stock. NFL teams would KNOW they are taking a risk by drafting an underclassman in a low round. There are ways around all of this stuff but the NFL teams aren't worried about it and the colleges don't want to buck them I guess. The NFL doesn't determine college eligibility, colleges do.

i was about to post a similar response. either if a guy is drafted in the 5th-7th round, he has the option to return, or all undrafted players are eligible to return, or maybe make it so that teams hold the rights to a player if they draft them, even if the player returns to college for another year. like you said, there are ways to work around it.

the most difficult problem i could see is the scholarship issue. but that's something that could be addressed on a case-by-case and program-by-program basis.

[ShotgunDawg]

i was about to post a similar response. either if a guy is drafted in the 5th-7th round, he has the option to return, or all undrafted players are eligible to return, or maybe make it so that teams hold the rights to a player if they draft them, even if the player returns to college for another year. like you said, there are ways to work around it.

the most difficult problem i could see is the scholarship issue. but that's something that could be addressed on a case-by-case and program-by-program basis.

I would also be ok with 4th and 5th rounders and undrafted players having the option to come back, but you have to figure out the scholarship issue.

Baseball allows to adjust scholarship percentages to make it work. Football doesn't have that option, and this why it's "of you declare, your gone."

[THE Bruce Dickinson]

Al of those guys needed to go to college. An 18 year old kid would get physically pounded by a 28 year old man who is physically and mentally more mature. Hell, half of those guys you just named can't make it in the NFL after college. People who make the kind of statements that you just made are people who don't watch enough NFL. The difference in talent between college and the pros is a huge gap.