Around the NFL: Rule Changes and the Bucking Bronco

This time period, between the end of the pro days and the NFL Draft, is always a difficult time for football fans. We’re forced to pay attention to trade rumors, player squabbles, final waves of free agency, and College Basketball… very upset about my Terps by the way. So what is there to talk about during this oh-so-inactive time period leading up to my favorite day in April? Luckily, the owners had a meeting and there are now a few things to discuss:

Rule Changes

The NFL agreed to make some rule changes, and they all pretty much make sense to me. While most football fans complain that they’re not letting players play the game and that football is meant to be tough, these really do make sense. I thought the Hines Ward hit on Keith Rivers last year was a great football play. I also thought it was extremely dangerous and I wasn’t surprised to see the new rule in place prohibiting helmet-to-helmet blindside blocks. The problem will be in the judgment call of the refs, and just like a lot of unnecessary roughness penalties, some callers will flag it more often than others. It’s a progressive league and players will adapt to it. To even out that rule, the league also created a new rule protecting defenseless receivers from taking initial head-shots, and not the type that Jason Taylor takes for his acting career. I think the NFL is just trying to cut down on head-hunting in the league, and overall I don’t really have an issue with it. Other rule changes include: changing the draft seeding so that playoff teams can’t get a top 20 pick; amending instant replay to include QB fumbles versus incomplete passes and kickoffs going out of bounds; no more than five players can pursue an onside kick; and no more than two players can comprise a wedge on a kick return. The last rule is kind of lame, but overall I don’t really have an issue with the changes. While I admit that in some ways the NFL is going soft, I think that these rules make enough sense to embrace them for what they are: measures to protect players from severe and life-threatening injuries.

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Longer Season?

Another possible change coming out of the owner’s meetings is the potential for an extended regular season. At first I was excited about this. A longer season means more meaningful games, which in turn means more football for me to enjoy. After further thought though, I’ve decided I’m against the idea. The suggestion is to replace one or two of the pre-season games with the same amount of regular season games, extending the regular season to 17 or 18 total games from the existing 16. I would be more excited about this if we had a really solid development league in place. While there is one on the verge of being created that will parallel the NFL season, I think that we’re a ways away from knowing whether or not it will succeed. Overall, I have two main issues with extending the regular season in this way:

First, guys have a hard enough time staying healthy throughout 16 games and I really think they’ll wear down with two extra games. People say it’s the same amount of games, but the stars will in fact be playing more minutes, more downs, and receive more hits. This can shorten the careers of players, particularly running backs who already tend to plateau at age 30, and could also affect the quality of the playoffs, as guys will likely be more fatigued and there will also be more injuries to key players.

Second, I think that this will really cripple teams’ depth and also the feel-good stories of undrafted free-agents and late rounders making rosters. While I’m sure this won’t completely stifle the emergence of another Tony Romo or Antonio Gates, I can’t help but to think of how many guys like Ben-Jarvus Green-Ellis and Davone Bess might slip through the cracks. This is why I would feel a little differently if there was an established development league. Many people have issues with the fact that records would be broken, the schedule rotation wouldn’t be quite as simple to put together, and other thoughts. Many others think this is a good idea. What do you think? Email me your thoughts at letstalknfl@hotmail.com.

The Bucking Bronco

The Jay Cutler saga has been going on for about a month now. The young quarterback is upset over trade possibilities arising and over what he believes to be dishonesty and a lack of support from new Head Coach Josh McDaniels. Now Cutler is demanding a trade and I figured I’d offer my take on the situation. While I completely understand the concept of a Head Coach having full control over his team and the idea that it’s his discretion to do whatever he feels is best for the team, I have to believe that there’s a better way McDaniels could have handled the situation. Do I think that Cutler is whining a little too much and that he should just shut up and be a professional? Yes I do. Do I blame him for his actions though? I don’t blame him at all. He’s someone who has made strides each year he’s been in the league and he made the Pro Bowl this year. Then he sees his Head Coach and his offensive coordinator go away. Then the new coach comes in and tries to trade him, replacing him with someone less established and probably less talented. I personally believe that Matt Cassel is not better than Jay Cutler by the way. Because of this, I understand where Jay Cutler is coming from. In the end, McDaniels needs to do a better job of diffusing this situation. I’m not saying that coddling is necessary, but one of the jobs of the head coach is to promote synergy on the team. Part of that is doing what has to be done to keep everyone productive. I think that Cutler would very likely settle down if McDaniels reached out to him and told him straight up that he’s the guy to lead the Denver Broncos for the next decade. I just don’t think he’s gotten that kind of vote of confidence from his coach, and a quarterback needs that in order to succeed. Just my two cents.

Until next week, enjoy the sweet sixteen games!

By Brandon Niles
ProFootball-fans.com Staff Writer