There has been a debate for years and years about what the NFL should do with the preseason. Should there be less games? Should there be more games? Should star players be out there more? Should they be out there less? Will preseason success translate into regular season success? I used to be of the mindset that there should be less preseason games, but recently I have come around to the other side and I think that the preseason is just fine as it is, and that is due to a number of different factors.
The collective bargaining agreement that the owners and players signed in 2010 has come up in multiple discussions for multiple reasons since it was signed. One of the things that the players fought for most was a reduction in full-scale hitting during practice. Long gone are two-a-day workouts with full pads and full contact for the entirety of training camp. The players wanted that, and they got that. I totally understand why they would fight for that, and it is one of the few battles that they actually did win during the bargaining negotiations. However, one of the unintended consequences of that was that it puts an inordinate amount of focus on the preseason games. I am not talking about guys like Tom Brady or Von Miller. We all know that the superstars are going to be on the field when the season opens no matter what they do in the preseason. In this case, the preseason games now mean so much more for the guys at the back end of the rosters.
The league is not made up of first round picks. Every team has its superstars, but every team has more "foot soldiers" than superstars. For those foot soldiers who may have gone undrafted and have only a slim chance of making a roster, the more game tape they have, the better. Even if those guys might not make the team they play for during the preseason, they would have a better chance of signing somewhere else if other teams had film of them during full contact drills in addition to actual games where they might not get a ton of reps.
Most practices now involve little or no full contact drills, and it takes away the ability of these guys to try to shine. Maybe a backup defensive tackle makes a nice move to get himself a shot at a ball carrier, but since contact is limited, he can't take that shot and show his tackling technique. Then when he gets a chance to play in a preseason game, maybe he doesn't get that same chance. Can he wrap up and tackle, or should we not consider him for our team? Because of a variety of factors, you can't answer that question.
I understand that this could easily be viewed as nitpicking and trivial, but I think that for guys at the back end of rosters, it should at least come into consideration. College game tape does not tell the entire story. That goes for the highest paid players in the NFL as well as the last guy on the roster. The best way for these guys to get noticed and stand out is to put together good work on film so it can be seen by the people that decide whether or not they should have jobs. Since hitting is so limited in practices, I think that these preseason games are absolutely necessary and there is no way at all that the preseason schedule should be shortened.
The main reason that prompted me to write about this today though was the injury factor. Obviously, with more contact and hitting during practices and games comes more of a chance for injury. However, one thing I do know for sure is that any current or former player you speak to would tell you that the best way to get ready for playing football in the regular season is to play football. That means running, hitting, blocking, throwing, catching, and everything else that comes along with the game. I do not feel bad for guys who can't play because of domestic abuse or because of failed drug tests. I do though, feel bad for guys who can't play because of injury. I have said this before and I will say it again. When my team plays your team, I want them both to be at full strength. I want my best to beat your best. I am not going to apologize if the Giants beat a team that has been bitten by the injury bug, but I do have sympathy for those guys that can't be out there. So that leads me to Ben Watson's torn Achilles and John Harbaugh's comments about the injury.
Watson tore his Achilles this past weekend and will now miss the season. A.J. Green suffered an injury this past weekend as well, although his was not as serious as Watson's. Ravens and Bengals fans can complain about the preseason all they want, and Harbaugh can say all he wants about "finding other ways to get guys ready," but injuries happen in football, and every team has to deal with them. What adds to my argument is that both of these guys were injured on plays that involved zero contact. Watson was away from the play and his leg gave out. Green was the intended receiver on the play, but his injury occurred before the ball even was thrown to him. Neither of these injuries had anything to do with the length of the preseason. They were both freak accidents that could have occurred at any time. If they happened during practice, the teams would have considered them as such, but since they occurred during a game they should be blamed on the fact that these guys are out there playing at full speed? I'm sorry, but I don't agree with that.
The injuries had nothing to do with the length of the preseason. At any given time, there are 22 guys out on the field playing as hard as they can. I don't care if the game is played in August or it is played in January. With these guys playing as hard as they can comes the possibility of injury. So don't tell me that too many preseason games is the reason that Watson and Green are out. There are too many guys on too many teams who only have a limited number of chances to prove their worth, and because of that, the preseason schedule should not change.
Football is a violent game, and injuries are bound to occur because of that. I don't wish an injury on any player, but if it does happen, then you just have to deal with it. You are not the first to have to do so, and you will not be the last. Ben Watson just signed a deal worth $3 million in guaranteed money. That means he is getting that money no matter what. For some guy no one has heard of to get a shot at making the Ravens roster, Watson's injury is unfortunate, but it is also a huge opportunity. Even if that guy doesn't sign with Baltimore before this season, it still gives him another chance to show the other 31 teams what he can do.
Like I said before, the preseason might not count, but it still does matter. Any game tape these back of the roster guys can put together could be the difference between them getting a shot in the NFL or having to find a new profession. So it's because of those guys that we can't cut down on the preseason games. The players bargained for less contact at practice and they got it. They wanted less practice time. That means they were the ones who may have inadvertently put more of an emphasis on the preseason games. Maybe this falls into the law of unintended consequences category, but it also falls into the consequences category.
Injuries happen, and recoveries from those injuries happen. However, second chances do not happen for many guys in this league, and because of that, it could be argued that preseason games now matter more than they ever did before, even if regular season records are not affected at all by them.
Daily Giants Update: The stance that the Giants took on the Colin Kaepernick issue was one that I liked, but I really hope that the team will realize it looks very hypocritical if they keep Josh Brown on the roster while standing against Kaepernick. Preseason cuts are on the very near horizon, so we will see what happens. I just hope that the organization realizes supporting Brown and standing against Kaepernick does not give off the best image.
Daily Diamondbacks Update: Arizona followed up a 13-0 loss with an 11-2 win, so it is truly to a point where each day is completely unpredictable. The next 21 games are all within the division, so if they can maybe go on a 19 game winning streak, the playoffs might be within reach. If not, then at least A.J. Pollock is back.
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