[fullmetal]

I don't think it's so much moral authority as reasonable justification, especially if that senior plays the most injury-prone position in the game and has a chance at being drafted very highly.

In the end, it's their bodies that are taking the beating, and again, if CMac is willing to give up his senior season for the draft, he might as well give up everything else to prep for the draft.  Plus, who knows if there's something lingering from this season or last season that needs to be taken care of medically before the draft...

And yes, for a more meaningful game, CMac would have a much harder decision.  But it is what it is.  The Sun Bowl is no national championship.  And he's done a lot for this program already.

[fullmetal]

I don't think it's so much moral authority as reasonable justification, especially if that senior plays the most injury-prone position in the game and has a chance at being drafted very highly.

In the end, it's their bodies that are taking the beating, and again, if CMac is willing to give up his senior season for the draft, he might as well give up everything else to prep for the draft.  Plus, who knows if there's something lingering from this season or last season that needs to be taken care of medically before the draft...

And yes, for a more meaningful game, CMac would have a much harder decision.  But it is what it is.  The Sun Bowl is no national championship.  And he's done a lot for this program already.

[fullmetal]

I don't think it's so much moral authority as reasonable justification, especially if that senior plays the most injury-prone position in the game and has a chance at being drafted very highly.

In the end, it's their bodies that are taking the beating, and again, if CMac is willing to give up his senior season for the draft, he might as well give up everything else to prep for the draft.  Plus, who knows if there's something lingering from this season or last season that needs to be taken care of medically before the draft...

And yes, for a more meaningful game, CMac would have a much harder decision.  But it is what it is.  The Sun Bowl is no national championship.  And he's done a lot for this program already.

[fullmetal]

I don't think it's so much moral authority as reasonable justification, especially if that senior plays the most injury-prone position in the game and has a chance at being drafted very highly.

In the end, it's their bodies that are taking the beating, and again, if CMac is willing to give up his senior season for the draft, he might as well give up everything else to prep for the draft.  Plus, who knows if there's something lingering from this season or last season that needs to be taken care of medically before the draft...

And yes, for a more meaningful game, CMac would have a much harder decision.  But it is what it is.  The Sun Bowl is no national championship.  And he's done a lot for this program already.

[fullmetal]

I think CMac made a justifiable decision.  I wish I would see him play in a couple of weeks, but I can't fault him for this.  I want to see him play on Sunday for many years to come.

[fullmetal]

I think CMac made a justifiable decision.  I wish I would see him play in a couple of weeks, but I can't fault him for this.  I want to see him play on Sunday for many years to come.

[fullmetal]

I think CMac made a justifiable decision.  I wish I would see him play in a couple of weeks, but I can't fault him for this.  I want to see him play on Sunday for many years to come.

[fullmetal]

I think CMac made a justifiable decision.  I wish I would see him play in a couple of weeks, but I can't fault him for this.  I want to see him play on Sunday for many years to come.

[DC 86]

I have to assume that Christian's father and his prospective agents took the NFL's temperature on this before making such a big decision.

There are many unsophisticated players susceptible to being fed uninformed advice by underqualified agents or runners, but Christian's situation is the exact opposite of that, so my conclusion is that NFL teams view his decision positively and actively encouraged it.

[DC 86]

I have to assume that Christian's father and his prospective agents took the NFL's temperature on this before making such a big decision.

There are many unsophisticated players susceptible to being fed uninformed advice by underqualified agents or runners, but Christian's situation is the exact opposite of that, so my conclusion is that NFL teams view his decision positively and actively encouraged it.

[DC 86]

I have to assume that Christian's father and his prospective agents took the NFL's temperature on this before making such a big decision.

There are many unsophisticated players susceptible to being fed uninformed advice by underqualified agents or runners, but Christian's situation is the exact opposite of that, so my conclusion is that NFL teams view his decision positively and actively encouraged it.

[DC 86]

I have to assume that Christian's father and his prospective agents took the NFL's temperature on this before making such a big decision.

There are many unsophisticated players susceptible to being fed uninformed advice by underqualified agents or runners, but Christian's situation is the exact opposite of that, so my conclusion is that NFL teams view his decision positively and actively encouraged it.

[Snorlax94]

Well I am baffled and disappointed to hear this. This post is where I learned about it.

I think it may ultimately may affect Christian's draft stock for two reasons:
#1) I was trying to figure out why he did this, and my best guess is that perhaps earlier this season he was injured worse than is known, that he may be banged up now, and that he is concerned about aggravating his injuries. So this may make teams question his ability to last through long, brutal NFL seasons.
#2)  I imagine that college coaches can influence a lot of NFL recruiters, and that Shaw is well-respected in the NFL. Of course I think Shaw will give a glowing recommendation, but the advocacy may not be quite as enthusiastic as it was for, say, Luck. Just look what happened to Oregon's Colt Lyerla, who I thought was an incredible athlete yet went undrafted (though I am not trying to make an overall comparison, I think it would be insane for McCaffrey to go past the second round).

But still, it only *might* affect his draft stock.  This might matter to some teams, it might not matter to most. The question is whether this matters to the first team that was going to draft him.

That said, I wish him the best. He certainly did so much for the team.

[Snorlax94]

Well I am baffled and disappointed to hear this. This post is where I learned about it.

I think it may ultimately may affect Christian's draft stock for two reasons:
#1) I was trying to figure out why he did this, and my best guess is that perhaps earlier this season he was injured worse than is known, that he may be banged up now, and that he is concerned about aggravating his injuries. So this may make teams question his ability to last through long, brutal NFL seasons.
#2)  I imagine that college coaches can influence a lot of NFL recruiters, and that Shaw is well-respected in the NFL. Of course I think Shaw will give a glowing recommendation, but the advocacy may not be quite as enthusiastic as it was for, say, Luck. Just look what happened to Oregon's Colt Lyerla, who I thought was an incredible athlete yet went undrafted (though I am not trying to make an overall comparison, I think it would be insane for McCaffrey to go past the second round).

But still, it only *might* affect his draft stock.  This might matter to some teams, it might not matter to most. The question is whether this matters to the first team that was going to draft him.

That said, I wish him the best. He certainly did so much for the team.

[Snorlax94]

Well I am baffled and disappointed to hear this. This post is where I learned about it.

I think it may ultimately may affect Christian's draft stock for two reasons:
#1) I was trying to figure out why he did this, and my best guess is that perhaps earlier this season he was injured worse than is known, that he may be banged up now, and that he is concerned about aggravating his injuries. So this may make teams question his ability to last through long, brutal NFL seasons.
#2)  I imagine that college coaches can influence a lot of NFL recruiters, and that Shaw is well-respected in the NFL. Of course I think Shaw will give a glowing recommendation, but the advocacy may not be quite as enthusiastic as it was for, say, Luck. Just look what happened to Oregon's Colt Lyerla, who I thought was an incredible athlete yet went undrafted (though I am not trying to make an overall comparison, I think it would be insane for McCaffrey to go past the second round).

But still, it only *might* affect his draft stock.  This might matter to some teams, it might not matter to most. The question is whether this matters to the first team that was going to draft him.

That said, I wish him the best. He certainly did so much for the team.

[Snorlax94]

Well I am baffled and disappointed to hear this. This post is where I learned about it.

I think it may ultimately may affect Christian's draft stock for two reasons:
#1) I was trying to figure out why he did this, and my best guess is that perhaps earlier this season he was injured worse than is known, that he may be banged up now, and that he is concerned about aggravating his injuries. So this may make teams question his ability to last through long, brutal NFL seasons.
#2)  I imagine that college coaches can influence a lot of NFL recruiters, and that Shaw is well-respected in the NFL. Of course I think Shaw will give a glowing recommendation, but the advocacy may not be quite as enthusiastic as it was for, say, Luck. Just look what happened to Oregon's Colt Lyerla, who I thought was an incredible athlete yet went undrafted (though I am not trying to make an overall comparison, I think it would be insane for McCaffrey to go past the second round).

But still, it only *might* affect his draft stock.  This might matter to some teams, it might not matter to most. The question is whether this matters to the first team that was going to draft him.

That said, I wish him the best. He certainly did so much for the team.

[AthleticsDynasty]

He's done so much for the program that I can't call him a punk but this is REALLY REALLY REALLY lame. To be honest I hope Shaw tells him that from this point on he can do his own thing and prepare for the draft on his own. I don't want this kind of attitude to spread throughout the program.

[AthleticsDynasty]

He's done so much for the program that I can't call him a punk but this is REALLY REALLY REALLY lame. To be honest I hope Shaw tells him that from this point on he can do his own thing and prepare for the draft on his own. I don't want this kind of attitude to spread throughout the program.

[AthleticsDynasty]

He's done so much for the program that I can't call him a punk but this is REALLY REALLY REALLY lame. To be honest I hope Shaw tells him that from this point on he can do his own thing and prepare for the draft on his own. I don't want this kind of attitude to spread throughout the program.

[AthleticsDynasty]

He's done so much for the program that I can't call him a punk but this is REALLY REALLY REALLY lame. To be honest I hope Shaw tells him that from this point on he can do his own thing and prepare for the draft on his own. I don't want this kind of attitude to spread throughout the program.

[VFRing98]

Regarding "future earning potential", Christian is in a very unique situation in that, unlike any of the other players on this team, he can predict with a high degree of certainty what contract he will get come next spring, and he has nothing, zero, to prove to anyone in the NFL. From that perspective, jeopardizing those earnings by playing in an exhibition would be irrational.

College football is largely about and driven by money. Games run excruciatingly long due to TV contracts. We had a "Toyota Red Zone" for awhile, for crying out loud. Ads everywhere. Coaches making more than all of the humanities professors at a school combined. Schools reaping XX millions every year. It's a cheap/free farm system for the NFL. Given all of that, I have zero problem with Christian's choice here. His lifelong dream has been to play in the NFL. The only way for him to achieve it was to go to college that played big-time football. He paid his dues. Now his lifelong dream (I'll say that again for emphasis) is finally within reach. And now we are disappointed in him for doing everything possible and rational to fulfill that dream? Get over ourselves.

How do people feel about Tyrone McGraw from a few years ago? Didn't he "quit on the team" to go to medical school? So selfish, that guy.

[VFRing98]

Regarding "future earning potential", Christian is in a very unique situation in that, unlike any of the other players on this team, he can predict with a high degree of certainty what contract he will get come next spring, and he has nothing, zero, to prove to anyone in the NFL. From that perspective, jeopardizing those earnings by playing in an exhibition would be irrational.

College football is largely about and driven by money. Games run excruciatingly long due to TV contracts. We had a "Toyota Red Zone" for awhile, for crying out loud. Ads everywhere. Coaches making more than all of the humanities professors at a school combined. Schools reaping XX millions every year. It's a cheap/free farm system for the NFL. Given all of that, I have zero problem with Christian's choice here. His lifelong dream has been to play in the NFL. The only way for him to achieve it was to go to college that played big-time football. He paid his dues. Now his lifelong dream (I'll say that again for emphasis) is finally within reach. And now we are disappointed in him for doing everything possible and rational to fulfill that dream? Get over ourselves.

How do people feel about Tyrone McGraw from a few years ago? Didn't he "quit on the team" to go to medical school? So selfish, that guy.

[VFRing98]

Regarding "future earning potential", Christian is in a very unique situation in that, unlike any of the other players on this team, he can predict with a high degree of certainty what contract he will get come next spring, and he has nothing, zero, to prove to anyone in the NFL. From that perspective, jeopardizing those earnings by playing in an exhibition would be irrational.

College football is largely about and driven by money. Games run excruciatingly long due to TV contracts. We had a "Toyota Red Zone" for awhile, for crying out loud. Ads everywhere. Coaches making more than all of the humanities professors at a school combined. Schools reaping XX millions every year. It's a cheap/free farm system for the NFL. Given all of that, I have zero problem with Christian's choice here. His lifelong dream has been to play in the NFL. The only way for him to achieve it was to go to college that played big-time football. He paid his dues. Now his lifelong dream (I'll say that again for emphasis) is finally within reach. And now we are disappointed in him for doing everything possible and rational to fulfill that dream? Get over ourselves.

How do people feel about Tyrone McGraw from a few years ago? Didn't he "quit on the team" to go to medical school? So selfish, that guy.

[VFRing98]

Regarding "future earning potential", Christian is in a very unique situation in that, unlike any of the other players on this team, he can predict with a high degree of certainty what contract he will get come next spring, and he has nothing, zero, to prove to anyone in the NFL. From that perspective, jeopardizing those earnings by playing in an exhibition would be irrational.

College football is largely about and driven by money. Games run excruciatingly long due to TV contracts. We had a "Toyota Red Zone" for awhile, for crying out loud. Ads everywhere. Coaches making more than all of the humanities professors at a school combined. Schools reaping XX millions every year. It's a cheap/free farm system for the NFL. Given all of that, I have zero problem with Christian's choice here. His lifelong dream has been to play in the NFL. The only way for him to achieve it was to go to college that played big-time football. He paid his dues. Now his lifelong dream (I'll say that again for emphasis) is finally within reach. And now we are disappointed in him for doing everything possible and rational to fulfill that dream? Get over ourselves.

How do people feel about Tyrone McGraw from a few years ago? Didn't he "quit on the team" to go to medical school? So selfish, that guy.

[jacketree]

I just hope we don't see him on the sideline wearing khakis. Now that would be lame.  Start your preparation for the draft with our blessing, but not around here.

[jacketree]

I just hope we don't see him on the sideline wearing khakis. Now that would be lame.  Start your preparation for the draft with our blessing, but not around here.

[jacketree]

I just hope we don't see him on the sideline wearing khakis. Now that would be lame.  Start your preparation for the draft with our blessing, but not around here.

[jacketree]

I just hope we don't see him on the sideline wearing khakis. Now that would be lame.  Start your preparation for the draft with our blessing, but not around here.

[AthleticsDynasty]

Yes running all over UNC(like everyone thinks he would have) would of improved his stock. Probably not much but it dominant performances always help.

[AthleticsDynasty]

Yes running all over UNC(like everyone thinks he would have) would of improved his stock. Probably not much but it dominant performances always help.

[AthleticsDynasty]

Yes running all over UNC(like everyone thinks he would have) would of improved his stock. Probably not much but it dominant performances always help.

[AthleticsDynasty]

Yes running all over UNC(like everyone thinks he would have) would of improved his stock. Probably not much but it dominant performances always help.

[82lsju]

[quote author=JPRI link=topic=16303.msg182965#msg182965 date=1482160499]
Geez, what are we going to have next, players deciding midway through the season that they want to enter the NFL draft and sitting out the rest of it?

It has already happened. Charles Walker (Oklahoma DL) quit the team mid-November of this year with two regular season games remaining in order to prepare for the draft.
[/quote]

yes but is was unclear if Walker would be cleared to play again this year.

Oklahoma defensive lineman Charles Walker, a redshirt junior, has told OU coach Bob Stoops that he is leaving the Sooners program to prepare for the 2017 NFL Draft, according to NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport.

Oklahoma has two regular-season games remaining against West Virginia and rival Oklahoma State, but Walker has been out of the lineup for more than a month due to a concussion. It's unclear whether Walker would have been available for either of those games, or the postseason. But Sooners defensive coordinator Mike Stoops left only one interpretation for how he viewed the decision.

"Quitting on your teammates is hard to take as a coach," Stoops said, according to The Oklahoman.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000...-for-draft

[82lsju]

[quote author=JPRI link=topic=16303.msg182965#msg182965 date=1482160499]
Geez, what are we going to have next, players deciding midway through the season that they want to enter the NFL draft and sitting out the rest of it?

It has already happened. Charles Walker (Oklahoma DL) quit the team mid-November of this year with two regular season games remaining in order to prepare for the draft.
[/quote]

yes but is was unclear if Walker would be cleared to play again this year.

Oklahoma defensive lineman Charles Walker, a redshirt junior, has told OU coach Bob Stoops that he is leaving the Sooners program to prepare for the 2017 NFL Draft, according to NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport.

Oklahoma has two regular-season games remaining against West Virginia and rival Oklahoma State, but Walker has been out of the lineup for more than a month due to a concussion. It's unclear whether Walker would have been available for either of those games, or the postseason. But Sooners defensive coordinator Mike Stoops left only one interpretation for how he viewed the decision.

"Quitting on your teammates is hard to take as a coach," Stoops said, according to The Oklahoman.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000...-for-draft

[82lsju]

[quote author=JPRI link=topic=16303.msg182965#msg182965 date=1482160499]
Geez, what are we going to have next, players deciding midway through the season that they want to enter the NFL draft and sitting out the rest of it?

It has already happened. Charles Walker (Oklahoma DL) quit the team mid-November of this year with two regular season games remaining in order to prepare for the draft.
[/quote]

yes but is was unclear if Walker would be cleared to play again this year.

Oklahoma defensive lineman Charles Walker, a redshirt junior, has told OU coach Bob Stoops that he is leaving the Sooners program to prepare for the 2017 NFL Draft, according to NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport.

Oklahoma has two regular-season games remaining against West Virginia and rival Oklahoma State, but Walker has been out of the lineup for more than a month due to a concussion. It's unclear whether Walker would have been available for either of those games, or the postseason. But Sooners defensive coordinator Mike Stoops left only one interpretation for how he viewed the decision.

"Quitting on your teammates is hard to take as a coach," Stoops said, according to The Oklahoman.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000...-for-draft

[82lsju]

[quote author=JPRI link=topic=16303.msg182965#msg182965 date=1482160499]
Geez, what are we going to have next, players deciding midway through the season that they want to enter the NFL draft and sitting out the rest of it?

It has already happened. Charles Walker (Oklahoma DL) quit the team mid-November of this year with two regular season games remaining in order to prepare for the draft.
[/quote]

yes but is was unclear if Walker would be cleared to play again this year.

Oklahoma defensive lineman Charles Walker, a redshirt junior, has told OU coach Bob Stoops that he is leaving the Sooners program to prepare for the 2017 NFL Draft, according to NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport.

Oklahoma has two regular-season games remaining against West Virginia and rival Oklahoma State, but Walker has been out of the lineup for more than a month due to a concussion. It's unclear whether Walker would have been available for either of those games, or the postseason. But Sooners defensive coordinator Mike Stoops left only one interpretation for how he viewed the decision.

"Quitting on your teammates is hard to take as a coach," Stoops said, according to The Oklahoman.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000...-for-draft

[jacketree]

Football players want to play football.  I think the NFL will take notice.  Will this guy be prone to hold himself out the last half of meaningless seasons? But unless he falls to the third or fourth round, he will never know what his decision meant.

And if he did have a nagging injury, how hard would it be to say "I have X; on the advice of my medical team I won't be participating in the Sun Bowl or practices leading up to it so that it has a chance to fully heal before the NFL draft?"

He won't be able to hide an injury whether he plays further or not.  My guess is that this is a healthy scratch.

What a contrast between this and Troy Walters playing in a cast. 

[jacketree]

Football players want to play football.  I think the NFL will take notice.  Will this guy be prone to hold himself out the last half of meaningless seasons? But unless he falls to the third or fourth round, he will never know what his decision meant.

And if he did have a nagging injury, how hard would it be to say "I have X; on the advice of my medical team I won't be participating in the Sun Bowl or practices leading up to it so that it has a chance to fully heal before the NFL draft?"

He won't be able to hide an injury whether he plays further or not.  My guess is that this is a healthy scratch.

What a contrast between this and Troy Walters playing in a cast. 

[jacketree]

Football players want to play football.  I think the NFL will take notice.  Will this guy be prone to hold himself out the last half of meaningless seasons? But unless he falls to the third or fourth round, he will never know what his decision meant.

And if he did have a nagging injury, how hard would it be to say "I have X; on the advice of my medical team I won't be participating in the Sun Bowl or practices leading up to it so that it has a chance to fully heal before the NFL draft?"

He won't be able to hide an injury whether he plays further or not.  My guess is that this is a healthy scratch.

What a contrast between this and Troy Walters playing in a cast. 

[jacketree]

Football players want to play football.  I think the NFL will take notice.  Will this guy be prone to hold himself out the last half of meaningless seasons? But unless he falls to the third or fourth round, he will never know what his decision meant.

And if he did have a nagging injury, how hard would it be to say "I have X; on the advice of my medical team I won't be participating in the Sun Bowl or practices leading up to it so that it has a chance to fully heal before the NFL draft?"

He won't be able to hide an injury whether he plays further or not.  My guess is that this is a healthy scratch.

What a contrast between this and Troy Walters playing in a cast.