[Mick]

[quote author=jacketree link=topic=16303.msg183382#msg183382 date=1482375282]
That's an interesting point about endorsements. Telegenic guy, but "quitting on team" reputation doesn't move a lot of widgets necessarily. Wonder if it matters, anyone cares or it will affect the bottom line.

The more I read, the more I believe this is all about shaving a few hundredths of a second off his 40 time.

The more I read the more I am convinced that it is almost entirely related to mitigating how an existing or potential injury might affect his draft value.  Clearly, avoiding injury is the first benefit to not playing in the game.  Further, whatever residual effects he may have from earlier injuries will have time to heal that much further.  Also, if he does sense a lingering injury, notwithstanding that it did not affect his performance in the last few games, he might be concerned that it could impair his performance in the game.

I specifically do not believe that an additional few weeks of preparations will affect his combine results sufficiently to make a difference in his draft position.
[/quote]

+1.  I think you're right, CornFed.  I also think that CMAC has difficulty healing from injuries, and they take a little longer than he might have expected, hence his preference to avoid the Sun Bowl.  I think he may have lingering injuries now.

What I don't think is that he is having any trouble focusing.  I don't think he's mentally moved on from Stanford to the degree that it would impact his play, as Goose suggested.

I also think "preparing for the draft" is a red herring, bordering on an insult to the fans' collective intelligence.  I think the additional two weeks of prep-for-bowl time versus prepping-for-combine time is essentially meaningless, particularly with the combine starting on February 23.  I think it's all about injury reduction/injury avoidance.  I also don't think he wants to convey concern for injury because it would harm his draft position, because quite frankly, if he'd said "I'm not playing in the Bowl Game because I'm banged up..." well, anyone would understand that.  Outside of injury, he's a quitter, and I wonder how many NFL scouts and GMs will balance a 40 time that's five-hundredths faster with the fact that he bailed out on his team.  Players play.

[Mick]

[quote author=jacketree link=topic=16303.msg183382#msg183382 date=1482375282]
That's an interesting point about endorsements. Telegenic guy, but "quitting on team" reputation doesn't move a lot of widgets necessarily. Wonder if it matters, anyone cares or it will affect the bottom line.

The more I read, the more I believe this is all about shaving a few hundredths of a second off his 40 time.

The more I read the more I am convinced that it is almost entirely related to mitigating how an existing or potential injury might affect his draft value.  Clearly, avoiding injury is the first benefit to not playing in the game.  Further, whatever residual effects he may have from earlier injuries will have time to heal that much further.  Also, if he does sense a lingering injury, notwithstanding that it did not affect his performance in the last few games, he might be concerned that it could impair his performance in the game.

I specifically do not believe that an additional few weeks of preparations will affect his combine results sufficiently to make a difference in his draft position.
[/quote]

+1.  I think you're right, CornFed.  I also think that CMAC has difficulty healing from injuries, and they take a little longer than he might have expected, hence his preference to avoid the Sun Bowl.  I think he may have lingering injuries now.

What I don't think is that he is having any trouble focusing.  I don't think he's mentally moved on from Stanford to the degree that it would impact his play, as Goose suggested.

I also think "preparing for the draft" is a red herring, bordering on an insult to the fans' collective intelligence.  I think the additional two weeks of prep-for-bowl time versus prepping-for-combine time is essentially meaningless, particularly with the combine starting on February 23.  I think it's all about injury reduction/injury avoidance.  I also don't think he wants to convey concern for injury because it would harm his draft position, because quite frankly, if he'd said "I'm not playing in the Bowl Game because I'm banged up..." well, anyone would understand that.  Outside of injury, he's a quitter, and I wonder how many NFL scouts and GMs will balance a 40 time that's five-hundredths faster with the fact that he bailed out on his team.  Players play.