In a strange move that could portent unintended negative consequences, the NFL has reportedly ditched its rookie symposium, per Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
NFL ditching rookie symposium in favor of new program hosted by each individual team that will include all rookies, not just draft picks.
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) April 5, 2016
Using it as way to better connect all rookies to resources, specifically those locally that can help transition to NFL.
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) April 5, 2016
The rookie symposium has been held every year for all the drafted rookies around the league the past 20 years. It is designed to teach rookies about what to expect as a professional athlete, from financial responsibility to personal conduct and everything in between.
On the one hand, reaching more rookies should be a good thing. On the other hand, leaving this up to each team individually might not be the best idea.
As we know, some teams have more stability than others. Some franchises keep the same coaching staff for years (sometimes even decades) at a time, while others treat theirs like tissues to be discarded on a regular basis.
Without continuity or a front office that is considered solid, reliable and trustworthy, who knows what kind of guidance these young kids will receive from teams that have bad track records in this area.
Sure, the NFL will have guidelines and mandates, but we all know not all franchises are created equal.
At least when the NFL was running the show, there was one script and one message that could be better held accountable than what’s about to happen.