So, over the past few weeks, I’ve seen rookies a bit upset at the process of the draft. I’ve seen some rookies complain about some players getting to play a season in the NSFL and they are available in the draft. To some rookies, this seems like their draft prospects are being devalued because the players who have not played are a bit more unknown, and have yet to have a real chance to show their abilities. To these rookies, they feel like the first round has become a waiver wire of sorts, where the people who have had the ability to play in some capacity are now rewarded with being a higher draft pick.
The first thing I want to take note of is whether these players should be in the rookie draft. I believe the system is in need of change, although this change probably won’t be able to happen overnight. If someone has had the ability to play in any capacity in the NSFL they should not be considered a rookie, and should not be available in the rookie draft. Allowing someone who has time in the league to play because they joined after the season started seems a bit unfair to me, and I understand you don’t want these players just sitting around waiting for the next season to play. If a player is available as a waiver wire transaction during the season because they joined late letting them be a part of the next draft when they’ve already gotten experience, playing time, and increased their skills seems like an unfair advantage, and it almost seems like you should wait until after the draft to join the league, play, and then be a high draft pick in the next season.
So, how should it change? I have two solutions in mind when it comes to the players who join late and are rewarded with being a high pick in the next draft. One way is to create a college league of sorts. A league where every player who joins the league would get one season of playing time before playing in the draft. This would give every person the opportunity to show their skills, show why they should be the top pick, and show what a team would get. This would allow for every rookie in the next draft to increase their value in a way that will keep them active, while still allowing players who join late a chance to play. It would be a college league of sorts, there can be a few teams that play a shorter schedule (8 games, starts at week 5, championship game happens during week 14 between the top two teams). This would allow every player a chance to shine while still being considered a rookie.
The other solution I have in mind to this scenario is a veteran draft. Any player picked up on the waiver wire due to joining late would be placed in a 2 or 3 round draft, only for those veterans who did not get drafted and were a waiver wire pickup. This would allow rookies who haven’t been picked to not be a part of a diluted class where players who have had the time to shine and have more experience are obviously taken in the first and second rounds of the draft. The number of rounds in this draft could change, depending on how many waiver wire transactions took place the previous season. A problem with this proposal however is that some seasons may not have enough players to fill out a veteran draft, and having only 4 players would mean the 4 teams that have lower picks are unable to pick in this veteran draft.
So, what is the solution to me? I believe a rookie league is the better way to go should the process be changed. It allows every player in the draft to get a chance to play before their name is called, and would give teams a more solid, concrete way to scout rookies. Now there are a few problems with this as well, as it may be hard to implement. Without a stagger to the draft it will be hard to give rookies the chance to play in this league, and I doubt the league would consider skipping a season’s draft in order to implement a rookie league. In order to implement a rookie league, they would need a new set of GMs, a commissioner, and teams in order to determine the league. The league would end up being too hard to implement over one season, but there isn’t any other way unless some rookies volunteer to join the rookie league a year.
Would Tyler Oles join the rookie league if asked? I had the opportunity to talk with Oles about possible changes to the draft. The first thing he said was that while he is excited to join the NSFL when the draft happens on Wednesday, he does feel a bit undervalued as other players are able to play part of a season and still be available in the rookie draft. He also feels like he should have waited, joined after the draft and season starts, and had the ability to choose his team along with still being available for next season’s draft. When I asked him about a possible rookie league he told me that if asked he would take part in the league, as any ability to grow as a player, learn and get a feel for the league would be a great opportunity he would take. He feels like a rookie league would be a great way to get players acquainted with the system, while also being a good way to have rookies play each other for something meaningful, the rookie league championship. When asked about the veteran draft he had a bit different of a response. He seems to think that while a good concept, the veteran draft would ultimately fail as people joining after the draft might not produce enough players to have this draft. While he does feel miffed at the thought of his draft value being lessened by those who have played before, he has already started focusing on going to the team that drafts him and helping that team win the Ultimus Trophy.
So in the end, what is the best way to deal with players who join after the draft. Would it be having a rookie league, relying on the rookies to volunteer for it to allow themselves to grow as players? While I feel like this is the best solution, others may not share the same sentiment, and may be worried that not enough players will take part and help the league grow. Others may feel like a rookie league will only disinterest players who want to jump right in and go straight to the NSFL ranks and start their journey to the Ultimus Trophy. A veteran draft may seem like a good way to go in theory, but that is reliant on players joining after the draft and season has started, so some seasons may have enough to fill three rounds of the draft, while some may not fill one. Relying on a fickle number would surely be a questionable thing to do, as there is no way to guarantee enough players to fill the draft. Is there any way to truly ease the concerns of rookies who have not had a chance to shine, or is the waiver wire players being able to join the draft a necessary evil that will end up a small concern in a sea of worries? We can’t be certain as all we can do now is wait and see how the situation pans out, as for now there simply hasn’t been enough time to know what the best solution to the problem is.
(1316 words, ready to be graded)
Graded
The first thing I want to take note of is whether these players should be in the rookie draft. I believe the system is in need of change, although this change probably won’t be able to happen overnight. If someone has had the ability to play in any capacity in the NSFL they should not be considered a rookie, and should not be available in the rookie draft. Allowing someone who has time in the league to play because they joined after the season started seems a bit unfair to me, and I understand you don’t want these players just sitting around waiting for the next season to play. If a player is available as a waiver wire transaction during the season because they joined late letting them be a part of the next draft when they’ve already gotten experience, playing time, and increased their skills seems like an unfair advantage, and it almost seems like you should wait until after the draft to join the league, play, and then be a high draft pick in the next season.
So, how should it change? I have two solutions in mind when it comes to the players who join late and are rewarded with being a high pick in the next draft. One way is to create a college league of sorts. A league where every player who joins the league would get one season of playing time before playing in the draft. This would give every person the opportunity to show their skills, show why they should be the top pick, and show what a team would get. This would allow for every rookie in the next draft to increase their value in a way that will keep them active, while still allowing players who join late a chance to play. It would be a college league of sorts, there can be a few teams that play a shorter schedule (8 games, starts at week 5, championship game happens during week 14 between the top two teams). This would allow every player a chance to shine while still being considered a rookie.
The other solution I have in mind to this scenario is a veteran draft. Any player picked up on the waiver wire due to joining late would be placed in a 2 or 3 round draft, only for those veterans who did not get drafted and were a waiver wire pickup. This would allow rookies who haven’t been picked to not be a part of a diluted class where players who have had the time to shine and have more experience are obviously taken in the first and second rounds of the draft. The number of rounds in this draft could change, depending on how many waiver wire transactions took place the previous season. A problem with this proposal however is that some seasons may not have enough players to fill out a veteran draft, and having only 4 players would mean the 4 teams that have lower picks are unable to pick in this veteran draft.
So, what is the solution to me? I believe a rookie league is the better way to go should the process be changed. It allows every player in the draft to get a chance to play before their name is called, and would give teams a more solid, concrete way to scout rookies. Now there are a few problems with this as well, as it may be hard to implement. Without a stagger to the draft it will be hard to give rookies the chance to play in this league, and I doubt the league would consider skipping a season’s draft in order to implement a rookie league. In order to implement a rookie league, they would need a new set of GMs, a commissioner, and teams in order to determine the league. The league would end up being too hard to implement over one season, but there isn’t any other way unless some rookies volunteer to join the rookie league a year.
Would Tyler Oles join the rookie league if asked? I had the opportunity to talk with Oles about possible changes to the draft. The first thing he said was that while he is excited to join the NSFL when the draft happens on Wednesday, he does feel a bit undervalued as other players are able to play part of a season and still be available in the rookie draft. He also feels like he should have waited, joined after the draft and season starts, and had the ability to choose his team along with still being available for next season’s draft. When I asked him about a possible rookie league he told me that if asked he would take part in the league, as any ability to grow as a player, learn and get a feel for the league would be a great opportunity he would take. He feels like a rookie league would be a great way to get players acquainted with the system, while also being a good way to have rookies play each other for something meaningful, the rookie league championship. When asked about the veteran draft he had a bit different of a response. He seems to think that while a good concept, the veteran draft would ultimately fail as people joining after the draft might not produce enough players to have this draft. While he does feel miffed at the thought of his draft value being lessened by those who have played before, he has already started focusing on going to the team that drafts him and helping that team win the Ultimus Trophy.
So in the end, what is the best way to deal with players who join after the draft. Would it be having a rookie league, relying on the rookies to volunteer for it to allow themselves to grow as players? While I feel like this is the best solution, others may not share the same sentiment, and may be worried that not enough players will take part and help the league grow. Others may feel like a rookie league will only disinterest players who want to jump right in and go straight to the NSFL ranks and start their journey to the Ultimus Trophy. A veteran draft may seem like a good way to go in theory, but that is reliant on players joining after the draft and season has started, so some seasons may have enough to fill three rounds of the draft, while some may not fill one. Relying on a fickle number would surely be a questionable thing to do, as there is no way to guarantee enough players to fill the draft. Is there any way to truly ease the concerns of rookies who have not had a chance to shine, or is the waiver wire players being able to join the draft a necessary evil that will end up a small concern in a sea of worries? We can’t be certain as all we can do now is wait and see how the situation pans out, as for now there simply hasn’t been enough time to know what the best solution to the problem is.
(1316 words, ready to be graded)
Graded
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