07-13-2021, 03:18 PM
(07-13-2021, 12:53 PM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: Fwiw, I am not a fan of the preseason at all. It could be that I'm permanently scarred from Kijana Carter, but I just don't think it does that much for a lot of the players. If I had my way, I wouldn't let 75% of the starters even see the field in preseason. I'd rather sacrifice them possibly having to shake off the rust for a few plays in Week 1 then risk a terrible injury in completely meaningless game that could potentially derail the entire season. And that goes for all types of players, not just guys who are coming off knee injuries.
So, that plays into it a lot for me with Joe. So when you add in his recovery time being so close I'd prefer to be safe. If they want him to take some hits I think they can expose him to that in practices and intrasquad scrimmages. And I think in a controlled environment they can simulate a lot of things (ex: pocket collapsing, guys bearing down on him, etc.)
I often look to college football (or even high school) as an example of not needing exhibition games. That's what scrimmages are for Sure, some teams open up with some cupcakes but there's always a few really good ranked games to open the season. And it's not like they don't have guys coming off injury or who haven't played yet. I just don't see why NFL guys need exhibitions to get ready. It's alway seemed like a money grab to me, just to throw on two extra home games to ticket packages and to make a little bit extra TV revenue.
So that's kind of where I'm coming from. It's not just Joe coming off an injury, it's that I hate the preseason in general. But when you combine the two (serious injury + preseason) I just don't think it's worth it. But I do get the other side too, that's why I thought it would make a good thread.
I kind of agree with you. Healthy experienced veterans should not need to play unless they have new coaches or a new system. The fact that preseason tickets cost the same as regulat season is a scam.
But preseason games can be very important for young players still learning the game or guys coming back from injuries who have never been at risk of getting hit in practice.
I don't think anyone wants to see him play a lot but he really needs to face a few snaps under fire before the regular season.
