Article:Florida's Meyer Wants Advisory Board Re-evaluated

From: The Sports Point

Florida head football coach Urban Meyer sent a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell this week voicing his concern over the evaluations the advisory board gives underclassmen declaring for the draft. Meyer said these players are given inflated evaluations that lead to them being taken lower than anticipated and, thus, damaging their career.

"A senior year of football and a college degree," Meyer said. "That's a lot to give up to be a sixth-or seventh-rounder and get cut in a year."

Meyer said that these players are given favorable projections without the board analyzing these players completely. That causes many players status to drop during the NFL Combine and workouts after the scouts see accurate numbers and have a chance to interview the players.

This problem that Meyer brings up has been an issue in basketball as well. While the argument is valid, more of the blame needs to be placed on the agents and the entourages around the kids that might not have their best interests in mind. Many of these agents see the players as a paycheck as opposed to seeing the big picture, and the players are impressionable enough to buy into everything they hear. These leagues need to protect their future with better pre-draft consulting, which is something Meyer seems to be pushing towards. There is no question that this request carries selfish motives, but this is an issue that should have been raised long before Meyer did. Meyer wants draft process renewed (Orlando Sentinel)