Through my NFL general manager days and now in my consulting work with an NFL agent group, I've been consistent in my advice to college players who will be draft eligible: Showcase yourself as often as possible.
The advice is in regard to the pre-draft process and includes (if invited) the Senior Bowl, the East-West Shrine Game or other all-star games within reason, showing up and doing all the drills at the Combine and then going through the entire Pro Day regimen, along with any requested team visits. I tell players never to put all their eggs in the Pro Day basket alone.
But I've never dealt with a healthy player trying to decide whether to play in his team's bowl game.
MORE: Pros and cons of skipping bowl games
If I were asked by Leonard Fournette or Christian McCaffrey about such a decision before he deserted his team, I would have told him it's a mistake and an ill-advised move; one that would be considered exceedingly selfish by enough GMs, coaches and scouts to potentially lower his draft stock.
I can tell you for sure that when Fournette and McCaffrey are interviewed by NFL teams at the Combine in February, questions about missing their bowl games will be asked by every team.
My question for them: Why risk having any team downgrade you? I would have serious concerns about such a player's commitment to my NFL team after he bailed on his teammates.
I'm the first person to admit the current bowl structure is ridiculous, with a glut of 41 bowls (about 25 too many, in my opinion), including several with teams that don't have a winning record. In the category of bowl overkill, I would include the Citrus Bowl (LSU) and the Sun Bowl (Stanford).
But since these games are on the bowl schedule, the players should play.
MORE: Ezekiel Elliott not a fan of prospects skipping bowl games
I also understand linebacker Jaylon Smith suffered a serious knee injury when he played for Notre Dame in the 2015 Fiesta Bowl; an injury that dropped him out of the first round and back to the third pick in the second round (Dallas). But really, how often has such a major injury occurred in a bowl game? And shouldn't a player’s commitment to his team override that concern?
I also understand plenty of college coaches have left their teams in the lurch after they were hired by other schools. I think that’s wrong, too.
MOCK DRAFT: Where do Fournette and McCaffrey fall?
Call me old-school or whatever. I spent 20-plus years in draft rooms, where every year there was grumbling about players who passed up all-star games or did not do all the drills at the Combine. The questions would be, ”What are they trying to hide? Are they afraid of the top competition they will face?"
Skipping bowl games takes the issue of players being cautious to a new extreme. Teams might wonder — (I know I would) — if a player skips a bowl game, will he not want to practice or play in an NFL game if he has a little nick, even when he's under contract? Will he want to sit out if his team is out of contention?
The Fournette/McCaffrey decisions could be a terrible precedent that will lead to a future star player and projected top pick leaving his team halfway through his final season in order to take away the injury risk. How devastating would that be for college football?
NFL talent evaluators look for any and all warts on players, and more so for higher-round picks. Why give teams reason to question commitment? Some teams may not care, but if enough do, it's a problem not worth creating. We're talking a loss of significant money, potentially millions, if a player slides in the draft.
The focus should be on Fournette returning from an ankle injury that caused him to miss five games this season. With plenty of recovery time since he last played (Nov. 19), he would have been ready to roll against Louisville. A monster game in the Citrus Bowl would only reinforce to NFL scouts that he is back to his outstanding, sophomore-season form.
As for McCaffrey, he missed one game this season due to an undisclosed injury. His numbers were still excellent but below last year's phenomenal, Heisman-worthy outlay. How could a big Sun Bowl game against North Carolina not further enhance his draft stock?
Would Fournette and McCaffrey have decided not to play had their teams been selected to the College Football Playoff? Of course not. So if they're willing to play in those high-profile games, they also should step up and play in the lesser bowls simply because they're part of a team.
MORE: Why NFL scouts love Fournette's potential
Yes, their universities have benefitted greatly from their talents, but the players have been provided a college education (and at one of the top academic schools in the nation for McCaffrey at Stanford). Maybe if college players were paid a greater stipend on a per-game basis, there would have been a financial incentive for Fournette and McCaffrey to stick around.
The support teams for these players — family, advisors and agents to be — have allowed or directed them to make a miscalculation. The result is that Fournette and McCaffrey have created a bad look and opened up a can of worms for future players.
Being a good teammate was a factor I definitely considered in evaluating a player, along with his love of the game. The Fournette and McCaffrey decisions would be red flags for me in both of those areas.
Ultimately, I agree with what Hall of Famer Cris Carter said: "If you start the season, then finish the season."
Jeff Diamond is the former president of the Titans and the former vice president/general manager of the Vikings. He was selected NFL Executive of the Year in 1998. Diamond is currently a business and sports consultant who also does broadcast and online media work. He is the former chairman and CEO of The Ingram Group. Follow Jeff on Twitter: @jeffdiamondNFL.
