Every year the NFL holds a rookie symposium to help drafted players from that year transition to life in the NFL. With the lockout this year, that was canceled. However, the NFLPA still felt it was valuable and decided to hold a rookie symposium of their own.
The interesting thing is that DeMaurice Smith asked Roger Goodell to speak at the event and the commish agreed to do it. So this morning, Goodell spoke to the rookies in Florida at a symposium, titled “The Business of Football: Rookie Edition.”
Goodell, who traveled down with Smith, will now head back to Minnesota to reconvene negotiations. Obviously there seems to be a new level of trust and a cordial relationship between Smith and Goodell, which can only mean good things for the prospects of a new deal. Back in April and May, the tone of Smith’s comments toward Goodell and the owners was very sharp and a bit angry. Now he’s inviting the commish to speak to his players. That’s a big shift.