NFL commissioner Roger Goodell presents New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady with the Pete Rozelle Trophy as Super Bowl LI most valuable player, capping off a drama many fans had hoped to see resolved for Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

2017 NFL off-season preview

Super Bowl LI bailed out an otherwise poor postseason and put a definitive end to Deflategate. Now that Goodell has his court victory and Pats fans got to boo the bejesus out of the commissioner as he handed over the Lombardi Trophy, we never have to hear about that dreadful saga ever again. Hopefully.

So things are finally trending upward for football? Eh, not so fast. Even with a Super Bowl that some are describing as the best ever, the ratings were slightly down on average compared to last year. It was undeniably an immense spectacle, and a contest that will be talked about for years to come. There are still things that desperately need fixing about the NFL, both fundamental and superficial.

Will most or even a significant portion of those things be addressed in the coming months? Absolutely not. The league, however, has a chance to make headway on a few issues that could actually, dare I say, improve the NFL.

On marijuana, for instance. As more states legalize recreational use of the drug and the public understands that marijuana can have useful palliative effects for football players, there’s increasing public frustration with the NFL’s hardline stance against weed. In recent years, exciting skill players like Josh Gordon and Martavis Bryant have lost entire seasons just because of positive tests for marijuana. For a league that already struggles to keep stars healthy throughout the season, it’s ridiculous to lose players because of policies that few respect.

In March, the players union plans to draft a proposal to the league to take a less punitive approach to players using marijuana recreationally. The league and the union agreed on changes to drug policy in 2014, which included a higher threshold for a positive test for weed. So it’s possible to get something done without a whole new CBA being negotiated, as those negotiations are still a few years off. Still, it will be interesting to see whether the NFL will give any ground on this issue.

As the NFL’s average audience grows older, one might assume the league would do more to engage with younger crowds. And young people tend to like it when the professional athletes they watch are allowed to exhibit a little humanity from time to time. It’s alienating to them when just about every celebratory gesture in the NFL leads to penalties and fines.
So it was somewhat encouraging to see a report back in December that the Competition Committee would take a look at the rules regarding player celebrations in the offseason and relax them. Who knows whether this will actually result in changes. Frankly, I’m not going to hold my breath. But it’s an NFL thing worth paying attention to in the spring.

Hoping for incremental administrative improvements is all well and good, but it’s not much fun. How can NFL fans actually enjoy some of the over the coming months of desolation?

Here are a few things:

Where’s Romo going?

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

This is probably the biggest off-season quarterback sweepstakes since Peyton Manning was available in 2012, only instead of going to two Super Bowls, the winner will have a disastrous yet hilarious early playoff exit. There are certainly other veteran quarterbacks available, such as Jay Cutler and Colin Kaepernick. But Romo will be the one that is most in demand, and most likely to make a team foolishly mortgage their future for a year or two of his services. I can’t wait.

For sale: Jimmy Garoppolo, seldom used

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Aside from a high-draft pick, Garoppolo is way to go if you want a young, promising quarterback. And he has some established success as an NFL starter. Of course, it is very limited and with a good team, which is bound to draw comparisons to Brock Osweiler. Nevertheless, it’s extremely likely that at least one team is willing to part with a first-round pick for the Patriots backup.

Cutler is the Old Maid

Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Depending on how contentious things get with Washington, Kirk Cousins may also become available this off-season. That would just bounce Cutler that much further down the pecking order of potential new starters. But some team is going to end up having to settle for him, and it will be fantastic. Hopefully it’s the Jets. That would be all-around delightful. 

How are the Browns going to Browns up the draft

Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

It’ll be difficult to match the drama of the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft, when a video of Laremy Tunsil smoking weed out of a gas mask was leaked less than an hour before the start of the draft. Barring something like that, we’ll just have to settle for the wacky drama of the Cleveland Browns having two of the first twelve picks. Granted, it won’t be apparent right away that they screwed up. It may take a few years to know for sure, but we’ll know. It’s the Browns.

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