In just about any context, broken records are good things.
But the record 102 underclassmen who declared for the 2014 NFL Draft last year fell into the exception category. It wasn't good for college football, it wasn't good for the 36 underclassmen who went undrafted, and it wasn't good for the NFL, either.
Last week, the tide of exiting underclassmen finally began to recede.
When the deadline passed for juniors and third-year sophomores to file for early draft eligibility last week, 74 underclassmen had done so, plus another 10 who had already earned degrees.
"The more interesting number to me is that 10 fourth-year juniors had graduated. That's the highest it's ever been. That was impressive," said Reese's Senior Bowl executive director Phil Savage. "The league and NFLPA are on the right track."
So to what can the reduction be attributed? Credit policy changes to the NFL Draft Advisory Board. The source of official feedback on draft status for underclassmen, the NFLDAB had been inundated with an ever-growing pile of applications for feedback -- some from underclassmen who were more NFL-curious than NFL-ready -- until it made some changes after last year's draft. It limited schools to five applications each (though it maintained discretion to accept more than five when warranted).
"You don't have time to watch 14 guys from X school -- you just don't," Savage added. "They tried to narrowed that down to the guys who had a more legitimate chance to be drafted."
The changes also altered the format of the feedback itself.
For the first time this year, underclassmen are receiving one of only three draft grades: first round, second round, or a recommendation to return to school. In the past, the NFLDAB had been more specific with mid-round grades. The result has been a significant reduction in the total number of underclassmen requesting feedback, something NFL Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent quantified last month: As of Dec. 18, applications for feedback dropped from 214 in 2013 to 147 last year.
It's the end of a trend that's been a long time coming.
Since the rookie salary cap was put into place with the 2011 draft, the size of the early entry club had grown unwieldy. In 2011, 56 declared, followed by 65, 73 and 102 in subsequent years. Agents advised many underclassmen that the rookie salary cap meant that a second NFL contract was the new jackpot, and that the sooner they turned pro, the sooner they could sign a second, more lucrative deal.
That's probably sound advice for someone like Georgia running back Todd Gurley, who has proven all there is to be proved at the college level and plays the position with the shortest NFL career. But it's not sound advice at all for the underclassman who is still developing as a prospect and has no guarantee of even getting drafted, or making an NFL roster as a rookie.
Plenty of NFL players never sign a second contract.
Staying in college for a senior season can not only help an underclassman's draft status, but for the more borderline prospects, it also enhances the chance of merely making a team.
"To me, the right number is somewhere in that 50-60 range. That's a couple of rounds in the draft," Savage added. "Beyond 70, you're in a danger zone of guys not being selected."
Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter @ChaseGoodbread.
