The reasons to be optimistic this year are numerous – so numerous that it is hard not to find one’s self elated with every passing headline as the potential development of player X is bandied about by the professional media eager to turn every coach’s compliment into a sign of something potentially magical waiting to happen. This is a period where any kind of news is considered “big” news. It is also a time of year when most NFL coaches do their best impersonation of a politician soliciting handouts at a fundraiser offering player praise in exchange for favorable press coverage.