People often talk about the time around the NFL Draft as the hopeful time of the football calendar because all the possibilities in the world are available for teams. Maybe that number-one draft pick will immediately turn around your favorite franchise, or a player who was hyped his whole college career happenstantially falls into your team’s lap.
I believe, however, that the final weeks, days, and hours of the offseason make up “the season of hope.” When Thursday’s impending kickoff materializes, many of the speculations and opinions of the summer will evaporate in the face of cold, hard reality.