Last week, Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal reported that several agents are being targeted by the NFL Players Association for violation of the new junior rule, which prohibits agent communications with underclassmen who are not yet eligible for the draft.

But there’s an inconsistency at work here.  The CBA makes underclassmen eligible for the draft after the completion of the third NFL regular season following the completion of their high school educations.  And, for players who aren’t seeking early entry into the draft, they are no longer underclassmen for the purposes of the CBA once that third NFL regular season ends.

In other words, a player becomes a “senior” under the CBA (and thus an eligible target for agent communications) once that third NFL regular season ends.

The problem is that the NFLPA’s junior rule delays the ability to communicate with those players who choose to leave early until they are officially certified for early entry in the draft.

So, in other words, agents are able to talk to rising seniors who aren’t coming out early before agents can talk to the guys who are leaving.

Several of the agents who are/were in the union’s crosshairs met with a player during that three-week (or so) gray period between the completion of the third NFL regular season and the official date of certification.  We’re told that at least one of them, Richard Katz, has resolved the problem with the NFLPA via an agreement that entails no suspension or fine.

The bottom line?  This is another reason for the NFLPA to get rid of the rule that prevents underclassmen from talking to agents.  Agents who aren’t inclined to follow the rules will continue to ignore this prohibition, and those who intend to follow the rules but who interpret the rules in a manner that conflicts with the union’s interpretation of the rules will be the ones who get in trouble.