With a hat tipped towards MDS at AOL Fanhouse, in an ESPN Insider article ($) per Len Pasquarelli, Jordan Palmer and a few other young players expressed criticism (or didn't?) of Commissioner Roger Goodell (or his policy?) at the NFL rookie symposium. Troy Smith was said to have questioned the emphasis on negative behavior -- sometimes called the personal conduct policy.

A few others joined in, notably our 6th round drafted quarterback Jordan Palmer. While the article is short on specific details, it does note that Palmer's comments were "far more pointed than Smith" though I don't know the substance of Palmer's complaint. Chicago's Garrett Wolfe wondered aloud why rookies should listen to Roger Goodell given that he didn't play in the NFL. Afterall, why should players follow the rules if Roger Goodell never donned pads? I mean, he's just the Commissioner.

Uppity rooks notwithstanding, the symposium was a huge success; no player was fined this year and there was 100% attendance. Incidentally, the last player who didn't attend an NFL rookie symposium for the full length was Sean Taylor in 2004, and the league fined him 25K for ditching early.