I can understand why some have expressed disappointment with the news that Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron is opting not to attend next week's Senior Bowl. Any time a senior receives an invitation and chooses not to go, that can be frustrating to NFL decision-makers. You want to see guys take advantage of the opportunity to go out there and compete.

That's particularly true in McCarron's case (more on that in a bit), and for the Senior Bowl itself, given its location in Mobile, Ala., his hometown, McCarron could have been the face of the game. He would have brought a lot more attention and focus to the game -- it would have been like having one of the Beatles there, essentially.

But here's the reality: He doesn't owe anyone at the Senior Bowl anything, and this needs to be a business decision for him. So while I join several NFL decision-makers in being disappointed that he's not there, I have to say that if I were counseling him on his pre-draft process, I'd probably tell him that it's not the best idea to participate.