The NFL instituted a new helmet rule this offseason that essentially amounts to what college has in a targeting rule, and without a single snap being played, it is already creating consternation around the league.

In Philadelphia, according to ESPN's Tim McManus, defensive players left a meeting with NFL referees "frustrated" over the "confusion" surrounding the new rule.

According to linebacker Nigel Bradham, the refs couldn't really give players an answer about how the implementation of the new rule would play out in the coming months.

"We were trying to ask questions to get a better understanding, and yet they couldn't really give us an answer," Bradham said. "They couldn't give us what we were looking for."

Isn't the whole point of a presentation to provide material and then answer questions as necessary? It's pretty difficult to fathom the NFL would send officials to Philly to meet with players, completely unarmed with answers to obvious questions.

A better example of the confusion cropped up following the players inquiry into the Super Bowl LII hit from Malcolm Jenkins that knocked Patriots wide receiver Brandin Cooks out of the game. The hit was not flagged at the time and is generally considered a legal, albeit very hard, hit. Football is not always soft.

But the officials, when questioned about that hit, "were split" on whether it would be legal in 2018.

During the presentation, which lasted close to an hour according to Bradham, players were shown clips of what are now considered illegal hits -- some of which appeared to them as routine tackles. Seeking further clarification during the Q&A that followed, the players showed the presenters a video of safety Malcolm Jenkins' hit on wide receiver Brandin Cooks during Super Bowl LII that knocked Cooks out of the game. The refs were split on whether it would now be considered an illegal hit.

Running back Wendell Smallwood made it sound like the refs put the onus on the league for changing the rules.

"[The refs] were kind of like, 'Hey, we didn't make the rules.' Because I think guys were kind of frustrated," Smallwood said. "Most of the defense was like, 'Man, how are we supposed to tackle?' They were frustrated."

And per running back Matt Jones, there was some serious "back and forth" between all the parties present.

"It was definitely going back and forth. 'We're running backs, and we can't do that?' And, 'We're a defense; how are [we] supposed to tackle?' We didn't get an answer we wanted," Jones said. "We just have to abide by the rules and keep from getting fined and ejected."

This is a major problem for the NFL. Not because of the concerns that might pop up surrounding the rule being put in place; we saw a rule implemented several years ago involving running backs leading with the crown of their helmet. People flipped out when it was instituted, and then it was promptly never called by officials, causing everyone to forget the mass hysteria.

But the officiating office is undergoing a major reboot this offseason, with multiple high profile officials stepping away from the game. Gene Steratore is coming here to the NFL on CBS, Jeff Triplette is headed to ESPN and Ed Hochuli is planning to spend the next few months touring local gyms, deliver weight-lifting soliloquies to younger men with smaller arms.

With all the new blood coming through the officiating system, and with all the new changes to the rule book -- the catch rule has also been completely overhauled -- it is paramount for the NFL to get everyone on the same page.

Based on the meeting with the Eagles defenders, that's the furthest thing from what is happening right now.