By not playing him at all, you can delay when he will need to be added to the 40 to be protected from the R5 draft.
If he's a top-notch prospect, that shouldn't really matter because he should develop to the point of being ML ready after 4 pro seasons.
If he's not a top-notch prospect, then it really shouldn't matter because you shouldn't care if he's exposed (and possibly lost) to R5.
If he's somewhere in-between, then it really shouldn't matter because he's probably a AAAA type guy who's easily replaceable.