It will take a mindset change to only recruit one or two 5 stars because EE becomes a punitive outcome.
Yes, and I think seble made that very clear from the outset of this redesign, old habits die hard though. If you look at EEs now as just one tool necessary to build a successful team it opens the door for more competition and more fluidity and that's good for the game. This design actually allows more inventive and strategic ways to build a team that can compete that didn't exist before and that's good for the game too.
I actually think one could still build a very successful team focusing almost primarily on EEs but there is the potential for some downside seasons in between. But think about Kentucky, which is the oft sited example of a team that replenishes EEs on an annual basis, they have missed the NCAA tournament in two of the last eight seasons. How many teams with multiple EEs in this game can say that?
Don't get me wrong, I am used to dealing with EEs too, I think they stink when they happen to me. But I still think the redesign - while still needing some improvements - is good for the overall game.