Player Mentoring Question
 

If I have a young player who is not starting, is there a benefit to keeping a mentor around? I know players typically will not progress on the bench but are they better to be sitting with a mentor or does it not even matter?

From what I've read for the studies around here, starting a guy without a mentor is about the same effect as not starting a guy but having a mentor. If you have neither, he's likely not going to develop much at all. So yes, you should definitely get him a mentor if he's not starting.

I think the conventional wisdom is that a mentoring relationship only helps the player in development if both he and the mentor are on the active roster, also. So, unless you plan to keep both guys active, you wouldn't be getting whatever development benefits you're seeking -- just FYI.

Does the mentor have to be part of the depth chart or simply active?

Simply active, I believe.

There was a quick study posted a bit ago that indicated that an inactive mentor would also help in 2k7, but I don't know if that was ever independently confirmed.

Consider it confirmed. I just ran five seasons with my a 31/47 rookie WR with his mentor inactive, WR playing. All five times, he went to 44/44 by the end of the regular season. Then, the first three consecutive trials with the mentor having been released, he made it to 39/40/39. I stopped at that point.