[SenorZ]

I think there are definitely teams that get parts of their robot nailed down and don't have to think about it much year-to-year. Drive system comes to mind.
Those teams can do a quick manufacture of those parts as soon as build season starts without much stress, and focus their creative energy on game-specific parts... while drivers practice strategy on an old bot with an awesome swerve drive for 6 weeks.
For rookies and 2nd year teams, drive systems are still a big time vacuum. They USUALLY don't have the resources to test new systems in the pre-season and get prototypes built and practice driving.
Should FIRST do something to remove or hinder this edge? Personally I don't think so. I think those teams like 1717 and 987 serve as an inspiration to those of us on newer teams. My students (and myself) were blown away by some of the robots we saw in live streams and at the LA Regional last season. Sure some of those teams have been using the same drive train for a few years and already played a ball game, and that played heavily in their favor during design time, but "thems the breaks."
Short of having a water game there really isn't much FIRST could do to disrupt some teams... and those teams probably have already been working on a water game plan for 10 years anyway!