I think a big point here is that the flexibility that SMN mains have enjoyed and are losing is in stark contrast to changes SE is making with other DPS jobs in ShB. BLM, MNK, BRD, DRG, and SAM all have new tools to reduce the negative effects of, or gain some bonus from, downtime. It seems strange and out of line with this philosophy to remove the flexibility that has been one of the main conceits of SMNs since 3.0.

That is different from SE universally reducing healer dps skills to focus ALL healers on a more healing centric focus.