I sure hope this doesn't become a thing. Like others, I enjoy having my most used apps on my homescreen(s) where I want them and have them organized with widgets in a way that makes plenty of sense to me. I've used a similar layout since the OG Droid, at least. Can't remember my setup on the G1.
I disagree that we don't need the app drawer if we don't have bloat apps. There are apps that I use infrequently that I only access there. My main homescreen has 4 icons, 2 folders, and a clock/weather widget. Those are my most used apps. My next most used apps are on the next screen-9 icons, 6 folders, and a handful of widgets. Then it's my calendar widget so I can quickly see what's going on.
There are plenty of other apps that I use once in a blue moon that I only access through the app drawer. These aren't junk apps and are pretty much all apps that I chose to install. I don't need them on a homescreen as rarely as I use them, but I still like having them accessible.
No app drawer was one of my biggest complaints when I gave the iPhone a try years ago. I'd rather have apps that I don't use tucked away in the app drawer than have to have a folder of junk apps on the homescreen.
I read an article about this rumor last night. I like that Samsung has it turned off by default (you get an app drawer by default) on the S7, but has the option to try without an app drawer. From what I read, they also ask if you like the feature or not. If enough people tell them they like the app drawer, I can easily see Sammy keeping it even if stock Android dumps it.
I love my Nexus, but I'm hoping they don't kill the ability for third-party launchers to have app drawers if they decide to do away with the app drawer.
What will this do to my ability to use widgets? Will apps be reordered based on where I put a widget? I don't like this at all. No widgets was my other complaint on that iPhone years ago.