OT: Should the NFL have a minor league other than the NCAA?

[nilodor]

So what do you guys think? Should the NFL have a development league running at the same time as the NFL that is similar to AAA for baseball? If so how do you think the league should be formatted?

My thought is yes. I think there are enough players to go around. Maybe not have 32 teams but say 16 teams with Pro Teams responsible for footing half a roster. It may be able to jump start the careers of players or give players in need of development time to get ready for the pro's.

[Celeval]

NFL Europe...?

[Peregrine]

I thought NFL Europe performed that function.

[k0ruptr]

oh come on, nfl europe BAHAHA
thats a peice of crap.

he means some real minors, based in the USA, PROUD AMERICAN LEAGUE, not this london shit.

*edit* just kidding...

lol I do think the nfl needs a better system tho since they are allowing 18 year olds in the draft now

[Peregrine]

I don't think so in that case. Most players that are talented enough to make NFL rosters will do it, or land on practice squads, or will be called up to fill in spots for injuries, etc. I can't imagine players wanting to play minor league football for peanuts, increasing their chances for injuries, etc. Even if they did well in a minor league, it wouldn't guarantee success in the NFL, they'd still have to go through the testing and tryout systems for each team. Plus, who would watch it, and when would it happen? Saturdays and Sundays are booked in football season.

[Vinatieri for Prez]

There is also the Canadian Football League (CFL). It is stocked with a majority of US college players who did not make it in the NFL to start off. The NFL has an agreement with them on when players can switch leagues, and I believe the NFL kicks in a million or so each year to help the league keep running. Every year a few players make the NFL (e.g. Flutie, Garcia, Boerigter, some O-line men, the Jets just signed the Edmonton quarterback, many special teams players) The NFL recognizes its importance and is a big supporter of the CFL. Combined with NFL Europe, there is your minor league system.

[Francis_Cole]

I think nfl europe could be better than it is.. i.e. if the nfl teams decided who they want to get (including free agents) instead of the teams deciding who they should get.
But yeah there should be another american league, or how about a reserve league. ;)
Jets Reserves vs Oakland Reserves.. now that would be good :D
Fran

[ice4277]

Plus, who would watch it, and when would it happen? Saturdays and Sundays are booked in football season.
I'm sure there would be a network somewhere that would plump down some cash for some Tuesday/Wednesday night telecasts, as long as it was getting the full backing of the NFL brand. Now, whether or not it would be successful is another story.

[RendeR]

Actually, the best option is a spring league. the USFL was amazingly succesful ratings-wise. they had steady viewership.

The NFL should create a 16 team league to play 8 game seasons, this limits the injury risk as they aren't playing as long, and keeps players healthy enough and fresh enough to really offer their controlling team some quality play in the fall if they need them.

Each minor league team would have players who belong to two(2) nfl teams, this would of course take some major cooperation between those two franchises to make their minor league team prosper. Fans will follow ANYTHING with an NFL logo on it, hell even NFL europe is popular in europe. its all they have.

The teams play 8 games, 3 in division *4 divisions of 4 teams*, 4 games against one other division, and one random game per year. playoff games are the division winners seeded by record.

This could also open up those markets that are desperate for an NFL franchise but who right now have no chance to get one.

This would work, people would watch it, players could get great developement time, and NFL franchises get a new promotional tool to make money from. There is also the benefit of breeding a whole new class of NFL coaches and staff through this league.


this has been discussed before, I couldn't find the thread though.


Ren

[rkmsuf]

I think it's fine the way it is...

[Yossarian]

Well....

NFL Europe is supposed to fill this function.

NFL Teams get to choose which European teams get their players. The guys that aren't "allocated" are up for grabs in the NFLEU draft.

The tendancy is to send players to a team with an appropriate staff.. Jim Criner used to get lots of promising linemen for the Claymores (Barry Sims, Barry Stokes).

The problem with NFL EU (there are many - but from a 'minor league' point of view) is that NFL teams often dont commit right.

EG... Kansas City have a promising young running back called Dante Hall who they want to convert to wide reciever. As a rookie, he struggles, so they send him to the Claymores where he gets reps... experience and a taste of real competition.

When he comes back,.... well he's a solid player now.

Compare that to the approach of Carolina. 2 days before the allocations are announced, the Panthers sign 6 street free agents and send them over. There is very little chance of any of those guys playing in NFL next year.

That is the problem. The teams dont commit good-but-inexperienced guys to Europe.

This year, Chad Hutchenson [sic] is playing, he's EXACTLY the kind of player that SHOULD be getting sent here - guys with talent but rust / inexperience.

If only all the NFL teams had the commitment to the 'minor league' as the Chiefs / Colts / Cowboys have.

[clintl]

My answer is that yes, it should, but there are three that already kind of exist - besides NFL Europe and CFL, there's the Arena League. The problem with all three is that none of them cater to the type of player that there really needs to be a minor league for - they're all geared to post-collegiate players with skills that need a little development to make the step up.

What the NFL really needs is a league geared toward the kids who want to play, but don't want to play in college (or are just not academically suited for college). The stance that you need to go to college to play professional football is, quite frankly, idiotic, and it's time the NFL stopped pretending.

As for spring vs. fall - I think that could be worked out. The big problem with fall is that there's so much competition, because college football also has such a huge following.

[SunDancer]

Well....

NFL Europe is supposed to fill this function.

NFL Teams get to choose which European teams get their players. The guys that aren't "allocated" are up for grabs in the NFLEU draft.

The tendancy is to send players to a team with an appropriate staff.. Jim Criner used to get lots of promising linemen for the Claymores (Barry Sims, Barry Stokes).

The problem with NFL EU (there are many - but from a 'minor league' point of view) is that NFL teams often dont commit right.

EG... Kansas City have a promising young running back called Dante Hall who they want to convert to wide reciever. As a rookie, he struggles, so they send him to the Claymores where he gets reps... experience and a taste of real competition.

When he comes back,.... well he's a solid player now.

Compare that to the approach of Carolina. 2 days before the allocations are announced, the Panthers sign 6 street free agents and send them over. There is very little chance of any of those guys playing in NFL next year.

That is the problem. The teams dont commit good-but-inexperienced guys to Europe.

This year, Chad Hutchenson [sic] is playing, he's EXACTLY the kind of player that SHOULD be getting sent here - guys with talent but rust / inexperience.

If only all the NFL teams had the commitment to the 'minor league' as the Chiefs / Colts / Cowboys have.

Exactly posting. I think everyone doesn't give the league enough credit. I think that the teams need to approach it better. I also like to see non-draft players be placed in a draft for them to draft from.

[SunDancer]

Actually, the best option is a spring league. the USFL was amazingly succesful ratings-wise. they had steady viewership.

The NFL should create a 16 team league to play 8 game seasons, this limits the injury risk as they aren't playing as long, and keeps players healthy enough and fresh enough to really offer their controlling team some quality play in the fall if they need them.

Each minor league team would have players who belong to two(2) nfl teams, this would of course take some major cooperation between those two franchises to make their minor league team prosper. Fans will follow ANYTHING with an NFL logo on it, hell even NFL europe is popular in europe. its all they have.

The teams play 8 games, 3 in division *4 divisions of 4 teams*, 4 games against one other division, and one random game per year. playoff games are the division winners seeded by record.

This could also open up those markets that are desperate for an NFL franchise but who right now have no chance to get one.

This would work, people would watch it, players could get great developement time, and NFL franchises get a new promotional tool to make money from. There is also the benefit of breeding a whole new class of NFL coaches and staff through this league.


this has been discussed before, I couldn't find the thread though.


Ren

Yes, the USFL would no be the same "beast" as the minor league. USFL actually was a pro league that sign some really big-name players. I wouldn't expect any ratings close to the USFL in today's age.

[BigJohn&TheLions]

If there were an official minor league NFL with associations between teams, ie. the Flint Lions vs the Toledo Browns more problems would arise.

1. College football would become a much more inferior product, like college basketball.

2. The first kid who signs with a team might not feel he needs the development work of the "inferior" minor league team and will want the millions of dollars anyway. He'll also pout because he is too good to play for that team.

3. What happens when someone gets hurt playing for the Orlando Bucs? He sues the team because if the team had not sent him to the minor league he would have been a huge star (in his mind) and made a ton of money. To him, the only reason for sending a player of his caliber to that team was to boost the attendance of the minor league team and make money off him. Now he don't got no college edamucation, and he can't run neither, so he should get the money they should have paid him in the first place.

The second best thing that the current (possibly former) system does is check several egos. Too many kids need a few years to mature before they are given obscene amounts of money.

The first is giving these kids an education. A good number don't make it. Blair Thomas never thought he'd bust. Mandrich didn't and neither did "The Boz." Their free educations helped them, as it did for countless other players who thought they were stars, but couldn't play at the highest level.

[GrantDawg]

If there were an official minor league NFL with associations between teams, ie. the Flint Lions vs the Toledo Browns more problems would arise.

1. College football would become a much more inferior product, like college basketball.So? Is that the NFL's responsibility? I say that college football (where 95% of the players are never going to play pro ball by the way) will be much improved. It would eliminate the number of players that are only there long enough to get into the NFL, and many times don't play "all out" because they fear injury (case in point: Kelly Washington).



2. The first kid who signs with a team might not feel he needs the development work of the "inferior" minor league team and will want the millions of dollars anyway. He'll also pout because he is too good to play for that team.Again, so? Doesn't just every major sport have minor league systems? If players don't want to stay down, they are going to have to play their way out, just like in baseball, basketball and hockey.



3. What happens when someone gets hurt playing for the Orlando Bucs? He sues the team because if the team had not sent him to the minor league he would have been a huge star (in his mind) and made a ton of money. To him, the only reason for sending a player of his caliber to that team was to boost the attendance of the minor league team and make money off him. Now he don't got no college edamucation, and he can't run neither, so he should get the money they should have paid him in the first place.

Does this happen in baseball? Hockey? Basketball? Cannot happen and would not happen. On top of that, can they sue the NFL now for not letting them play at a younger age if they get injured in college? Can they sue the university who reaps millions of dollars in benefits on their play?

The second best thing that the current (possibly former) system does is check several egos. Too many kids need a few years to mature before they are given obscene amounts of money.Really? TO is "mature" enough? Randy Moss? There are a high number of immature misfits in football now, and the old age rule didn't help them. A jerk is going to be a jerk.



The first is giving these kids an education. A good number don't make it. Blair Thomas never thought he'd bust. Mandrich didn't and neither did "The Boz." Their free educations helped them, as it did for countless other players who thought they were stars, but couldn't play at the highest level.Have you ever checked the graduation rate of college programs? How about the numbers of NFL players that actually have degrees? Many do not utilize the system now. If they sign a multi-million contract and they don't pan out, why can't they pay their own way to college?

How about a couple of more things? Why should players be forced to play college ball when they do not want to?

Why should they risk injury and millions of potential dollars to basically make money for the university?

Why is football so much more special than every other sport that they should get a free minor league system in college football where every other sport has to pay for theirs?

I am as big a college fan as there is, but I cannot see how the current football system is fair to the players in any way.

[Anthony]

My answer is that yes, it should, but there are three that already kind of exist - besides NFL Europe and CFL, there's the Arena League. The problem with all three is that none of them cater to the type of player that there really needs to be a minor league for - they're all geared to post-collegiate players with skills that need a little development to make the step up.

What the NFL really needs is a league geared toward the kids who want to play, but don't want to play in college (or are just not academically suited for college). The stance that you need to go to college to play professional football is, quite frankly, idiotic, and it's time the NFL stopped pretending.



this is complete bullshit. what other profession do you know of where you can skip college and start working for a company where your salary is obscene for a non-college graduate? you can't be a doctor by not going to college. let them go to college, the fact they they're able to use their physical abilities to get free admission to an institution that they otherwise wouldn't be able to afford is a blessing. why would a player waste his time going to college (where he could get into trouble for taking gifts) when he could go to a minor league, not have to deal with being a student and get a decent salary to boot? college is for their own good.