NFL minor league teams

[Johnny English]

I haven't really thought it through, but presumably it would work in a similar manner to the NHL/AHL where top players have one way contracts (meaning that they can't be sent down to the minor league affiliate) and bubble players have two way contracts, allowing them to be called up and sent down as required. They still get paid the same (q.v. Wade Redden getting paid $6.5M a year to play for the Hartford Wolf Pack), but instead of the slightly crappy practice squad arrangement we have in the NFL, they get to play meaningful games.

[dcm1602]

I haven't really thought it through, but presumably it would work in a similar manner to the NHL/AHL where top players have one way contracts (meaning that they can't be sent down to the minor league affiliate) and bubble players have two way contracts, allowing them to be called up and sent down as required. They still get paid the same (q.v. Wade Redden getting paid $6.5M a year to play for the Hartford Wolf Pack), but instead of the slightly crappy practice squad arrangement we have in the NFL, they get to play meaningful games.

Risk of injury is exponentially higher in the NFL though.

I mean a full NFL season is 16 games, hockey is over 80. So if you give a brink NFL player an 8 game minor league, then add on 4 preseason games, camps otas etc, and then a 16 game nfl season.

Thats an obscene amount of wear and tare for a player over a 6~ month stretch

And I assumed we were talking about a developmental league that would not overlap with the nfl season (as theres significant regulations as to when professional football can be played on tv, and then the competition of college etc) so it wouldnt quite be the calling up and sending guys down thing

[Johnny English]

I can't imagine they wouldn't run simultaneously. The AHL is barely televised; if you really wanted to you could have the NFL dev league play Sunday mornings.

[dcm1602]

I can't imagine they wouldn't run simultaneously. The AHL is barely televised; if you really wanted to you could have the NFL dev league play Sunday mornings.

Well I think the whole point of this league would be for fringe guys to play and have a chance to earn playing time.

Guys like Vlad Ducasse (mentioned above) as well as 3rd string qbs etc. Who are backups, but virtually dont play at all whatsoever during the regular season but are still part of the 53 man roster

They wouldnt be available to play during the season (as they are needed as backups), so you would get an epicly bad talent pool if the league ran during the nfl season.

And playing on sunday mornings ?

I know theres a lot of hardcore NFL fans, but if you live on the west coast are you going to get up at 6-7am on Sunday to watch developmental players ?

The only way for a developmental league to succeed imo is if it took place during the non football monts of the year, which is basically march-july

[IATA]

What would they call it?

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[Heismanberg]

What would they call it?

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NFDL

[Laxin]

I have a hard time seeing it happen simply due to the career lengths of football players. In Baseball, a player can do well in the minors, develop, and get a shot at the majors possibly around age 27/28 and then still have a 8 years career in the majors. That doesnt or wont happen in the NFL. Most players are on their way out by age 32-33, unless they are physical freaks.

Id certainly be interested in it though- I love the aspect of building a team and that is what attracts me to the draft and what has recently peaked my interest in baseball. It would also allow players who normally wouldnt make a team or get experience in real games to do so which may allow for more "diamonds in the rough" to come  out of nowhere.

[bojanglesman]

What would they call it?

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Turd League.

[dcm1602]

I have a hard time seeing it happen simply due to the career lengths of football players. In Baseball, a player can do well in the minors, develop, and get a shot at the majors possibly around age 27/28 and then still have a 8 years career in the majors. That doesnt or wont happen in the NFL. Most players are on their way out by age 32-33, unless they are physical freaks.

Id certainly be interested in it though- I love the aspect of building a team and that is what attracts me to the draft and what has recently peaked my interest in baseball. It would also allow players who normally wouldnt make a team or get experience in real games to do so which may allow for more "diamonds in the rough" to come  out of nowhere.

Well it wouldn't be so much about development I guess, as much as helping teams find diamonds in the rough.

Every year you have UDFA or late round draft picks who end up being productive players. As well as backups and special teamers who step in due to injuries ahead of them and end up doing well

So a minor league would simply give low value players (UDFA, late picks, back-ups etc) a chance to get meaningful snaps in a prostyle offense/defense and maybe improve their role on a team.

[MoreCharacters]

they already have a working model of this

it's called college football

[MoreCharacters]

a sport like baseball needs a minor league system because it's actually hard to learn to play

[Heismanberg]

a sport like baseball needs a minor league system because it's actually hard to learn to play

so is football after pee wee

[bojanglesman]

so is football after pee wee

My 2 year-old knows that he's supposed to throw the ball and catch the ball.  Pro Bowler.

[Heismanberg]

My 2 year-old knows that he's supposed to throw the ball and catch the ball.  Pro Bowler.

I'll give my friend a call at Catawba.  Expect a scholarship offer in the mail, ASAP. 

[dcm1602]

they already have a working model of this

it's called college football

There's not college baseball, basketball, or hockey right?

I'd add soccer, but even if they televised that excrement nobody would ever watch it