Developmental League
by CitrusFLViking
on Jan 12, 2009 12:29 PM CST
9 comments
The NFL Europe idea flopped. However the idea of a developmental league could still work and save us from off season boredom. 3 or 4 current teams sponsor a developmental team to play their bench, reserves, FA collegiate signees on.
Do not put them in major markets. Play from mid April til mid July in cities like Louisville, Birmingham, Salt Lake, Potland, Oklahoma City, Memphis, Des Moines, Columbus OH, Little Rock, etc. These cities have not much else in the way of pro sports and the sposorship of future NFLers would be a big appeal to the people in those towns and even a TV audiance. These cities pack college games and would support a well run pro football team.
What do you all think of such a paln?
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Not sure what cities they are in or what time frame they will be playing but there “were” plans in the mix to do just that….although Mark Cuban was going to be an owner in one league and that may be in jeapordy now…..
http://www.allamericanfootballleague.com/
There might be another one that’s in the developmental phase….
by vikesincebirth on
Jan 12, 2009 12:56 PM CST
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All-American
The All-American League had good concepts, but some ideas that may lead to failure.
1. Teams were regional recruiting mostly local palyers. A leagues success hinges on some form of parity.
2. Locations were set at established major college campuses. Good in some ways, but will those communities support a team that really isn’t part of the college and are the fans to dead set on supporting just their college team. College states, as the ones I mentioned are good, but I am wondering if creating a teams own identity in an area might work better.
3. Owner support must be strong. You mentioned Cuban and guys like that can back salaries that will attract players. It seems there wasn’t enough of that with many AAL teams. Seems potential owners (with big $) shyed off the some of the leagues concepts.
4. An NFL backed league, much like the WNBA, gives some credibility to the product. Football sells, but challenging the NFL never seems to work. When people are watching young, hungry kids who they may get to see on Sunday afternoons in the future it may be a drawing card. Much like minor league baseball, we might be more inclined to see a Vikings sponsored team with talent that we may see on the “big stage”.
My point was, the NFLE thing worked for awhile, but I know one guy that was going to go and he mentioned others that were just not that hyped about leaving home and playing in front of crowds whose attendance was irratic. Eventually it folded. I just can’t help but think just switching that idea to an American audiance might work better.
Thanks for bring AAL up though. I was hoping to catch some games down here.
by CitrusFLViking on
Jan 13, 2009 3:48 PM CST
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Minor Leagues
My idea is that it is a semi regional league. There are 8 teams in each league. Each team is filled with developmental players from the same division. This way fans get to see not only their own teams players, but the competition as well. League divided into AFC and NFC. NFC and AFC champs play for the League Championship.
Problems with all NFL dev leagues. When do the dev players get to rest after their season but before the NFL season? Since there is no way the NFL lets them play during the same time? Most baseball dev leagues are at the same time, but there is some winter ball. We can all agree that the physical toil of FB is more severe than BB. If the league is played in spring (Mid March-May) that gives 10 weeks of football. Every team plays every other team and then 1 playoff round. That gives the players all of June and most of July until training camp. Is two months enough time to recover and be effective for an entire NFL season? I’m not trying to be negative here, I think it would be great to have more football, but I just don’t see it working very well.
by vikedawg on
Jan 13, 2009 8:21 PM CST
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could be like the MLB, where guys are called up. I think the main problem would lie with who coaches and for what. If guys are all from different teams put onto one, that means they need to be developed for different schemes and there is no guarantee that they are being coached the way that the head coach for the NFL team would like them to be so they can play their best on his team and not a D league team. I think the NFL would have to increase the number of guys on the practice squads to have what would basically be a whole other team and have them play exhibition games against the practice squad of whoever the main team plays that week, either right before the game (unlikely) or at some other site the day before, but that might have some trouble going up against the college game for most of the year. It is clearly a complicated situation and one that I ihope the NFL gets to work sometime in the near future.
by vikingfuture8816 on
Jan 13, 2009 9:31 PM CST
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Lots of good ideas....
you’re right about schemes and such but it would seem that a lot of these guys just need to add strength, experience and some “pro” coaching to correct some of the smaller “problems” where they would sit on the practice squad for a year or two.
I the “scheme” guys will be noticed (by a good coaching staff) and picked up to backfill
Some things that just popped into my cranium:
1- Start a league in October which gives teams time to pick up practice squad guys and folks that have been cut completely with no football job to speak of but still have a possible future. This would also get the college folks a chance to adjust to the longer NFL season
2- Play a game every 2 weeks (can’t see a 16 game schedule for these guys…or you could move the start date to mid november for a 6-8 game season)
3-Ending the season right before the super bowl would give people who are still hungry for football something to watch and something more to watch over the holidays
4- I would like to see a team in the northern states but the southern states seems to have more of chance in my eyes (texas, florida, etc) and then to have them closer together would cut travel costs, weather is nicer (larger crowds?)
Lots of things to think about here but with the abscence of an NFL Europe you would think they’ve got something in the works.
Can you imagine if Mike Vick went to a development league? Instant media coverage…could be a stepping stone to being another NFL farm system
by vikesincebirth on
Jan 14, 2009 10:44 AM CST
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Great Ideas
The divisional concept was also an idea my friend had and I liked that one too, Vikedawg.
I wasn’t really set on a Spring/summer schedule but yeas, the opportunity to call up a player in the event of injury would be helpful rather than scan the FA openings and pick up a player who may take time to get in playing shape.
Team schemes would present an issue, but maybe getting a player who is game ready physically and has been getting some contact time is important.
Seems like the NFL could look into a plan rather than scrap any ideas because NFLE didn’t pan out.
by CitrusFLViking on
Jan 15, 2009 11:02 AM CST
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I'm against it
…even though it is a great idea in many ways. Here’s why: I want the NFL to expand into those very communities until there are 40 NFL franchises. I also want an expansion mode by the time Madden 2012 comes out (along with many other improvements to the game which never seem to come along).
The CFL and Arena leagues are already developmental leagues of sorts. Tamarick Vanover, Jeff Garcia, Doug Flutie, Kurt Warner, Boo Williams…and several other players have spent some time in Canada or indoors. If anything, the NFL tends to draft more talent than it can use every year, and many personnel decisions to retain a player have more to do with his contract and effect on the salary cap and a fear of the unknown than pure talent or even potential.
by KC Viking on
Jan 16, 2009 12:14 PM CST
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40 Teams
Funny. I was wondering when that would happen. Soon I hope, if it would mean buying more time for the Vikes to get a new stadium and keep them from moving.
How bout the new Pez throws in some of those $ for construction salaries for a stadium in Minn.
by CitrusFLViking on
Jan 17, 2009 12:57 PM CST
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