NFL Developmental league....Thoughts???
 

I know how baseball prepares it players that are not ready for MLB (AAA, AA, A, College, etc), and I know how hockey does (IHL, AHL, etc), but I'm not sure what happens to a drafted NFL player that is not yet ready for the NFL.

I realize there are arena league and Canadian Football League options, but these don't provide for a direct affiliation by NFL team like MLB and the NHL does.

So (and I apologize if this is a stupid question), but why hasn't it been looked at that the Canadian Football League and NFL form some form of affiliation?

For example, the British Columbia Lions could serve as a farm-like team for the Chargers, Seahawks, 49ers and Raiders. The Toronto team could serve the Bills, Jets, Pats, etc. Could this type of relationship make the CFL stronger and more interesting, and also give NFL teams a chance to develop talent other than through a practice roster?

It might mean the CFL would need to tweak a few rules (and maybe start the season sooner), but it could aslo create a US audience for pro-football in the summer season, when much of the CFL is played.

The only reason I can think that this would not work well is becuase there might be no need for a transitional league between NCAA and the NFL? You either make it right away or fall off the radar, in most cases? Is that the case? I'm just wondering. Help me out folks...

Thoughts? Thanks

Re: NFL Developmental league....Thoughts???
 

AFIK this has been discussed in the past. It would be tough because the NFL would want the CFL to change its rules, and the rules are what make the CFL unique.

I've always thought that having the developmental team in the same city as the NFL team would make sense. They could play their games before the "big boys".

Re: NFL Developmental league....Thoughts???
 

There is NFL Europe. Teams don't have direct NFL affiliations, but the individual players do.

Re: NFL Developmental league....Thoughts???
 

NFL Europe was dissolved.

Re: NFL Developmental league....Thoughts???
 

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There is NFL Europe. Teams don't have direct NFL affiliations, but the individual players do.

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I thought that shut down.

Re: NFL Developmental league....Thoughts???
 

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NFL Europe was dissolved.

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Is anyone here old enough to remember when it first started out as the WLAF (World League of American Football). Montreal had a team called the Machine. It was horrifically bad to watch. Not XFL bad, but pretty close.

Re: NFL Developmental league....Thoughts???
 

Theres also the Arena Football League and the AFL2.

One of the reasons I dont think an NFL-D league would work is because football players shelf-lives are too short imo. Its not worth it for a team to develope a player in a minor league system for a few years to have them come up and play for a limited time in the pros. College football is basically the NFL-D league...

Re: NFL Developmental league....Thoughts???
 

i don't think people here in canada would want minor league NFL ball.... CFL players are not as talented as NFL players (some are as fast, but most are smaller), but basically the big field makes the game completely different (tons of other differences but that and the 3 down system are probably the two biggest differences).

it's interesting that you mention cfl mostly in the summer. some truth to that although the championship game is on sunday... but i think the CFL should move exclusively to spring/summer regardless of whether the NFL comes to toronto (and i think it will. i think it's almost a gentlemen's agreement already)

Re: NFL Developmental league....Thoughts???
 

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Theres also the Arena Football League and the AFL2.

One of the reasons I dont think an NFL-D league would work is because football players shelf-lives are too short imo. Its not worth it for a team to develope a player in a minor league system for a few years to have them come up and play for a limited time in the pros. College football is basically the NFL-D league...

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yeah this is an excellent point, and aside from a few guys who come out of nowhere late in their careers, it's a pretty efficient market in football - it's fairly rare for an undrafted player to have a huge impact.

Re: NFL Developmental league....Thoughts???
 

There is already an NFL minor league system, its called NCAA football and the NFL practice squad. I would guess NCAA would be like rookie ball/single-A and practice squad player would be like double-A/triple-A.

Re: NFL Developmental league....Thoughts???
 

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yeah this is an excellent point, and aside from a few guys who come out of nowhere late in their careers, it's a pretty efficient market in football - it's fairly rare for an undrafted player to have a huge impact.

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i see this with players from canada who make the nfl, often the practice squad. they stay for a few years in the NFL and then they're replaced by younger guys straight out of NCAA.

i think minor league NFL would work well in USA if NCAA wasn't so huge. i mean, without its two SEC teams, i think alabama would be all over a minor league NFL.

Re: NFL Developmental league....Thoughts???
 

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Theres also the Arena Football League and the AFL2.

One of the reasons I dont think an NFL-D league would work is because football players shelf-lives are too short imo. Its not worth it for a team to develope a player in a minor league system for a few years to have them come up and play for a limited time in the pros. College football is basically the NFL-D league...

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yeah this is an excellent point, and aside from a few guys who come out of nowhere late in their careers, it's a pretty efficient market in football - it's fairly rare for an undrafted player to have a huge impact.

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That was one of the factors I was worried about. I was just thinking that the US market is so hungry for football, that someone would "smell" TV revenues and say, a spring summer CFL could have a market, but only if they could draw a link to the NFL product.

Re: NFL Developmental league....Thoughts???
 

[ QUOTE ]
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Theres also the Arena Football League and the AFL2.

One of the reasons I dont think an NFL-D league would work is because football players shelf-lives are too short imo. Its not worth it for a team to develope a player in a minor league system for a few years to have them come up and play for a limited time in the pros. College football is basically the NFL-D league...

[/ QUOTE ]

yeah this is an excellent point, and aside from a few guys who come out of nowhere late in their careers, it's a pretty efficient market in football - it's fairly rare for an undrafted player to have a huge impact.

[/ QUOTE ]

That was one of the factors I was worried about. I was just thinking that the US market is so hungry for football, that someone would "smell" TV revenues and say, a spring summer CFL could have a market, but only if they could draw a link to the NFL product.

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I really don't think Americans are *that* hungry for football. The XFL died on the table and the World Football League abandoned its North American based franchises fairly quickly IIRC. Arena football is popular in the cities where it's played but I can't see it becoming a television phenomenon. Football can really be a horribly boring game if it's played poorly - and I suspect such a developmental league might fall into that trap.

Re: NFL Developmental league....Thoughts???
 

If it was necessary or would be helpful or even realistic then it would have been done by now.

Lower level players are on the NFL practice-squads.
Many players who aren't good enough for the NFL end up playing CFL, AFL or AFL2. Very few of these players end up improving enough to make the NFL.

Baseball requires a more gradual progression through the levels for the players for a variety of reasons. The top draft-choice out of high school or college is just not ready for the major-leagues and would get creamed. He needs experience in A ball and AA ball just to have a chance to be ready to handle the big-league game.

The different sports need different amounts of minor-league systems to groom their players for whatever reasons.

Re: NFL Developmental league....Thoughts???
 

I've always wondered why they don't have a full on 32 team minor league system. They could play the games on Wedensday night. There'd be plenty of support locally, much like minor league baseball. As for the efficency of the market, I hear quite often that so and so was signed this week from his local grocery store. The other negative is, guys on your practice squad can be signed away by any other team. Most players are going to improve over time. It sucks when a team has to cut its third round pick of that year because he's not ready and they don't have a spot on the roster.

I'd think it would be worth it just for the development of the QB. There's so much attrition at that positioin, there aren't enough QBs to go around. Part of that problem is, there are only 32 starting spots, so only 32 guys get to gain experience after college. A minor league system would let 32 more get game experience. The quality of play would be better than NCAA, but not as good as the NFL. They can play by NFL rules so there's no issue there. They'd run their parent teams playbook, so that would help out. Do you think Brady Quinn would be getting better playing in a league that has better talent than the NCAA or taking snaps with the second team in practice? He'd also be a huge draw.

Re: NFL Developmental league....Thoughts???
 

rwperu:

QB is the one position where a player often needs a year simply to learn the playbook. Furthermore, developmental teams would almost certainly have to be shared - it makes absolutely no sense to have a full team. 95% of those players wouldn't get on an NFL field - why have a minor league where that's the case?