PFT: Momentum for NFL Minor League Builds

[Doomsday101]

MLB's minor league system works because every player goes through it. 99.99% of prospects drafted by MLB teams aren't ready for the big leagues when they are drafted. Most of them won't be ready for at least 3 or 4 years. Fans go to the games because they're watching the stars of tomorrow. There won't be a draw to watch guys who are there because they don't have enough talent to be in the the league. NFL teams are never going to send their best prospects in to a minor league system. They don't need to because it's much easier for college players to transition to the NFL.

I agree, I really don't see the need for a minor league team but it appears this is the direction the NFL plans on taking for developing boarder line players.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

I think the problem with expanding the practice squad is one of handling. Once you get into the season, you don't have time to really work with these guys or develop them the way you'd like to. I mean, it's good that they work out with the team but how much actual attention do practice squad players get? I have no idea. You could add coaching but then, that's still just another set of responsabilities that the HC would have to manage. Another draw back of doing it that way is that they don't see any game time, which is, IMO, a very important piece of development. Lastly, if they are attached to the practice squad, then you probably start dealing with salary cap issues etc. Just another level of complexity. I'd imagine that if they set up a Minor league, so to speak, it wouldn't necessarily be predicated on the teams Salary Cap, per say. I don't know for sure but it would seem logical to keep it seperate.

 

[Doomsday101]

I think the problem with expanding the practice squad is one of handling. Once you get into the season, you don't have time to really work with these guys or develop them the way you'd like to. I mean, it's good that they work out with the team but how much actual attention do practice squad players get? I have no idea. You could add coaching but then, that's still just another set of responsabilities that the HC would have to manage. Another draw back of doing it that way is that they don't see any game time, which is, IMO, a very important piece of development. Lastly, if they are attached to the practice squad, then you probably start dealing with salary cap issues etc. Just another level of complexity. I'd imagine that if they set up a Minor league, so to speak, it wouldn't necessarily be predicated on the teams Salary Cap, per say. I don't know for sure but it would seem logical to keep it seperate.

How many players is a team allowed to put on their practice squad and will that be enough players to makeup an NFL minor league?

 

[ZeroClub]

If the NFL were to join forces with the Canadian Football League - something like that could be interesting. If the CFL game were changed to more closely approximate the NFL rules ....

But I am under the impression that the Canadian Football League is financially viable today. I wouldn't think they'd want to turn their league into a minor league, but who knows? Maybe some sort of cooperative arrangement could be worked out.

Or the NFL could set up its minor league somewhere else. Like in Europe or something. Opps ......


Speaking of the Canadian Football League, it is interesting to note that they did expand to the U.S.A. for a time, to places like Birmingham, Memphis, Sacramento, and San Antonio. These franchises folded. There just wasn't enough fan support.

CFL football couldn't catch on in the U.S. The WFL and USFL failed. It is difficult for me to see how NFL minor league teams would generate much interest or support either.

 

[iceberg]

The minor league thing may eventually happen, but I don't believe that it will be at the expense of NFL Europe. The league has invested millions and years in building a fanbase in Europe. Now it's going to abandon the beachhead established over there? Not likely, imo.

heh, then again...


FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) -- The NFL folded its development league in Europe after 16 years Friday, calling the decision a sound business move that will allow for a stronger international focus on regular-season games outside the United States.

The announcement came less than a week after the Hamburg Sea Devils beat the Frankfurt Galaxy 37-28 in the World Bowl championship in Frankfurt before a crowd of 48,125. Five of the league's six teams are in Germany, with the other in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

A statement on the German-language edition of the NFL's Web site said the NFL decided to concentrate its "strategies and resources" on regular-season games outside the United States in an effort to reach as many people as possible.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell thanked the fans for their support but said it was time to develop a new international strategy, terming the move to fold NFL Europa the "best business decision." The league reportedly was losing about $30 million a season.

"From now on we will focus on regular-season games and use new technologies to make NFL more popular worldwide," he said.

NFL team owners decided in October to play up to two regular-season games outside the United States. The first such game is Oct. 28 in London between the Miami Dolphins and the New York Giants.

The league said it is looking toward other regular-season games in Germany, Mexico and Canada, with Germany a strong candidate for 2008.

"NFL Europa has created thousands of passionate fans who have supported that league and our sport for many years," said Mark Waller, senior vice president of NFL International. "And we look forward to building on this foundation as we begin this new phase of our international development."

The league began in 1991 as the World League of American Football, with 10 teams from the United States and Europe, spreading from Scotland to Spain. After closing for two seasons in 1993 and 1994, the league returned with six European teams and retained the same format until the end.

The league was used by NFL teams to test young talent and produced players such as quarterback Kurt Warner, who led the St. Louis Rams to the 2000 Super Bowl championship and won two NFL Most Valuable Player awards; Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme; and star Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri.

NFL Europa managing director Uwe Bergheim said the league had succeeded in establishing a fan base for football in important European markets.

"Despite the great support of fans, business partners and the cities where we were active, we decided that it was time to change the strategy," Bergheim said.

 

[Doomsday101]

If the NFL were to join forces with the Canadian Football League - something like that could be interesting. If the CFL game were changed to more closely approximate the NFL rules ....

But I am under the impression that the Canadian Football League is financially viable today. I wouldn't think they'd want to turn their league into a minor league, but who knows? Maybe some sort of cooperative arrangement could be worked out.

Or the NFL could set up its minor league somewhere else. Like in Europe or something. Opps ......


Speaking of the Canadian Football League, it is interesting to note that they did expand to the U.S.A. for a time, to places like Birmingham, Memphis, Sacramento, and San Antonio. These franchises folded. There just wasn't enough fan support.

CFL football couldn't catch on in the U.S. The WFL and USFL failed. It is difficult for me to see how NFL minor league teams would generate much interest or support either.

What you would get is local support but not national. I know a few years back there an ideal of a league where teams would be made up from players in that particular region of the country. For instance a team in San Antonio made up from undrafted players from the Big 12 and you could have a team in say Birmingham made up from undrafted players from the SEC. The ideal was to capture an audience that followed and know these players from their college days.

 

[Yeagermeister]

If the NFL were to join forces with the Canadian Football League - something like that could be interesting. If the CFL game were changed to more closely approximate the NFL rules ....

But I am under the impression that the Canadian Football League is financially viable today. I wouldn't think they'd want to turn their league into a minor league, but who knows? Maybe some sort of cooperative arrangement could be worked out.

Or the NFL could set up its minor league somewhere else. Like in Europe or something. Opps ......


Speaking of the Canadian Football League, it is interesting to note that they did expand to the U.S.A. for a time, to places like Birmingham, Memphis, Sacramento, and San Antonio. These franchises folded. There just wasn't enough fan support.

CFL football couldn't catch on in the U.S. The WFL and USFL failed. It is difficult for me to see how NFL minor league teams would generate much interest or support either.

The USFL failed because they decided to try and go head to head with the nfl. If they had decided to keep it as it was it could have worked. The USFL had a strong fanbase.

 

[ZeroClub]

The USFL failed because they decided to try and go head to head with the nfl. If they had decided to keep it as it was it could have worked. The USFL had a strong fanbase.

I watched some of those USFL games. I recall enjoying watching Anthony Carter play. H. Walker too, of course. Didn't Carthon block for him with the Generals?

I'm foggy on the details though, please correct me if I'm wrong.

Didn't the USFL start out as a spring/summer league .... playing during a different time of year than the NFL? Then the USFL tried to run their season at the same time as the NFL, and they went belly up. Correct?

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

How many players is a team allowed to put on their practice squad and will that be enough players to makeup an NFL minor league?

I believe that number is 8 but I don't know that it would be enough to round out a complete roster. I doubt it only because you have no control over what positions are placed on any given teams practice squad. It would also depend on how many minor league teams are allocated. I'd imagine that you would probably have all the practice squad guys available plus, a decent amount of the NFL Europe guys and other players that showed talent as you went along. In that way, I'd expect they would fill out rosters.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

What you would get is local support but not national. I know a few years back there an ideal of a league where teams would be made up from players in that particular region of the country. For instance a team in San Antonio made up from undrafted players from the Big 12 and you could have a team in say Birmingham made up from undrafted players from the SEC. The ideal was to capture an audience that followed and know these players from their college days.

I actually think it would make more sense to set it up regionally, according to geographic locations for NFL teams. For example, Lets say birmingham wanted a team. They could be assembled with players from Atlanta, Jacksonville, Miami and Tennessee. If Charleston WV wanted a team, it could be made up of players from Cleveland, Cincy, Indy and Pittsburgh. In this way, you could capture regional interest from larger market areas by capitolizing on the respective NFL team audiances that make up teams talent draw. Would also be easier for the NFL teams to manage there players IMO. To me, this would make more sense.

 

[jrumann59]

They could always absorb the Arena league expand the draft and let teams start their own "farm system". This business of 8 minor league teams could give teams unfair advantages depending coaches and personal issues. For example Coach Joe of the Columbia Dogs is a real ggod friend of Jeffrey Lurey and the cowboys have a running back on his team he could either a) not play him as much, or B) play him and tell the eagles he can only run stretch plays good, so when we call him up the eagles kill the kid.

 

[DallasEast]

I guess you were wrong..:laugh2:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/football/more/06/29/nfleuropa.folds.ap/index.html

heh, then again...

:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=R6WDdZ6xaPg

 

[Chocolate Lab]

I watched some of those USFL games. I recall enjoying watching Anthony Carter play. H. Walker too, of course. Didn't Carthon block for him with the Generals?

I'm foggy on the details though, please correct me if I'm wrong.

Didn't the USFL start out as a spring/summer league .... playing during a different time of year than the NFL? Then the USFL tried to run their season at the same time as the NFL, and they went belly up. Correct?

No, you're right...

I liked the USFL, too. It was the only pro football other than the NFL I've ever remotely cared about.

But then, they had good players, too: Herschel (yes, Carthon blocked for him), Carter, Reggie White, Mike Rozier, Doug Flutie, Steve Young, and Jim Kelly all played. Kelly was absolutely awesome for the Gamblers... And didn't one of the Skins Fun Bunch play for him? Was it Gary Clark?

Plenty of other role players would later play in the NFL, too. And I know Jim Mora and Spurrier coached.

Oh, and the territorial drafting was a great idea. That let the fans see plenty of local players that they were already familiar with.

Anyway, it was fun, because it was in the spring when not much else was going on, and it was pretty good football.

 

[iceberg]

:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=R6WDdZ6xaPg

it happens, doesn't it? just kinda surprised that no one commented on the article yet it got posted all on it's own now.