Outline · [ Standard ] · Linear+ Should the NFL have a farm league?

[flea]

With the demise of the NFL Europe league the NFL have had nowhere to develop players. Is a farm league needed?

[Romanempire295]

Before the nfl had no need for a farm league because there were plenty other leagues out there since the nfl is now huge and no one can even contest it no new league bother coming into exsitence and old league fall apart with this the nfl does need a farm league but not on the scale of the nhl or mlb but more like the NBAs D-league which has a decent amount of teams to many teams and competion becomes waterd down

[degibson84]

I voted yes although i am on the fence here. the NFL does allow teams to have their practice squads which allow players that were the last few guys cut to be able to practice with the team and get that experience. Most of the time the players get elevated to the active roster or signed to the active rosters of other teams

[flea]

But surely game situation would be more of a benefit than being on a PS for the year. Look how many players made rosters after playing in NFLE?

[degibson84]

But surely game situation would be more of a benefit than being on a PS for the year. Look how many players made rosters after playing in NFLE?

yes thats why im on the fence they do get to practice but no game time experience. but there may be no NFL after this year anyway unless Goodell and D. Smith get working fast

[edgerrin32]

i vote yes. im sick of these high draft picks being bust!!!!

[degibson84]

i vote yes. im sick of these high draft picks being bust!!!!

you are a Colts fan you picks have been all late round and panned out fairly well. try being a Browns fan lol

Joe Thomas was the only good 1st rounder that has done anything since the return in 99

[WHyFLy]

Guys, if you look at it, the NFL already have 2 systems of Farm Leagues. The Arena Football League and United States Football League. A very vast amount of players have played in either leagues, as well as players every year are scouted and signed to practice squads. I know fam leagues are teams specified for a single team, but in general these leagues are the minor league of football.

[WHyFLy]

you are a Colts fan you picks have been all late round and panned out fairly well. try being a Browns fan lol

Joe Thomas was the only good 1st rounder that has done anything since the return in 99

I have to agree on this for the Browns. Sorry bud

[flea]

Guys, if you look at it, the NFL already have 2 systems of Farm Leagues. The Arena Football League and United States Football League. A very vast amount of players have played in either leagues, as well as players every year are scouted and signed to practice squads. I know fam leagues are teams specified for a single team, but in general these leagues are the minor league of football.

Take those leagues 1 at a time,
First the USFL has yet to get started, I assume you mean the United Football League who have only played 1 season. How many players got signed from it 2? AFL is only just starting back & even when it was playing there wasn't a whole load of players signed fromit(I don't think)

Theres still Canada i suppose but again very few players make it through camp after signing from it

[northicehero99]

Aw man, I thought you meant should they ship some of these bad players who get cut to the farms to work. Darn!

Seriously, I think the issue for the NFL is do we want to cut into our US market and when would they play? You certainly can't have them play on Sunday against your main market teams, and Saturdays are filled with college games, so I just don't think the concept would work.

[flea]

well brian it would have to be an off-season thing or smaller markets in season.

[degibson84]

Guys, if you look at it, the NFL already have 2 systems of Farm Leagues. The Arena Football League and United States Football League. A very vast amount of players have played in either leagues, as well as players every year are scouted and signed to practice squads. I know fam leagues are teams specified for a single team, but in general these leagues are the minor league of football.

the The USFL and AFL have both folded.

[northicehero99]

well brian it would have to be an off-season thing or smaller markets in season.

Off season might work, but then you are competing with baseball or some other sport. Based on the failure of other leagues like the USFL, I don't think the NFL will consider it.

[flea]

the The USFL and AFL have both folded.

The "new" AFL previously to be called AFL1 is due to re-start soon

USFL I doubt ever gets off the ground, there was talk of a restart

[Gadsden86]

I like the UFl they had more than 2 players picked up. Not sure the exact number but still a nice jump point. The real farm league i would say is the CFL. More and ,more players are signed to NFL contracts every year.

[marcus42]

I really don't see the NFL ever having a true 'minor league.'

Were there many AFL/NFL Europe players that contributed that much. I know there are a few like Kurt Warner, but is there enough that have fully justified the need for a minor league? From what I noticed is that the AFL players just became career AFL players, and never made it to NFL after leaving the NFL.

[flea]

NFLE has contributed a lot more players than you realise from Superstars like Warner & Viniatieri right down to solid pro's & role players

Could probably find a couple hundred players

[2000 rushing yards]

i voted no although after readin this thread, I'm swayed a little more to say yes.

-yes many people from Europe, Canada and the AFL have gotten signed to NFL rosters

- and yes, the rules are different for those leagues, so if there was an NFL minor league, it could be played under the same format so there is less adjustment time

-and yes, then people wouldn't see a team's high draft picks goto waste

but.. the business side of it i don't think would work to well

- I dare to say it but, the football has saturated the market enough as it I know, that may sound crazy but where are you gonna place these teams? In smaller markers (which probably already have a DI college team there)? in larger markets (but then who would goto the games?)?

- When would they be played is the other issue. It'd have to be played on Tuesday and Wednesday really, when there are no other football games (could expand that to Thursday and Monday if you think that college Thursday night FB doesnt work or MNF won't really have an impact)

lot to think about

[flea]

Yes CFL & AFL are different games but the only real difference in NFLE was the 4 point field goal. Just find it strange the NFL can't make it work when the MLB have a system