The NFL needs a developmental league, and this possible reboot of the USFL could be the right concept. It's not aiming to compete with the NFL, and is looking to develop players and coaches. No individual owners either. It will be wholly league owned.
The idea has merit. It would be nice to see the NFL embrace this as a way of developing a talent pool.
http://www.firstcoastnews.com/videos/spo.../26846773/
Would it truly be a developmental league, or just a league where players go when they can no longer cut it in the NFL?
It will only help the league find and develop more guys. It's a good idea.
Quote:Would it truly be a developmental league, or just a league where players go when they can no longer cut it in the NFL?
The commissioner says truly developmental. It would behoove him to reach out to the league to measure their interest in developing a farm system. $500 million to create a viable developmental league could potentially create a talent pool capable of sustaining future league expansion.
They've been trying to get this league off the ground for years, but to no avail. Every year they announce it's coming the following year only to have it delayed until next year, then rinse and repeat. I'll believe it actually is coming to fruition when they play a real game. I'm really surprised that First Coast News devoted that much airtime to this league considering all it's been through. Aside from the Arena Football League, no US league has really been able to any sort of long term success on a national scale. The UFL flopped after a couple seasons and I'm not sure how many people even knew the FXFL existed last year.
If you want to learn more, here's a wikipedia article about the new USFL and their trials and tribulations over the past seven years or so:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_United_...all_League
I would like to see more football anytime of the year.
But Joe Q public is not going to watch or support a team of developmental players that were good enough to get into the league and really weren't a name they heard in college. That's why the old USFL was so good they went after the same stars that the NFL was going after. If the Donald had not taken them all down the yellow brick road it could have been just as big as the NFL today.
But if that had happened we wouldn't have the Jaguars now.......
Ahhhh...the good ole UselessFL.
One "developmental" style of League that I think would be very beneficial for the NFL is a summertime passing camp ran by NFL coaches.
Just imagine a League that is solely devoted to passing, which will allow for the development of QBs, WRs, DBs, and cover LBs. You'd have to restrict the contact, but I feel like it would be immensely beneficial to the League to have that part of the game being developed year round.
Quote:One "developmental" style of League that I think would be very beneficial for the NFL is a summertime passing camp ran by NFL coaches.
Just imagine a League that is solely devoted to passing, which will allow for the development of QBs, WRs, DBs, and cover LBs. You'd have to restrict the contact, but I feel like it would be immensely beneficial to the League to have that part of the game being developed year round.
That would be a good idea. And a great way to fill in the dead zone gap. I have a feeling though that the NFLPA would probably be against it.
Quote:That would be a good idea. And a great way to fill in the dead zone gap. I have a feeling though that the NFLPA would probably be against it.
Well, ideally it would be manned by Practice Squad types that aren't going to get a whole lot of work in the Regular Season anyway. But you gin up the farm teams to be subsidiaries of the NFL teams, that way they can get consistent coaching throughout the process.
You'll need to monitor hours worked and things like that, but I think it would be a lot easier to do and maintain than a full-blown League.
Quote:One "developmental" style of League that I think would be very beneficial for the NFL is a summertime passing camp ran by NFL coaches.
Just imagine a League that is solely devoted to passing, which will allow for the development of QBs, WRs, DBs, and cover LBs. You'd have to restrict the contact, but I feel like it would be immensely beneficial to the League to have that part of the game being developed year round.
What you're talking about is pretty close to the AFL. It's a pass happy league that almost exclusively uses one-on-one matchups between WRs and DBs. It seems you're talking more about training camp type drills focusing on passing, but the Arena Football League lends itself well to fostering growth in these areas.
Quote:What you're talking about is pretty close to the AFL. It's a pass happy league that almost exclusively uses one-on-one matchups between WRs and DBs. It seems you're talking more about training camp type drills focusing on passing, but the Arena Football League lends itself well to fostering growth in these areas.
There are a few significant differences though. I'd like to see the developmental League:
- play on an NFL sized field
- have the teams be stocked with NFL coaches. Not the entire staff, but at least someone who knows a generic NFL Playbook, if there is such a thing and,
- limit contact so that teams won't freak out about having their prize rookie QB play in it.
Quote:One "developmental" style of League that I think would be very beneficial for the NFL is a summertime passing camp ran by NFL coaches.
Just imagine a League that is solely devoted to passing, which will allow for the development of QBs, WRs, DBs, and cover LBs. You'd have to restrict the contact, but I feel like it would be immensely beneficial to the League to have that part of the game being developed year round.
So, basically a professional flag football league?
The NFL already has a developmental league. It's called the SEC.
Go Jacksonville Bulls! Sure wish Keith Millard was thirty years younger.
And by the way, there's one city for whom the USFL was extremely useful: Jacksonville. The success of the Bulls at the gate (definitely not on the field) opened the eyes of a lot of NFL owners when expansion was discussed.
One major obstacle for a modern day version of the USFL is the Internet. Back in the 1980's, there wasn't as many entertainment options as today.
Quote:Go Jacksonville Bulls! Sure wish Keith Millard was thirty years younger.
And by the way, there's one city for whom the USFL was extremely useful: Jacksonville. The success of the Bulls at the gate (definitely not on the field) opened the eyes of a lot of NFL owners when expansion was discussed.
The Jacksonville Bulls success at the gate is how I became aware of Jacksonville as a very good option for an NFL team. An early season game that they played at home against Herschel Walker and the New Jersey Generals felt like it had a playoff atmosphere when watching the game on TV.
Quote:
There are a few significant differences though. I'd like to see the developmental League:
- play on an NFL sized field
- have the teams be stocked with NFL coaches. Not the entire staff, but at least someone who knows a generic NFL Playbook, if there is such a thing and,
- limit contact so that teams won't freak out about having their prize rookie QB play in it.
Gotcha. I didn't realize you were talking about using players already under contract. Anyways wouldn't what you're talking be considered OTAs they already take part in, just with a focus solely on the passing game?
I used to go to quite a few Bulls games in 1985. They were well loved - with an attendance average higher than many NFL teams.
Quote:The NFL already has a developmental league. It's called the SEC.
While I get the SEC part of it is in jest you make a point, the NCAA is really the developmental league. A guy coming out after playing the NCAA that isn't ready for the NFL is supposed to go improve in a developmental league and then become ready? This isn't baseball or basketball to me it doesn't make any sense that another 2-3 years is going to make them all the sudden NFL ready. Physically you're just getting damaged goods at that point, who wants a 25-26 year old rookie?