DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Does The NFL Need A Farm System?

This is a topic that has been discussed before yet it has been some time. So I felt during this slow time after the season yet before the draft would be a good time to revisit the subject.

What I believe are two glaring needs are the QB and WR positions. We have a handful of high quality, franchise type QB's in the NFL. We've all seen how hard it is for QB's to play high school and college football then transition to the NFL because of the spread used in college.

They resort back to tendencies developed over years of bad habits, poor mechanics and single reads that colleges simply don't have the time or need to develop in those ranks. At that juncture, it makes it very hard to field a large enough group of talent at the QB position for the NFL.

While we are starting to see some better results from drafted WR's, there are some very similar results in route running and catching techniques. Often times physical prowess alone without solid techniques and route running rule the day.

My question is, do you believe that talent could be better made ready for the NFL game through a farm system teaching athletes within established NFL systems rather than having to learn these things at full speed in the NFL game?

I see almost zero chance of this happening due to the financial implications involved on the part of the NFL. I can't see them even considering such a thing as long as fans are willing to settle for a few teams to have great QB's while the rest of the league struggles to take the next step.

I do however believe that such a farm system would be a far better solution to developing talent that would transition and be much better prepared for the NFL game.

I'm quite sure that others can point to different positions on the field that a farm system would do well in developing. And I'm sure many others have different views on this topic.

the World League was the NFL's attempt at a farm system. it did not yield the results they had hoped it would.

with even more pressure on players contributing early and the tenures of most GMs and HCs getting shorter, the patience required to have a successful farm system is likely to not exist but for a few teams.

i think it would actually widen the gulf between the stable and unstable franchises.

My biggest concern would be injuries. Do you really want players playing for some other team and getting hurt?

Also, would there be 32 farm teams? Are there enough quality players to fill those rosters? If not how many teams would there be? Do you trust some random coach to be coaching your prized draft pick?

Who is paying for the farm teams? Not the owners. The league? No. The fans? Yes (although I am sure they could get some sort of TV deal to broadcast the games).

When does the season occur? During the NFL season or during the off-season?

College football is the NFL's farm system. It is a system that has worked well for a long time. I don't see any good reason to change it.

A small eight to ten team league whose season starts after the Super Bowl and plays in smaller markets would be ideal.

Have it be paid for by the league and let the players be open to be signed by any NFL team. Set it up so that the offensive systems used develop quarterbacks that can run an NFL system, not a college spread.


Conversely, you can make the argument that the NCAA is the farm system.
A lot more can be said about that, but it basically is already.

The ideal farm system would be an NFL-backed league of undrafted rookies or veteran free agents.

I cannot see any NFL coach trusting his young players to some random coach that he had no voice in hiring.

I would think that you would reserve this league for players not currently in the league. There's little value in sending veterans to a farm system... they've developed. Your players under contract... why risk the injury? Not to mention, I don't think you could even remotely approach the idea of that without the NFLPA signing off, and they wouldn't unless those players of theirs got extra cash, and the NFLPA got their cut.

So, this sort of thing would very much be for players not currently in the league... guys that maybe have the physical tools, but need to develop technique or the mental side of the game to catch on somewhere.

I would love to see a farm system for the NFL. Maybe each team contributes 10 players (their practice squad) who go to form an 8 team league, each with 40 players. Maybe each division creates one farm team. They would play an 7 game season, (so they play every team in the league) and be available to be called up to their home team as needed. Maybe even expand the practice squad to 12 players, and allow an NFL team to designate 2 who can stay up with the main team in case of an injury to a player on the main roster. Any player can be called up to work with the main roster at any time, but only 2 can be up with the main team at any one time. Of course an NFL team can sign any player on the practice squads/developmental teams at any time. Each combined developmental team can also sign 10 other street free agents to fill holes beyond the contributions of their NFL teams. That way if none of the teams in their division have put a RB on their practice squad, for example, they can go sign one. If there is only 1 QB on their 4 practice squads, they can go sign one.

The 8 teams could play in two 4 team conferences, and the top teams in each conference would play in a championship game at the end of the season. There is no playoff beyond that. That would make the whole "season" an 8 week season, and a bunch of players would get extra experience on the field.

At the end of the developmental season, the players return to their home teams. Of course, they can be replaced on the practice squad at any time.

I think that this could be a win-win, and give a bunch of players a chance at proving themselves to an NFL team, as well as teams seeing their practice squad guys in on field competition against other similar players.

The idea I guess, would be that as an UDFA would you rather try to sign onto a teams practice squad, or possible go to this D-League and get a chance to start..

If a team has a 2nd or 3rd year late round QB, maybe they send him down there to get time as a starter, in a pro style offense..

I think it's a good idea.. but not something that would be feasible.. too many variables..

If you're going to do it, it has to be during the NFL season.. Because if you have a spring league, and then call someone up to TC for the NFL season.. they are most likely going to get hurt..

The joke would write itself..... The Browns: the best farm team in the big leagues.

If it was done correctly...

And you could get owners behind it then yes it would be excellent...




As a side note...I feel like if any RIVAL league were to ever start up...they need to go hard at the idea. 12 Teams...6 per league...12 game schedule, play your half twice and two other teams. BUT...eliminate the 3 years rules. Imagine if they could've swung a kid like Clowney, Lattimore, DeMarco Murray, Johnny, Jameis, or other kids that had HUGE freshman years and convinced them to come get paid right away and not have to wait? That would have had potential to make something of itself...
Securing a TV contract with a reasonable network would be the hurdle.

CFL?

Bring back the XFLLLLLLLL!!

You can't compete with a monopoly.

I think you have to farm talent before earning that designation.

Who are you kidding, the Browns would be the first team moved into the new league.

My idea would be to have a team made up of essentially the practice squad or other less than 2 year service players, in an 8 team league. Players would be pooled to form a team, (e.g. 4 teams would be made up from AFCN/E and NFCN/E with the other 4 from AFCW/S and NFCW/S) so that there would be no chance of divisional opponent on your team. For clarity, a team could be comprised of players from Cleveland, NYJets, Dallas, and Detroit. End each team would have a few spots for true FA's that could sign later with any NFL team. The roster would be in the range of 45 players probably 10 per team and 5 FA spots.

7 game season, which a championship game. Played in winter/spring between Mid February and March, when nothing other than basketball and pre-season baseball is going on. Mostly warm weather or covered stadiums, and no city is allowed to have a team if it already has a NFL team. Los Angeles area would obviously have a team.

Now this is why it won't happen. Injury. OTA's and other things as well.

They have one, it's commonly referred to as 'college football'.

They could move the Pro Bowl back to after the SB, and play a D League Title game the week before the SB.

The NFL is all about building it's brand, so what's better than new markets, new jerseys and gear to sell, and more games to broadcast?

Funny timing, this question came up today on John Clayton's Mailbag at ESPN.com ...

Q: It seems to me that there are so many benefits associated with the NFL creating a developmental league that it is something that has to be on the horizon. With an eight-team D-league, each NFL team could allocate 10 players to cover 70-75 percent of the roster needs. The other 25-30 percent could be filled with street free agents desperate for a shot. The teams could play a seven-game, round-robin schedule, with the top two teams playing in a championship game. The games would fill a major spring-time void on television. I feel D-league play should start the weekend after the NCAA Final Four and be finished by the first weekend in June. A D-league would do wonders for the development of players (especially QBs), coaches, referees and broadcasters.

Nate in Divide County, North Dakota

A: I agree with you 100 percent. A few developmental leagues are starting to position themselves for NFL consideration. I'm not sure what time of the year would work the best, but something needs to be done. There are investors willing to help fund leagues. The NFL would benefit if it could send players who don't get on to the field to a developmental league. It's good business to get players with more experience. I'm with you on this one.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/122976...clayton-mailbag

I would think that it could work with players that weren't drafted and weren't signed as UDFA's.

Some system whereby each NFL team sends X number of players to the farm league. They retain rights to that player but other teams would have the ability to trade for them kinda like it's done in the NFL.

Here is my idea. Kinda of out of the box.

The farm league would be a no contact league and just work truly on fundamentals. Wr will learn the best way to run routes, QB will learn how to read densenesses ect...

Teams can bid on these guys, (highest bidder wins) to sign them to their practice squad.

This way the players are not hurting themselves and they are learning these fundamental skills which will only help them at the next level.

Expand the Lingerie League. Just because.

The NFL already has a farm league, it's called the NCAA.

I don't think a farm league can ever work.

The leagues can't have their seasons at the same times because they won't compete for ratings with each other OR with College football.

And most teams will be reluctant to send their younger players to these leagues in the offseason in fear of them being injured. We saw this with NFL Europe years ago.

In theory it's an interesting idea, but no a farm league isn't really necessary, nor could it ever be successful.

Average length of a career in the NFL is three seasons. It would be putting the long-term health of a lot of people in undue jeopardy in the hopes of frankly, a handful more QBs being a little bit better, with little financial benefit or long-term job prospects for 95% of the participants.


This is a no. A major no.

I've said it before. We need Canada to stop with their version of football and convert to a more NFL style. Changing the field to NFL regulation size alone would make for a better learning platform for potential NFL QBs.
My guess is if Canada tweeked their game a little it would be watched more by Americans. Especially if potential NFL talent was being truly cultivated. This would bring more revenue to their league. A win win.
Sadly America kinda stole Canada's national pastime, hockey, then ran it into the ground. I doubt they'd be interested in playing nice with their football.

After they change the field.. can they then stop punting 4 times in one play? It makes my brain hurt..

My sentiments exactly

Except that there is a dearth of NFL ready QBs, and if there were a system in place where a young QB could learn, and play in an NFL style offense, gaining experience, and also showing what he can do making multiple reads and such, that would be hugely helpful.

And that is the vast majority of my reasoning. Tom Brady's are far and few between, yet it is an example of how a young QB can develop.

I've seen examples posted of a possible 8 team league that makes a lot of sense to me. Now people can say the NCAA is the NFL's farm system, but when their QB's in no way, shape or form play in a similar system, we see many teams miss on the QB position time and time again.

Just imagine how much more entertaining the game would be with even just a handful more of true franchise QB's in the game.

When the Browns finally find theirs, I want there to be as few of them in the league as possible.

I was hoping this would be a tool we could use to actually find one after 15 years of trying.

Well that just isn't going to happen at any point in time. An alternate solution to too few elite QB's would be to add 8 - 12 more teams so as to water down the product so that even an average QB could perform well...just kidding!!!

I just don't see how a developmental league would benefit top tier talent QBs. If the guy is talented IE: Mariota the team is gonna want him on their roster to see if he can win the job or at least be the backup and they are not going to want to see their major investment get hurt playing in a meaningless developmental league game. What I could see is maybe a QB school where QBs could go for say from February thru March to be trained on being an NFL QB, learning to read defenses, mechanics, and such.

There is, it's as a back-up. Seems to me that drafting a QB and letting him sit, learn, practice, and get some spot playing time for a couple years is a far more cost effective way to develop QBs that starting an entire league and paying 55 players per team, whole coaching staffs, renting stadiums, travel, uniforms, etc..

A backup QB does very little in terms of on the field practicing during th season. Maybe he gets to play the opposing QB, but that's really about it.

I just think that a half season league, where unpolished rookies could go to gain some polish, cannot possibly hurt anything. It would also help WR who have talent, but who played in run heavy offenses in college. It could help the TE who was largely a blocker show that he can also be a receiver.

I am not expecting to see hundreds of guys come out of such a league and set NFL records, but if the Browns can gain added development on 1-3 prospects per year, it would be a huge help. Maybe we find a Tom Brady next time around, who stands revealed by his play in such a league.

I am trying to figure how it would hurt the NFL, and I really can't come up with any way it would. The salaries would be minimal, and the player development could be extremely valuable.