Why no minor leagues in football?

[crupiea]

Think about it, why dont they have minor leagues in football?

Baseball has minor leagues and clearly the minor league teams are not money makers to any degree. What they are is a great place to call up players from who are fresh and ready to play. Alos handy for rehabbing injuries to get players back to full speed.

Just about every sport has some measure of minors except for football and you have to ask yourself why.

Sure there is arena ball and cfl but they arent really affiliated as closely as baseball minor league teams are.

The only reason i can think that they dont have them is money.

Obvioulsy the nfl makes loads of money but it just seems that the owners would rather keep it for themselves then give it to the players. There are lots of guys making great money in the nfl but there are also a lot of league minimum guys.
I mean, if the worst baseball team can make a profit and still pay their players and support minor leagues then something is amiss.

We have all heard the story about the guy who was working in a grocery store last week and now is on the team.

So that means these guys have to keep themselves, for free, in nfl field ready shape at their own expense.

Seems to me lots of great players just dont get a chance to play for one reason or other and are expected to just stay in shape and hope for a phone call.

Something about that just doesnt sit right with me.

[so-tex]

When you have, what 32 teams with 50 man rosters, plus guys on the practice squad, it doesn't make sense IMO.

[Fishman15]

There kind of is. Each team has a practice squad. They are the guys who do not make the active roster but the team still has control over them. Kind of like a minor league team you could say...

[so-tex]

Then there is arena football and the CFL.

[RT1957]

No minor leagues because the game is to brutal....most players would never make it to the NFL because of injury...so the practice squad is as close as they get....they had the European league that was sort of a minor league system but I don't think it evolved very well

[so-tex]

because the average shelf life for a player in the NFL is something like 3 1/2 years...


youth is EVERYTHING

nobody has time for guys that didn't make it the first time around.

Is 3 1/2 years for players in general, or players in certain positions such as a running back?

[so-tex]

yeah..

I think you're right..

it's for like running backs..

point was players who don't start don't last long

edit..

on the whole it's 3.3 years...

http://www.livestrong.com/article/15...er-nfl-player/

Gotcha. It seems to me as the years have progressed, the average players shelf life has decreased.

[sumolgi]

Not necessarily NFL supported but there's semi pro/developmental teams all over the place in the US. You just have to look.

[beachguy498]

Minor league in football? Sure there is.. college football only they don't get a huge paycheck, but some get a full-ride and other perks.

[ajdahlheimer]

No minor leagues because the game is to brutal....most players would never make it to the NFL because of injury...so the practice squad is as close as they get....they had the European league that was sort of a minor league system but I don't think it evolved very well

This. They had NFL Europe for a while, but players just didn't seem to improve enough to eventually get called up to the big league.

[Old-Time-Lifter]

Gotcha. It seems to me as the years have progressed, the average players shelf life has decreased.

As folks get bigger and faster the impacts have exceeded the capacity of the human body to keep pace.

Everyone worries about PEDs in baseball but actually as far as injuries they are much more serious in the NFL. If everyone was playing clean you'd see much smaller guys and fewer injuries.

[poundXpound]

Minor league in football? Sure there is.. college football only they don't get a huge paycheck, but some get a full-ride and other perks.

This.

[silverlightning]

There is the cfl

[ArchAngel'73]

Then there is arena football and the CFL.

+

There is the cfl

CFL is the pro Canadian Football League and not an offshoot of any NFL team.
We also limit the number of non-Canadians on the team.

[Cleveland33]

Gotcha. It seems to me as the years have progressed, the average players shelf life has decreased.

I think part of it is a desire by teams to replace 2nd and 3rd string vets with younger players. They are cheaper and it allows them to pay the stars more money. Also they are always trying to find that late round/undrafted gem of a player - so they'd rather keep a guy they drafted this year than two years ago.

New front offices will bring in new players over those they inherit as well.

I don't know if anyone has ever broken the lifespan of a player down by the round they are selected in, that would be interesting - especially with the (relatively) new rookie wage scale, where early round players aren't guaranteed the money they used to be, so it's easier for a team to cut a first round bust.

[ajdahlheimer]

I think part of it is a desire by teams to replace 2nd and 3rd string vets with younger players. They are cheaper and it allows them to pay the stars more money. Also they are always trying to find that late round/undrafted gem of a player - so they'd rather keep a guy they drafted this year than two years ago.

New front offices will bring in new players over those they inherit as well.

I don't know if anyone has ever broken the lifespan of a player down by the round they are selected in, that would be interesting - especially with the (relatively) new rookie wage scale, where early round players aren't guaranteed the money they used to be, so it's easier for a team to cut a first round bust.

I think regardless of round, the average nfl player only lasts 3 seasons in the league.

[bucsdodgers]

cfl, arena, arena 2, semi pro are all basicly minor leagues without call ups.

[Cleveland33]

I think regardless of round, the average nfl player only lasts 3 seasons in the league.

this is a few years old

http://nflcommunications.com/2011/04...-goodell-says/

Goodell pointed out that the average career lifespan of a first rounder was close to 9 years.
That was in 2011, which happens to be the first year that the rookie wage scale went into place. In 2010, as the first pick Bradford got $50M guaranteed, by comparison in 2011 Cam Newton got $22M guaranteed. I think before the wage scale was in place, teams were more inclined to keep a first rounder on the roster just in the hope that he could turn it around, since they have to pay him all that money anyway. Thus extending that rounds career span.

[ajdahlheimer]

this is a few years old

http://nflcommunications.com/2011/04...-goodell-says/

Goodell pointed out that the average career lifespan of a first rounder was close to 9 years.
That was in 2011, which happens to be the first year that the rookie wage scale went into place. In 2010, as the first pick Bradford got $50M guaranteed, by comparison in 2011 Cam Newton got $22M guaranteed. I think before the wage scale was in place, teams were more inclined to keep a first rounder on the roster just in the hope that he could turn it around, since they have to pay him all that money anyway. Thus extending that rounds career span.

Yeah, that 9 year average will no doubt come down a lot for 1st rounders.

Overall, across all rounds, an NFL player's career is very short. ~3 seasons. The special teams-only guys and backups are just replaced/recycled by newly drafted players each season.

[DubfromGA]

Anyone who has played the game as a kid and through high school and possibly beyond knows why there are no minors.


It simply takes its toll. There are only so many times the surgeons can patch you up to keep going.


It's a hell of a game, my favorite to watch, but it's brutal. I've got utmost respect for the guys who are able to hang in the NFL for any length of time.

[ajdahlheimer]

I'm sure you got one good one left in yah, Dubs!

For the love of the game!

[so-tex]

Anyone who has played the game as a kid and through high school and possibly beyond knows why there are no minors.


It simply takes its toll. There are only so many times the surgeons can patch you up to keep going.


It's a hell of a game, my favorite to watch, but it's brutal. I've got utmost respect for the guys who are able to hang in the NFL for any length of time.

Hey Dubs, how you been? I agree with you. I only played through high school and was lucky to get trough it without any major injuries. Some of my teammates weren't as fortunate.
Two a days just started here, and I still barf just thinking it.

[DubfromGA]

Hey Dubs, how you been? I agree with you. I only played through high school and was lucky to get trough it without any major injuries. Some of my teammates weren't as fortunate.
Two a days just started here, and I still barf just thinking it.

Doing well. How all is good with you.


Yeah, the 2-a-days just started here, too. Tough ass kids. I just don't have it in me. It's all for the Crossfit Generation now. :rofl:

[danap3681]

Doing well. How all is good with you.


Yeah, the 2-a-days just started here, too. Tough ass kids. I just don't have it in me. It's all for the Crossfit Generation now. :rofl:

No ball talk but just heard there was a Dub sighting over here!! Miss ya buddy! Hope things are well with you!!!

[SP1966]

If the market would support a true minor league football league then one would exist. Between the NFL and College football I think anybody who likes football is already overwhelmed with teams to follow. That doesn't even take into account High School football which is huge in many parts of the country.

Cliffs: There aren't enough football related dollars left to make a minor league sustainable.

[HoosierHardGain]

Think about it, why dont they have minor leagues in football?

Baseball has minor leagues and clearly the minor league teams are not money makers to any degree. What they are is a great place to call up players from who are fresh and ready to play. Alos handy for rehabbing injuries to get players back to full speed.

MLB teams don't own the minor league teams, just the players. Each minor league teams is responsible for operating costs outside of players salaries.