Originally Posted by
HammeredOut
The NFL ownership and players should add to the league. Why not start the draft for players at the age of 18. The early draft would allow for minor league teams to develop players in a pro system for a few seasons, and instead of the college's making hundreds of millions of dollars off of the players and college ball. Why not draft the talent out of highschool, and put them in our version of single "A" and or double "A". The NFL would create a ton of jobs, they would be able to keep former players working ext.
The college system has made so much money from College football, that maybe the NFL needs to question whether or not, they want to draft earlier, and develop earlier. Look at the NHL, they draft at the age of 18, MLB draft highschool players, the NBA use to draft highschoolers. Instead of losing hundreds of millions of dollars to the college system, why not draft earlier, create jobs, develop into a pro system earlier, and take the revenue and talent the college system already has.
The NFL might not draft a player until they are 23 years old. The problem with that is, it might take a year for him to learn the playbook, and another year till he gets good. At which point the kid is 25 or 26. The way football is on the body, an NFL player is much like a tennis player, they don't have any meaningful seasons after the age of 30. If the NFL is able to draft players at the age of 18, and put them in the system for a few years. Then say "Jr.Broncos" minor league team might have fans saying, "this player might be a better player right now at run stoping then whats starting on the Broncos right now".
I would like to see one or 2 minor league teams installed. A friday game, saturday game, and an NFL Sunday game. Colleges are not making millions off of college Baseball, and Hockey games like they are on college Basketball, and Football. The golden goose egg, needs to be broken down, and the talent should be allowed to go free, and the NFL is the hammer that breaks the golden goose egg. The NFL owners are so worried about a few million dollars, sponsorship money. The NFL minor league is the way to go. It allows for development, and longer NFL careers. I would like to see an 18 year old some day run a 4.3, 40 and enter the NFL as the next one. That is how, and what builds the game.
If school is all that may keep these kids from commiting to a pro game at an earlier age. Then im sure the teams could work out a school program with any university so that an education is guaranteed, and the kids make a nice chunk of change say 50grand a year. Now a days the NCAA is so bad, they will pay coachs 5 million a year, and more then what NFL coachs make in a season, and penalize an NCAA player for trading personal belongings for tattoos, or something of value. The players don't make a cent off from all the hundreds of millions of dollars in sponsorship money, they are some of the poorest kids in america, trying to survive off the table scraps of the NCAA. And I wouldn't call worthy tablescraps.
The NFL has a real opportunity to take the talent, and start another money making league.