08-19-2015, 12:58 PM
No way that the preseason should be knocked out completely. It's valuable time to evaluate some of the developing players and younger players who probably won't see significant game time (or any game time at all) during the actual season. However, I do feel that preseason is too long, as offseason conditioning has improved so much, with the OTAs and players doing their own workouts and camps. Preseason is no longer a four week period to get players in football shape like it used to be.
But again, even if you shorten the preseason to two weeks, there are going to be a lot more starters playing a lot more time, probably an entire half each game. That both lessens the time for 3rd, 4th and beyond stringers, and opens up even more possibilities for injuries. Giving teams more contact time in practices would probably have to happen as well.
A developmental league would be nice, but unfortunately the college game is the closest we're ever going to get to it, and we see how some of the college players really do need a year or two to...well...develop. It's a great idea, I just don't get how it would work. Expanding each franchise to have a "minor-league" team, maybe they play on Fridays? A summer league (but if they get called up does one really expect a player to play year round)? Is there enough football talent out there to make up an entire minor league? Reform the XFL (
)? Whatever it is, the NFL would have to put its stamp of approval on it, there's no way a competing organization would make it.
But again, even if you shorten the preseason to two weeks, there are going to be a lot more starters playing a lot more time, probably an entire half each game. That both lessens the time for 3rd, 4th and beyond stringers, and opens up even more possibilities for injuries. Giving teams more contact time in practices would probably have to happen as well.
A developmental league would be nice, but unfortunately the college game is the closest we're ever going to get to it, and we see how some of the college players really do need a year or two to...well...develop. It's a great idea, I just don't get how it would work. Expanding each franchise to have a "minor-league" team, maybe they play on Fridays? A summer league (but if they get called up does one really expect a player to play year round)? Is there enough football talent out there to make up an entire minor league? Reform the XFL (
)? Whatever it is, the NFL would have to put its stamp of approval on it, there's no way a competing organization would make it.
