18 Game Schedule.. Good or Bad?

[Lotus]

I think that this whole issue will make negotiations for a new CBA very difficult. The owners are planting the seeds for player dissatisfaction and resistance.

[irish]

Originally Posted by rypper11

Having an 18 game season would make a developmental league even more important. Eliminating or reducing training camp and reducing preseason would hamper the shot of undrafted rookies and other longshots. This should further increase team revenue. My idea of this is each team in the developmental league has players allocated by NFL teams and play on Saturdays. Ex. Skins and Ravens each allocate 20 players to a team that plays on Saturdays in the Fall after the NFL season starts for 10 weeks. Thus, each team can have 73 players (allow 50 to dress on Sundays) while the other 20 can be brought to the active roster after the developmental league season is over. If a team wants to sign one of the Skins allocated players to their current roster the Skins have the right to either put him on their roster or let him go to the new team.

Play on Saturdays in the fall, that's when colleges play and there is no way tv will cover these teams over college football. Plus the added cost of operating these teams is something the owners will never go for. The NFL already has a developmental league called college football. It provides a steady stream of players at zero cost to the NFL. Its the perfect setup for the NFL and will not change anytime soon.

[BigHairedAristocrat]

Originally Posted by rypper11

Having an 18 game season would make a developmental league even more important. Eliminating or reducing training camp and reducing preseason would hamper the shot of undrafted rookies and other longshots. This should further increase team revenue. My idea of this is each team in the developmental league has players allocated by NFL teams and play on Saturdays. Ex. Skins and Ravens each allocate 20 players to a team that plays on Saturdays in the Fall after the NFL season starts for 10 weeks. Thus, each team can have 73 players (allow 50 to dress on Sundays) while the other 20 can be brought to the active roster after the developmental league season is over. If a team wants to sign one of the Skins allocated players to their current roster the Skins have the right to either put him on their roster or let him go to the new team.

The NFL definitely needs a developmental league. I think an 8 team league where each NFL division can pool players from a developmental would be an interesting league.

[Dirtbag59]

For some teams it'll be like making it to the divisional round of the playoffs every year. I mean sure they can expand the roster, but you're always going to have that one coach that's going to ride that one player a little to hard. And with McNabb already being injury prone it's certainly not going to help us.

Maybe some sort of compromise with 1 less week of practice, and no two a days full contact. You get one practice to hit and another to do walk throughs. Kind of like an OTA. Still you can't make up for playing two extra games every year.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

Could we see the end of training camp as we know it? With all the offseason work I don't think a full camp is even necessary anymore. At the least I think two a days will be out the window.

Someone, I can't remember who now, was just saying the other day that Shanahan is probably ahead of the game with cutting back on two a days during training camp.

Training camp, if anything, will become more important. And more and more teams will hold joint-training camp sessions. Believe the Bucs and Jags did that this summer. Because with only two preseason games, teams will mostly want to give their starters significant playing time to get ready for the regular season. So one of the only way teams can evaluate the Brian Mitchells of the world is through training camp and inter-squad scrimmages

[irish]

Originally Posted by Dirtbag359

For some teams it'll be like making it to the divisional round of the playoffs every year. I mean sure they can expand the roster, but you're always going to have that one coach that's going to ride that one player a little to hard. And with McNabb already being injury prone it's certainly not going to help us.

Maybe some sort of compromise with 1 less week of practice, and no two a days full contact. You get one practice to hit and another to do walk throughs. Kind of like an OTA. Still you can't make up for playing two extra games every year.

Speaking of riding a player too hard there's a good article in Sports Illustrated about RBs. Basically it says the era of the big franchise back is over as the NFL is a QB & passing league now. Its pretty much get a RB and run him into the ground and then plug someone else in. Shanny had a quote where he says you need great players in some positions but RB isnt one of them. Also RB is now one of the lowest paid positions reflecting the organizations not wanting to drop a lot of $ on a revolving door position.

[Dirtbag59]

Originally Posted by Lotus

I think that this whole issue will make negotiations for a new CBA very difficult. The owners are planting the seeds for player dissatisfaction and resistance.

I agree. Even if they get more money, say on an annual basis, their leaders can turn right around and say that theres a good chance that some of you are going to end up loosing a year or two on your career. In other words you make more money playing 10 sixteen game season then you do playing 8 eighteen game seasons.

Originally Posted by irish

Speaking of riding a player too hard there's a good article in Sports Illustrated about RBs. Basically it says the era of the big franchise back is over as the NFL is a QB & passing league now. Its pretty much get a RB and run him into the ground and then plug someone else in. Shanny had a quote where he says you need great players in some positions but RB isnt one of them. Also RB is now one of the lowest paid positions reflecting the organizations not wanting to drop a lot of $ on a revolving door position.

Makes you wonder. Back in the day guys like Ryan Matthews might have been considered a steal in the top 10. Now it's, 'well at 14 he's a great pick but maybe they could have got him a little later.'

[irish]

Originally Posted by Dirtbag359

I agree. Even if they get more money, say on an annual basis, their leaders can turn right around and say that theres a good chance that some of you are going to end up loosing a year or two on your career. In other words you make more money playing 10 sixteen game season then you do playing 8 eighteen game seasons.




Makes you wonder. Back in the day guys like Ryan Matthews might have been considered a steal in the top 10. Now it's, 'well at 14 he's a great pick but maybe they could have got him a little later.'

Yes. I think coaches are starting to not see any reason to use a high pick on a plug in position. High picks are now for QBs, LTs, CBs & DEs.

[BigHairedAristocrat]

Originally Posted by Dirtbag359

I agree. Even if they get more money, say on an annual basis, their leaders can turn right around and say that theres a good chance that some of you are going to end up loosing a year or two on your career. In other words you make more money playing 10 sixteen game season then you do playing 8 eighteen game seasons.




Makes you wonder. Back in the day guys like Ryan Matthews might have been considered a steal in the top 10. Now it's, 'well at 14 he's a great pick but maybe they could have got him a little later.'

The players right now are paid based on their being available to play in anywhere from 20 to 25 games per season (HOF game, pre-season, regular season, post season). Under the new system, players will be paid based on their being available to play in anywhere from 20 to 25 games per season. Therefore, I don't think players careers will necessarily be any shorter.

Further, its almost certain that the modified NFL season will include provisions to increase roster sizes, practice squad sizes, and game day roster sizes. Having more players available to take snaps means less snaps will be available to each individual player. I would actually think the modified season would ultimately wind up extending careers. For example, instead of teams using primarily one or two primary running backs during the season, they'll split the load more evenly between two or three.

[TheMalcolmConnection]

I'm going against most here and ONLY for selfish reasons, but I'd LOVE to see the Skins an extra two games a year.

[NYCskinfan82]

I love watching the NFL, but i think a 16 game season is enough, if you increase the games eventually you are going to water down the product just like baseball has done.

[irish]

Originally Posted by NYCskinfan82

I love watching the NFL, but i think a 16 game season is enough, if you increase the games eventually you are going to water down the product just like baseball has done.

Its not more games that has watered down MLB, too many teams did. 18 games wont water-down the NFL, adding more teams will.

[NYCskinfan82]

Originally Posted by irish

Its not more games that has watered down MLB, too many teams did. 18 games wont water-down the NFL, adding more teams will.

Well if that's the case why don't we make it a 52 game schedule make Football a year round sport.

[TheMalcolmConnection]

Originally Posted by NYCskinfan82

Well if that's the case why don't we make it a 52 game schedule make Football a year round sport.

Everyone is acting like 18 games is going to start a snowball effect where we constantly are adding additional games each year. What's the problem with just two more? I know for me, football always ends too soon (with the Redskins especially!).

[Giantone]

Originally Posted by TheMalcolmConnection

I'm going against most here and ONLY for selfish reasons, but I'd LOVE to see the Skins an extra two games a year.

Ok, against who, who are these 2 games going to be played against divisonal,in conference or out?It will water down the product ,lets just face the truth this will make the TV contracts bigger = more money for the owners and less quality football for the fan.