In August 2007, the NFL ceased operation of NFL Europa, issuing a press release that “The Time is right to re-focus the NFL’s strategy on initiatives with global impact, including worldwide media coverage of our sport and the staging of live regular-season NFL games.”
And thus ended the NFL’s developmental league, in place since 1991 save for a two-year hiatus from 1993-94.
However, the league’s new director of football operations, Troy Vincent, told the Associated Press today that he sees the installation of a developmental league as a way to preserve and grow the game.
“We need to keep the pipeline of talent flowing, and that means for all areas of our game: players, coaches, scouts, game officials,” Vincent said. “I am responsible to look at whatever the competition committee looks at, and that includes a developmental league.
“For all this football talent around, we have to create another platform for developing it. Maybe it’s an academy — at would it look like? Maybe it’s a spring league; we’ll look to see if there is an appetite for it.”
Vincent also mentioned adding an eighth official to the referee crew for games and coaches using tablets on the sidelines.
Vote in the poll below and feel free to add your opinion in the comments section.
I could see it like the NHL’s developmental league.