How come the Bills and other teams don't use the NFL Europe the right way?

[Michael82]

I was just looking at BuffaloBills.com and they had the 5 players who were allocated by the Bills to NFL Europe.

CB Kahlil Carter: 6-0/190 lbs/Arkansas/ Scottish Claymores
OT Jasen Esposito: 6-4/305 lbs/Kutztown/ Scottish Claymores
LB Asa Francis: 6-2/230 lbs/New Mexico/ Cologne Centurions
K/P Mike Shafer: 5-10/180 lbs/Syracuse/ To Be Assigned
QB Greg Zolman: 6-2/220 lbs/Vanderbilt/ Rhein Fire

Now, my question is why these scrubs? How come the Bills (and other teams) always sign street free agents or other undrafted free agents to send to NFL Europe? Why don't we see Justin Bannan, Coy Wire, Antonio Brown, Travis Brown, Clarence Coleman, Angelo Crowell, Mario Haggan, Ryan Neufeld, Lauvale Sape, Ben Sobieski get sent to NFL Europe to develop and get some more game day experience? Are they worried about injuries? Chad Hutchinson is going! So is Rohan Davey. Why don't we send Travis Brown? Anyone know? Maybe that's what the NFL needs...a developmental league, like the old USFL? What do you think?

:feedback:

[Pride]

I am guessing alot of it is because they cannot expect to get a healthy and refreshed player come training camp.

Also, I am sure there are contract issues with making a player joing another league.

Usually these guys who are signed are guys who know that the NFL wont sign them to play, so hope they can make a big splash in NFLE and get picked up a an NFL team.

It isnt a minor league system. If it were, they would play the same time as the NFL.

[Tatonka]

great point mikey.. i agree completely.. and it could help these young players alot..

[Tatonka]

the more i think about it, the more i realize that there really is no point in sending a guy there that most likely wont make the team. when is the last time that we sent a guy to the nfle and he came back and helped the team? never? simonton i would not consider as far as contribution to the bills... we have sent several rbs who always seem to do good, and then they get cut..

i would really like to see what kelsay, wire, and others would do over there.

[Michael82]

Originally posted by Tatonka
the more i think about it, the more i realize that there really is no point in sending a guy there that most likely wont make the team. when is the last time that we sent a guy to the nfle and he came back and helped the team? never? simonton i would not consider as far as contribution to the bills... we have sent several rbs who always seem to do good, and then they get cut..

i would really like to see what kelsay, wire, and others would do over there.

EXACTLY! Most of the NFL Europe players are free agent scrubs that NFL teams pick up, JUST to send there. Why not players that were drafted and need experience? I'd love to see what Travis Brown can do, but we can't see that if we hold him here to keep working in mini camps and not get a lot of reps in TC or even in the preseason. The NFL Europe would help with that. Plus, if you bring non scrubs to the NFLE, it would definitely help sell some more tickets and make it watchable. You'd think that the NFL would learn what the NFL Europe has helped with by now (Kurt Warner, Jake Delhomme, Brian Moorman and many others). The Broncos figured it out and they send some good young players there each year and have developed lineman and others that way.

[ShadowHawk7]

Originally posted by Mike32282
Maybe that's what the NFL needs...a developmental league, like the old USFL? What do you think?

That's wut NFL Europe IS!!!! :chair:

[Michael82]

Originally posted by ShadowHawk7
That's wut NFL Europe IS!!!! :chair:

That's what it is supposed to be. But they don't treat it like that. Why would you send scrubs to get developed if you got some young 2nd year players that could use the extra time and experience?

[TigerJ]

I think I agree partly with you, Mike. Some of the players on your list could definitely benefit from a season in the USFL. However, I think teams would and should be reluctant to send a player that they anticipate will be getting quite a few snaps during the regular season. On your list that probably would rule out Coy Wire who I think might be getting more playing time next year. There might be another player or two on that list that the Bills might think will bet some regular season playing time next year: Sobieski? It's probably too much of a grind for a player to play both the NFLE season and the NFL season as a regular. If Antonio Brown is still slated to be the #3 QB and Coleman is still expected to ride the bench, then yeah, send 'em over there.

[The Spaz]

Again I ask why the **** wasn't Travis Brown sent over there we could have known he was a bum much earlier.:mad:

[TedMock]

I agree that maybe we should send some guys who might just need a little more PT. The USFL was NOT a developmental league. It was a direct competitor to the NFL and they got paid just as much. Jim Kelly signed there instead of with the Bills in 1983. Several others did the same and some left the NFL to go play in this league. Studs, not just B-list players. Guys like Steve Young, Reggie White and Hershall Walker played there. Hell, we lost our starting running back (Joe Cribbs) to the USFL for a while.

[Michael82]

Originally posted by TigerJ
I think I agree partly with you, Mike. Some of the players on your list could definitely benefit from a season in the USFL. However, I think teams would and should be reluctant to send a player that they anticipate will be getting quite a few snaps during the regular season. On your list that probably would rule out Coy Wire who I think might be getting more playing time next year. There might be another player or two on that list that the Bills might think will bet some regular season playing time next year: Sobieski? It's probably too much of a grind for a player to play both the NFLE season and the NFL season as a regular. If Antonio Brown is still slated to be the #3 QB and Coleman is still expected to ride the bench, then yeah, send 'em over there.

Most of the players on my list was backups or saw limited action on the field. Some of them were big time special teams players, but that's it. Antonio Brown is not a QB, he is the KR/PR and could use the experience, IMO. Travis Brown is only the 3rd stringer and could definitely use the experience and who knows...maybe we could see what he has in him if they sent him. :idunno:

[The Spaz]

Travis Brown is only the 3rd stringer and could definitely use the experience and who knows...maybe we could see what he has in him if they sent him.

It's too late it's time to cut his ass!:mad::madcurse:

[TedMock]

Originally posted by The Spaz


It's too late it's time to cut his ass!:mad::madcurse:

AMEN!!! :pray:

[The Spaz]

Originally posted by TedMock


AMEN!!! :pray:

:up:

[The_Philster]

Originally posted by Mike32282
a developmental league, like the old USFL?

When did you learn that the USFL was a developmental league?:scratch: Last I knew, they were competing with the NFL when they were around...swiped Jim Kelly out from under us.

[helmetguy]

If I recall, NFLE plays its games Spring/Summer. To send a guy ther, then bring him back here with the expectation of making a contribution in the same season would practically double a guy's year. To send a guy like Wire over there, say, for this season, we would effectively lose him for OUR regular season. By sending a "scrub" over there to develop, it gives us an opportunity to evaluate him under games conditions so that, if he does show some potential, we can put him on the following season's training camp roster and let him compete for a regualr roster spot. In short, if we send him this year, we're looking ahead to next year, not this fall. That's my thoery, anyway.

[HenryRules]

If it was up to me ... we'd send 2 QB's over there (our 3rd stringer and practice roster guy), a C, and two other guys who are athletes but don't have the experience and won't contribute anyway the next season.

As has been said to death on this thread ... anyone that is going to contribute or plays in a physical role should not go because the year is just too long.

The one that blows my mind though is ... why are no higher rated QB's sent over there. Warner, Johnson, and Delhomme .... hmmm, not too bad of company. Maybe if some guys with good potential played some football for 3 seasons over there instead of holding a clipboard and playing a series or two in the preseason, they might be a little bit more productive when they finally get a chance.

[Romes]

Some teams are using it right. The Cowboys sent Chad Hutchinson and the Patriots sent Rohan Davey. If they send those guys there should be no reason why we wouldn't send Brown. I agree Bills do not use NFLE correctly.

[The Spaz]

NFLE is a joke I would rather watch Arena Football :ontome:

[ShadowHawk7]

Is NFLE even on ne channels? Why is it soo bad?

[The_Philster]

Originally posted by ShadowHawk7
Is NFLE even on ne channels? Why is it soo bad?

Fox, I believe, carries the games. I think they carry one on the network and the other two on Fox Sports Networks.