NFL Minor Leagues: What Needs to Be Done to Help Develop Talent in the NFL
The NFL currently plays a 16-game, 17-week schedule. The minor-league teams would play an 11-game, 12-week schedule that begins at the same time as the NFL schedule in September, and ends the last week of November.
The NFL teams would be allowed a five-man roster exemption to have five minor leaguers come and practice with the squad, with the option of having them play in the fourth quarter of any game. This would also be an extension of the active roster in December, to a 51-man active roster from the current 46.
The divisions would be set up as follows:
Eastern Conference
Northeastern Division
Hartford, Connecticut
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Staten Island, New York
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Southeastern Division
Birmingham, Alabama
Charleston, South Carolina
Orlando, Florida
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Western Conference
Northern Division
Des Moines, Iowa
Louisville, Kentucky
Omaha, Nebraska
Portland, Oregon
Southwest Division
Las Vegas, Nevada
Los Angeles, California
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
San Antonio, Texas
And the 11 games would be scheduled as follows:
Home-and-home series with the other three division teams for six of the 11 games.
Two games against against two teams from the opposing division in the same conference.
Three interconference games on a rotational basis for the last three games.
