Thinking about the International Pathway Program.

[MAJBobby]

If the League really wants to open the game up to those international players I think that the program is too restrictive. Instead of one Division (decided Randomly) getting the roster exemption at camp and PS shouldn’t the NFL just open the program for the entire league?

 

if you think about it there are only 4 players right now benefiting.  Wouldn’t it benefit the program to keep the same rules for international players but allow every team one camp exemption and one PS exemption?

 

By doing that you now have a potential 32 players benefiting from the program instead of just 4 a year. 

[Seoulofstone]

   I expect that if more players from overseas were given opportunities, there might be some pushback. 

  Ultimately football is an American sport which isn't played in schools outside of the US and Canada. I played it in University in England but it was incredibly amateurish. My knee was sliced open by a jagged piece of metal on a lineman's facemask. 

   The guys who make it from overseas like the Panthers Efe Obada, tend to be supreme athletes who get a Longshot chance through physical traits and look to learn on the job. 

  Because they are few in number, have such a relatively small chance of sticking, and the teams don't want to use roster spaces I think they came to this compromise. I think if it leads to a player or player breaking through and having a genuine impact, or if one day the NFL do expand to Europe they may think about changing it.

[Freddie's Dead]

I don't like the fact that Wade can't play for an entire year.  

[MAJBobby]

11 minutes ago, Seoulofstone said:

   I expect that if more players from overseas were given opportunities, there might be some pushback. 

  Ultimately football is an American sport which isn't played in schools outside of the US and Canada. I played it in University in England but it was incredibly amateurish. My knee was sliced open by a jagged piece of metal on a lineman's facemask. 

   The guys who make it from overseas like the Panthers Efe Obada, tend to be supreme athletes who get a Longshot chance through physical traits and look to learn on the job. 

  Because they are few in number, have such a relatively small chance of sticking, and the teams don't want to use roster spaces I think they came to this compromise. I think if it leads to a player or player breaking through and having a genuine impact, or if one day the NFL do expand to Europe they may think about changing it.

 

But that is my point with this post. They are not using a roster slot they have the exemptions. 

 

Even expand it like this 

 

Camp - get a Roster exemption (for one international player) 91 players

 

PS - get a Roster exemption 11 players

 

Roster - get a Roster exemption 54 players (unless you already have a International Pathway Program Player on the PS then you lose either the 53 man exemption or the PS exemption 

 

By putting an exemption on the 53 man roster like that maybe these players wouldn’t have to sit a year on the PS 

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

Baby steps.

 

If you flood all 32 teams then where is the focus.   By doing 4 teams at a time each player can be highlighted IF they play well.  

 

JMO 

[Seoulofstone]

6 minutes ago, Freddie's Dead said:

I don't like the fact that Wade can't play for an entire year.  

 

  It is frustrating especially because these guys are older than the rookies but a year with the PS can make a big difference. Obada was on the PS for a year and now he has made the 53 for 2 seasons in a row. His football knowledge is much improved.

  I can't imagine many scenarios in which a franchise would risk promoting a IPP player straight to the 53. Both Obada and Wade made splashy preseason plays but weren't really in contention.

  The Jets guy Valentine didn't do squat but they still put him on the PS. It just lets them assess.the guys for a year.

5 minutes ago, MAJBobby said:

 

But that is my point with this post. They are not using a roster slot they have the exemptions. 

 

Even expand it like this 

 

Camp - get a Roster exemption (for one international player) 91 players

 

PS - get a Roster exemption 11 players

 

Roster - get a Roster exemption 54 players (unless you already have a International Pathway Program Player on the PS then you lose either the 53 man exemption or the PS exemption 

 

By putting an exemption on the 53 man roster like that maybe these players wouldn’t have to sit a year on the PS 

 

  I don't disagree with you. It would have to be a level playing field though. You would need to find a guy every year for all 32 teams. Otherwise it unbalances the rosters across the league. I'm sure the NFL are trying to avoid that. I'm not sure that there are 32 guys per year who could breakthrough but maybe?

[Seoulofstone]

By the way for anyone interested in the IPP. Check out the excellent youtube series Undiscovered. The current one features Christian Wade.

 

 

 

[BritBill]

36 minutes ago, Seoulofstone said:

I played it in University in England but it was incredibly amateurish. My knee was sliced open by a jagged piece of metal on a lineman's facemask. 

   

 

Which uni did you go to?

 

I've been to watch our local university team and you're being kind calling it incredibly amateurish. 

 

Yeah, for a constant stream of high calibre recruits it'd need to become a regular in the sporting calendar in schools and colleges and I can't see that happening. 

 

Interestingly this - https://www.nflacademy.com/ started up this year to help with the progression. 

[Seoulofstone]

Derby. But that was 25 years ago. I was hoping it had got better. 

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

13 minutes ago, Seoulofstone said:

By the way for anyone interested in the IPP. Check out the excellent youtube series Undiscovered. The current one features Christian Wade.

 

 

 

 

Start about 2:00 mark  to get to Wade 

I think he said they train these people for 2 or months and pick the top 4 out of 17 this go around.  

 

[Don Otreply]

Being that American football is not a world sport, and mostly ignored by the rest of the world, the number of potential candidates for the program is likely not that big, as well  familiarity with how the game is played is rather low, see Christian Wade’s learning curve as an example. Also Wade is making far less money right now than he was playing rugby, so other elite athletes from around the world are going to take a large pay cut for a long period of time, and maybe never get that big contract. So the draw is not that big in all reality.

 

Go Bills!!!

[Seoulofstone]

34 minutes ago, SlimShady'sGhost said:

 

Start about 2:00 mark  to get to Wade 

I think he said they train these people for 2 or months and pick the top 4 out of 17 this go around.  

 

 

Yeah they give all 7 guys an equal look, But its still an interesting watch when it comes to how the IPP works. In the second episode Wade's wit and musical ability are on show:

 

 

Episode 3 is all about the final selection process:

 

 

[MAJBobby]

3 hours ago, Seoulofstone said:

 

  It is frustrating especially because these guys are older than the rookies but a year with the PS can make a big difference. Obada was on the PS for a year and now he has made the 53 for 2 seasons in a row. His football knowledge is much improved.

  I can't imagine many scenarios in which a franchise would risk promoting a IPP player straight to the 53. Both Obada and Wade made splashy preseason plays but weren't really in contention.

  The Jets guy Valentine didn't do squat but they still put him on the PS. It just lets them assess.the guys for a year.

 

  I don't disagree with you. It would have to be a level playing field though. You would need to find a guy every year for all 32 teams. Otherwise it unbalances the rosters across the league. I'm sure the NFL are trying to avoid that. I'm not sure that there are 32 guys per year who could breakthrough but maybe?

 

I get that as well with unbalanced Rosters. Maybe the interim solution right now is to expand it to 8 players. One division in AFC Selected and One in NFC selected. There was at least 8 in this years program and only 4 are really able to benefit off it this year. 

 

I just think it needs to be expanded and while the unbalanced roster is a concern (on the 53 anyway) but just add the PS and Camp Exemptions for more than just the 4 teams no complaining of the unbalanced PS since this program started. I just think they need to expand it because it really isn’t a growth program while there are players that are not involved because this year there was only 4 teams allowed to use the program. 

 

This year 3 guys are not getting the benefit. https://operations.nfl.com/updates/the-players/seven-players-chosen-for-2019-international-pathway-program/

 

also so not sure if Canadian Born and playing players can qualify as well. 

 

Edited September 5, 2019 by MAJBobby

[Seoulofstone]

23 minutes ago, MAJBobby said:

 

I get that as well with unbalanced Rosters. Maybe the interim solution right now is to expand it to 8 players. One division in AFC Selected and One in NFC selected. There was at least 8 in this years program and only 4 are really able to benefit off it this year. 

 

I just think it needs to be expanded and while the unbalanced roster is a concern (on the 53 anyway) but just add the PS and Camp Exemptions for more than just the 4 teams no complaining of the unbalanced PS since this program started. I just think they need to expand it because it really isn’t a growth program while there are players that are not involved because this year there was only 4 teams allowed to use the program. 

 

 

 I would like to see it expand also. Some of the stories on undiscovered are great-i've been watching it for a couple of years now. I just don't see them giving roster exemptions to only some teams.

  I would also expect players unions to be unhappy because a roster spot would be taken from an American prospect and given to an outside athlete who has no real background in the game.

 Furthermore, I expect the IPP to be wary of diluting the quality of the guys they are sending for consideration by sending more who are less able  That could go both ways 

Edited September 5, 2019 by Seoulofstone

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

2 hours ago, Seoulofstone said:

 

 I would like to see it expand also. Some of the stories on undiscovered are great-i've been watching it for a couple of years now. I just don't see them giving roster exemptions to only some teams.

  I would also expect players unions to be unhappy because a roster spot would be taken from an American prospect and given to an outside athlete who has no real background in the game.

 Furthermore, I expect the IPP to be wary of diluting the quality of the guys they are sending for consideration by sending more who are less able  That could go both ways 

 

 

IF  2 or more are put on the 53 frequently every season this should continue and may increase in numbers 

[PromoTheRobot]

Our new edge rusher Ivan Drago

 

 

[freddyjj]

7 hours ago, Freddie's Dead said:

I don't like the fact that Wade can't play for an entire year.  

By his own admission he is nowhere ready to play in the NFL right now as his understanding of the game, schemes and assignments is severely lacking given his limited exposure.

[Rochesterfan]

8 hours ago, MAJBobby said:

If the League really wants to open the game up to those international players I think that the program is too restrictive. Instead of one Division (decided Randomly) getting the roster exemption at camp and PS shouldn’t the NFL just open the program for the entire league?

 

if you think about it there are only 4 players right now benefiting.  Wouldn’t it benefit the program to keep the same rules for international players but allow every team one camp exemption and one PS exemption?

 

By doing that you now have a potential 32 players benefiting from the program instead of just 4 a year. 

 

 

I am not sure they have that many serious potential players each year.

 

I thought I heard the NFL saying they had like 10-15 petitions for positions this year and evaluated them and choose the best 4 most likely to make it through.

 

I think they could bump it up to 8 maybe, but the pay is coming from the league pool - not the individual teams - so they want legitimate players that have shots - not just a bunch of random foreign players.

[Seoulofstone]

1 hour ago, freddyjj said:

By his own admission he is nowhere ready to play in the NFL right now as his understanding of the game, schemes and assignments is severely lacking given his limited exposure.

 

 This is absolutely true as a running back. I think he could be an instant hit as a returner though. He needs to work on reading the blocks and using them properly. I do wonder if he could have made the roster if Andre Roberts had not been previously signed.

[Freddie's Dead]

5 hours ago, freddyjj said:

By his own admission he is nowhere ready to play in the NFL right now as his understanding of the game, schemes and assignments is severely lacking given his limited exposure.

 

Still don't make it right.