NFL Europe Talent?

[BlueBrewer]

Ok I have a few questions?

How many games do they play over there?

What is the talent level like, maybe DIV 2 college ball?

What are the odds of Lucas and Nichols making the Packers roster?

I guess they both made the All NFLE team, is that like being all conference in high school?

[Tarlam!]

6 teams play eachother twice a year, the top 2 records make the world bowl. I have seen and contributed to a few threads that talk about this, so I won't continue repeating myself.

[Guiness]

wow Tarlam. Two swipes at ppl in two thread.

Someone piss in your cornflakes this morning :?:

[Tarlam!]

wow Tarlam. Two swipes at ppl in two thread.

Someone piss in your cornflakes this morning :?:

I meant to swipe Vic, I didn't mean to swipe anyone else. "Sorry" Brew, I meant to say, most people know my thoughts on this and so, I don't wanna continue to bore people.

Thanks for the heads up, Guin.

[BlueBrewer]

wow Tarlam. Two swipes at ppl in two thread.

Someone piss in your cornflakes this morning :?:

I meant to swipe Vic, I didn't mean to swipe anyone else. "Sorry" Brew, I meant to say, most people know my thoughts on this and so, I don't wanna continue to bore people.

Thanks for the heads up, Guin.
Humor me Tarlam, I don't know much about it, if you don't want to regurgitate everything could you lead me to an old thread so I can bone up.

[Tarlam!]

O.K. Brew, here's the deal.

NFLE takes the caste-offs, puts them into a Florida training camp for a month. Together.

Then, the 6 teams hold a "draft". 99% of the players are new to the league, and were not considered good enough by 32 teams to be considered to have a shot at the roster. 1% leftovers from last year are players nobody really wants, but they have a European passport and 1% of the team must be local. That's your talent pool.

There is no NFL allegience, meaning, a Packer delegate WR may have a Bears delegate QB on the same team. Will a Bear make a Packer look good, ever? I don't think so.

That also leads to the problem of who do we NFL fans cheer for. Players, or teams? If so, what is the criteria?

My opinion is, this is a great potential marketing tool being completely and utterly wasted. 32 teams should be divied up to contribute players to a single team. If you expand the leage to 8 teams, 4 NFL teams contribute to a single team. At least we fans would know who our team was, right? Our scouts would know what game they should scout, right?

Anyway, that's it in a nutshell...

[Guiness]

Hey Tarlam - no harm, no foul, eh? I know, sometimes things just come off wrong.

Why don't you link back to your post of 'how to improve NFLE'. There were some good insights into the league there.

[Tarlam!]

Why don't you link back to your post of 'how to improve NFLE'. There were some good insights into the league there.

If I could only find it again!

[BlueBrewer]

Thanks a bunch Tarlem, that sounds like a good idea to me, if we could only see it implemented, an NFL farm system would be great.

[Tarlam!]

Tell ya what. I wish I could become the commish for NFLE. That would be the ultimate job for me.

I would kick ass on that project, and, I bet I could get the ratings up to say, 55% of what the NFL does. If you consider, the ratings might be 5% of what NFL does, that'Äs a bold statement!

[jack's smirking revenge]

Tar, I know you're sick of repeating yourself, but thanks for doing so. I learned alot about the NFLE with your few paragraphs that I didn't know before.

You rock. (And I'd recommend you for NFLE Commish if the job were open)

tyler

[Tarlam!]

Tyler, you know if I were commish, Packer Rats would get the private NFLE jet treatment to the world bowl, right?

[CaptainKickass]

I asked this over on JSO but I am curious to see what you all have to say on the subject:

I guess the fact that there are so many Packer allocations who will be playing - no, starting - in the World Bowl leads me to believe that at least there is some evidence that those players have developed to a level of competition and confidence that theoretically should allow them to compete or at least challenge for roster spots when they return.

We all love an underdog story who comes from nothing to something so if you had to pick a guy from the Packer allocatees playing in the World bowl who would your pick be?

The choices are:

Chad Lucas WR
Vince Butler WR
Tory Humphrey TE
Atari Bigby S
Jerome Nichols DE

Personally - I think Bigby has the inside track if he performs thru training camp and the pre-season the way he has in the NFLE.

Who's your choice and why?

[jack's smirking revenge]

Tyler, you know if I were commish, Packer Rats would get the private NFLE jet treatment to the world bowl, right?

So long as we also make an extended stop in Amsterdam, I'm game.

:D

tyler

[jack's smirking revenge]

I asked this over on JSO but I am curious to see what you all have to say on the subject:

I guess the fact that there are so many Packer allocations who will be playing - no, starting - in the World Bowl leads me to believe that at least there is some evidence that those players have developed to a level of competition and confidence that theoretically should allow them to compete or at least challenge for roster spots when they return.

We all love an underdog story who comes from nothing to something so if you had to pick a guy from the Packer allocatees playing in the World bowl who would your pick be?

The choices are:

Chad Lucas WR
Vince Butler WR
Tory Humphrey TE
Atari Bigby S
Jerome Nichols DE

Personally - I think Bigby has the inside track if he performs thru training camp and the pre-season the way he has in the NFLE.

Who's your choice and why?

I honestly don't know much about the players we have in NFLE, but I've read good things about Lucas and Bigby. I honestly think, if Lucas and Butler come back to the U.S. and have amazing offseasons, they could catch on as WR/ST players. Knowing TT, I think the Pack would prefer to plug in youth like Lucas and Butler and jettison Boerigter and Gardner. Just a feeling. I don't truly think that would happen because our WR corps would be extremely green, but, in a couple of years we could have a very solid and young (and under contract) WR corps that have grown up with a new system. Obviously Driver and Jennings make the cut, but I think its all open from there. I don't believe Ferguson's a lock.

tyler

[Tarlam!]

...I honestly don't know much about the players we have in NFLE,

tyler

As commish of the NFLE, I promise this would no longer be the case. Every NFL delegate would have a thorough, updated scouting profile on-line. Available to fans and scouts alike. There would be film material, links to home pages and, pictures of girlfriends.

[jack's smirking revenge]

There would be film material, links to home pages and, pictures of girlfriends.

Could we get film material and links to home pages of their girlfriends too? If so, I'm going to coordinate the "removal" of the current commish--Sopranos-style--and will plant you in the vacant office.

tyler

[Tarlam!]

Absolutely. Film material of current and past girfriends is a deal....

[MJZiggy]

Didn't Bigby have a couple of picks in the last couple of weeks? I'd say Lucas and Bigby have shots and if they're going to use TE's more this season, I'd have to think Humphry will garner a look as well. Lucas has been performing well but I guess you'd have to take into consideration the level of coverage he's playing against. I mean really--the guy's surrounded with NFLE talent!

[CaptainKickass]

With the Barry injury and depth of the O-line very suspect - maybe the Pack should take a flyer on this guy:

"Tyler Lenda, C/G, Amsterdam: A sentimental choice because he's played well at both positions over two seasons. He's always going to be small for an NFL line, but a zone-blocking team needing an overachiever that can back up at two spots might bring him to camp. "

Anyone have any info on this guy?

[CaptainKickass]

This is all I got so far:

# 64 Tyler Lenda
Position: G
Height: 6-2
Weight: 289
Born: 09/04/1979
College: Penn State
NFL Experience: Rookie

Looks like he was with the 'skins last year.

[CaptainKickass]

Experienced with the Bronco's "zone blocking" system

From NFLE site:

PRO CAREER:
Returns for a second season in NFL Europe after being selected by the Amsterdam Admirals in the fourth round of the 2005 Free Agent Draft… Played in 10 regular season games for the Admirals in 2004… Gained first professional experience when he signed with the Denver Broncos on April 28, 2003 but was released on August 26, 2003… Was re-signed by the Broncos on August 29, 2003 before being released on August 31, 2003.

COLLEGE:
Two-year starter at right offensive guard who began his career as a defensive end, moving to tight end as a red-shirt freshman before settling on the offensive line in 2000… In his senior season, started 11 games at right offensive guard, collecting 53 knockdowns as he helped the team average 423.7 yards per game… Earned his starting role as a junior, recording 45 knockdowns… Saw first action at guard as a sophomore.

PERSONAL:
Followed in his father, Ed’s footsteps, who also played football at Penn State from 1963-1966… Majored in history… Born Andrew Tyler Lenda… Was a rare four-sport standout, earning a school-record 13 letters, at Cedar Cliff High School in Pennsylvania… Earned SuperPrep and PrepStar All-America honors… Chosen for first-team All-Conference and All-District… State champion in the discus in 1998, four-year All-Conference pick in swimming and a district medalist in wrestling… Selected as the Carlisle Sentinel 1997-98 Athlete of the Year.

[CaptainKickass]

"Lenda's athletic prowess is well-documented in the annals of Central PA sports history. He earned a mind-boggling 12 varsity letters at Cedar Cliff and was a captain in every sport. He won gold in the Class AAA discus as a senior, and was all-conference in swimming and wrestling. After leading the Colts to the District 3 football title, he put the other sports behind him to focus on Penn State pigskin."

Gotta be worth a look. You'd think that TT looking for bargain prices on overlooked guys would let JJ take a look at him.

[Tarlam!]

NFL Europe outlines future plans

May 27, 2006
NFL Europe



Jim Connelly outlines the plans going forward for the NFL Europe League. (waynepaulo.com)
NFL Europe Managing Director Jim Connelly today outlined plans for the future of the NFLEL.

Speaking to media before the kickoff of Yello Strom World Bowl XIV in Düsseldorf, Connelly listed several recommendations that have been approved by NFL Europe League’s Advisory Board.

He said: “This will give a sense for what our fans will see going forward in this league as we continue to get closer to our goal of establishing American football as a major spectator and participation sport in Europe.”

Those recommendations include:


Retention of current line-up and market locations for our six teams for 2007
Recommendation to push start of season back two weeks to a start date of April 7, 2007 with World Bowl XV on June 16.
Relocation of league HQ office from London to Frankfurt, with a 23-person office up and operating this fall.
Plan to retain more players on each team every year, having players remain in market year-round to work on youth efforts, PR etc therefore becoming permanent members of their NFL Europe teams.
Employment of a highly-qualified American coach in the Frankfurt office to oversee a stepped-up plan to develop more German players.
Plan to license investors for two teams, starting with the 2007 season, and to license a local operator for a third team in 2008
Launch of a new league branding strategy to create closer identification with the NFL, establish direct links between NFL teams and individual NFLEL teams.
Connelly added: “In addition, the Board heard updates on the status of other German markets that remain interested in securing an NFLEL franchise. The top two market candidates are Hanover and Leipzig. These discussions and levels of interest will serve us well when we finally implement expansion and we remain optimistic we can attain our long-term goal of an eight-team, two-division, 12- game season by 2010.”

[Tarlam!]

NFL eyes more regular-season games outside of U.S.


NFL.com wire reports

DUESSELDORF, Germany (May 27, 2006) -- The NFL has proposed playing two regular-season games outside the United States starting in 2008, league officials said.

Mark Waller, head of NFL international development, said the proposal to play abroad was put to team owners in Denver. It came after the 49ers and Cardinals played last October before a regular-season record crowd of 103,000 in Mexico City.

The owners will discuss the issue again in October. The games would be played in Mexico, Canada, the United Kingdom and Germany, where five of the six NFL Europe teams play.

"I will say the reception we got from the owners was incredibly positive -- all the questions were on the practical issues," Waller said.

Plans were also announced to add two more teams to the six playing in NFL Europe by 2010. Last year, owners gave the league a five-year operating license -- ending years of threatening to pull the plug on the operation because of the cost.

"It now gives us a platform to grow the game internationally with a concept of clarity," Waller said.

Outgoing commissioner Paul Tagliabue said developing the game internationally may rank as one of his top five accomplishments during his 16 years in charge.

"I feel the international initiatives we made, along with the owners, may become more significant over time," Tagliabue said.

The league's effort to make an impact internationally began in 1986, when NFL teams began to play preseason games overseas.

The German cities of Hanover and Leipzig are the leading candidates to get NFL Europe expansion clubs as the league concentrates on Germany. The Amsterdam Admirals are the only current NFL Europe team located outside Germany.

NFL Europe would then be split into two four-team divisions with the schedule expanded from 10 to 12 games. The league hopes to develop local stars for NFL Europe, as well as international stars in the NFL.

"It's clearly critical to the future of the game internationally," said Jim Connelly, managing director of NFL Europe.

[MJZiggy]

Wow, reading this right after the thread about the old-timers needing money puts a whole new perspective on things.