NFL franchises rely on two yearly events to build Super Bowl winning teams. The first event is the annual free agency period.
Free agents are an excellent way for mediocre or on the cusp NFL teams to become Lombardi Trophy contenders. The top free agents often sign contracts with millions of dollars in guarantees.
A great free agent could be the difference between making the playoffs or munching on popcorn while Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes duke it out for the hardware. But the free agent period isn’t the only way NFL teams can get better.
National Football League squads also rely on the NFL Draft. The draft has become so important that people like Mel Kiper Jr. have created careers to analyze and predict player draft positions.
Most NFL franchises spend time thinking of free agents and draft prospects. But free agency and the draft aren’t the only ways teams get better.
Since 2017, The Spring League’s first season, the organization has sent 104 players to the NFL. One of the lone developmental football leagues in the nation, The Spring League started their 2021 season on Saturday, May 8.
Fans figure to tune into the games since FOX will showcase many of the competitions. But football fans aren’t the only ones who will check out games. So will NFL teams.
5 Reasons NFL Teams Will Watch The Spring League Games
1. NFL Teams know they’ve just drafted a bust, or maybe even two
If you look at any NFL Draft, you will see a few famous names. But for every John Elway, who won two Super Bowls, there is a Todd Blackledge or Ryan Leaf.
The Chiefs chose Blackledge in the same draft where Elway went first. Blackledge played six seasons, threw more interceptions than touchdowns, and ended his career with an awful 60.2 QB rating.
Many league historians regard Ryan Leaf as the biggest bust in NFL Draft history. Leaf played three seasons and ended his career with a 50.0 passer rating.
The point? With every NFL Draft, there are NFL Draft busts, which is why teams pay attention to The Spring League.
2. Good players show their stuff in The Spring League
The Spring League is a developmental league, which means players who participate in The Spring have some NFL or college football experience.NFL teams know who The Spring League players are.
In many cases, they’ve told the player to head to The Spring League to evaluate the player further. NFL squads send players to The Spring League hoping they can resign them at a later date.
3. Canadian Football League players go to The Spring League to impress NFL scouts
The Canadian Football League happens around the same time as the NFL Regular Season. NFL teams don’t have time to watch everything that happens in the CFL.
National Football League franchises know that some of the best CFL players head to The Spring League. Often, Canadian Football League players have developed more pro football skills than even first-round draft picks.
Warren Moon played in the CFL before playing for the Houston Oilers. No NFL team wants to miss out on the next Warren Moon.
Safety Nate Holley won the CFL’s Rookie of the Year award for the 2019 season. He played in The Spring League in Austin, Texas, in 2020. The Miami Dolphins signed Holley to a contract.
4.Former NFL coaches develop players
Kevin Gilbride used to coach the New York Giants. He’s won two Super Bowls andhas an offensive system that rivals some of the most effective in the NFL.
Gilbride will coach The Spring League’s Jousters this season. NFL teams know that players will pick up required skills to find National Football League success under Gilbride’s tutelage.
5. The NFL will never forget Kurt Warner
The Spring League started in 2017. NFL Hall of Fame player Kurt Warner ended his career well before The Spring League played their first game.
But Warner wasn’t an NFL Draft success. Warner bagged groceries until he could get his football career off the ground.
The then St. Louis Rams discovered Kurt Warner, and the rest is history. Like with Warren Moon, no NFL team wants to miss out on the next Kurt Warner.
NFL teams pay attention to The Spring League. You should as well
Scouts for every National Football League team will watch every single Spring League game in hopes of finding the next diamond in the rough. But NFL scouts aren’t the only people who should watch games.
NFL fans and football handicappers should work as well. As any sports bettor will tell you, the difference between a winning wager and a losing wager comes down to small things.Potential NFL Championship contenders a player or two away from the Lombardi Trophy will look for those football players in The Spring League.
If the NFL squad you think wins the Super Bowl signs a Spring League player you think takes them to the Super Bowl, look for someone who offers free sportsbook software to maximize your profitability.Individual sportsbook agents are not likely to know the team has signed an impact player from The Spring League, which means you get the best possible Super Bowl odds.
