Is the QB position a roadblock to expansion?

[The Red King]

I see the occasional talk about adding more teams to the NFL.  In some ways it could help.  Diluting talent evens the playing field, and more teams mean that more players are drafted ahead of the top teams.  But there is one roadblock to this, the QB position.  A high-caliber QB is at this point in the NFL a make it or break it position.  You have one, or you don't.  Adding more teams will not add more star QBs to the pool, and with the rest of the positional talent being thinned down across additional teams league-wide it could serve to simply increase the gap between the top and mid-tier teams.

 

As a result, as things currently stand I don't think the NFL can expand in any capacity without harming the product.  A franchise QB is all but required, and there are not enough of them out there for the 32 teams we currently have.  Thoughts?

[Draconator]

Just now, The Red King said:

I see the occasional talk about adding more teams to the NFL.  In some ways it could help.  Diluting talent evens the playing field, and more teams mean that more players are drafted ahead of the top teams.  But there is one roadblock to this, the QB position.  A high-caliber QB is at this point in the NFL a make it or break it position.  You have one, or you don't.  Adding more teams will not add more star QBs to the pool, and with the rest of the positional talent being thinned down across additional teams league-wide it could serve to simply increase the gap between the top and mid-tier teams.

 

As a result, as things currently stand I don't think the NFL can expand in any capacity without harming the product.  A franchise QB is all but required, and there are not enough of them out there for the 32 teams we currently have.  Thoughts?

No

[The Red King]

1 minute ago, Draconator said:

No

 

Such a well thought out an nuanced reply.  While I can agree with some of your points, I have to disagree on others.  Still, I must commend you on breaking down each point and possible scenario to provide a truly verbose opinion on the matter!

[Big Turk]

No there would be key backups that would be in starter roles and while not great would be better than most teams current backups.

[nuiwek]

6 minutes ago, The Red King said:

 

Such a well thought out an nuanced reply.  While I can agree with some of your points, I have to disagree on others.  Still, I must commend you on breaking down each point and possible scenario to provide a truly verbose opinion on the matter!

This is possibly the best reply I've ever seen to answer like that. 

 

Unless the rest of the world starts playing as much football (not the one played with feet) as we do, I don't believe there would ever be enough talent to go around.

[Andy1]

I’m not in favor of expansion. In addition to the lack of QBs, there is a lack of offensive line talent. 

[Don Otreply]

It’s not just that on any given year there are only 15 to 20 QBs that are worth there salary, then add to that the ongoing lack of quality O-linemen, across the league, etc etc, it is an issue for sure, but when push comes to shove the league only looks at the dollars, so at the first opportunity the league will expand.

[Mr. WEO]

20 minutes ago, The Red King said:

 

Such a well thought out an nuanced reply.  While I can agree with some of your points, I have to disagree on others.  Still, I must commend you on breaking down each point and possible scenario to provide a truly verbose opinion on the matter!

 

 

how bout "hell no"

[SageAgainstTheMachine]

I couldn’t tell you how it figures into the NFL’s decision making but it’s a practical roadblock in my opinion.  Types of games like Titans/Texans and Browns/Saints today will become even more the norm.

[May Day 10]

There are more capable quarterbacks now than ever imo.  

 

As mentioned, I think you can really run into trouble on the o-lines.  You would be more likely to see some putrid o-lines in the league which would ruin that team(s).

[eSJayDee]

I don't think so.  You can win w/ a "good" QB & a strong roster.  There's over a dozen good QBs now.  The other thing about expanding the league, that'll lower the cap amount per team.  Teams w/ $50m QBs will be even further hampered w/ giving them a strong supporting cast.  Now, the dilution of the rest of the talent pool is another matter IMO, though I guess if everyone is pulled to a lower level, the competitiveness remains the same, but the question remains what impact that has on the overall product.

[djp14150]

That isn’t the reason.  There is enough talent out there to get starting QBs.

 

the issue with expansion is scheduling.

 

if you had 36 teams have 2 4 and 2 5 team divisions in each conference.  18 game schedule.

 

8 divisional games in 5 team division 

6 divisional in 4 team divisions

the two 5 th place division teams play 2 teams in each of the 4 team divisions for 4 games. H-H against each other and H-H the 2 other conference 5 th place teams. That gives them 8 divisional + 6 non division within conf+4/non conf games=18 g

the 5 team top 4 divisions pkay 8 div+ 4 against a div, 2 placement, 4 non conf. 
6 team div have 6 div+5th place game+ 4 against other division, + 2 placement+ 4 agsinst div in other conf + 1 additional non conf game=18

[Bferra13]

This is more of a February thread. As in we have nothing else better to talk about. The NFL is going to do whatever is in their best interest. And their best interest is $$$$ and lots of it. They don't care about anything else. If the end justifies the means, they don't care about qb talent. I'm sure they have plenty of focus groups looking at this.

[Buffalo Super Fan]

Quarterback isn’t a road block for NFL expansion the NFL owners greed is the real reason they don’t want to share the US television money. There is no US market that to them moves the needle as worth while. I don’t believe NFL is expanding again for a long time including Europe that is just total fantasy thinking on the NFL owners part. I don’t believe that happens for a long time if at all either because of cost and different culture sports wise what is and isn’t important. The NFL can’t shake down Europe like US cities for public taxpayers money that is what I am saying different sports culture wise what is important. The NFL can’t even get a NFL team to Canada Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver but some how we are to believe Europe is right around the corner. The NFL expanding to European cities are as likely as English Premier League expanding letting in all the US and Canadian MLS teams into EPL isn’t going to happen anytime soon if ever at all in my opinion. Go Bills! Let’s Go Buffalo 

 

Edited December 25, 2022 by Buffalo Super Fan

[US Egg]

NFL doesn’t have a global like feeder system like MLB, NBA & NHL. 
 

That said, they aren’t overly concerned about QB quality play versus growing their product and profit.

 

Wonder if they view their future growth sort of being in a now faze?

[BobbyC81]

2 hours ago, Andy1 said:

I’m not in favor of expansion. In addition to the lack of QBs, there is a lack of offensive line talent. 

A way around that would be that the NFL adds a rule that defenders can’t rush the QB until after 3 Mississippis.

[BobbyC81]

A few years back I thought about the future of NFL QBs with the likes of Brees, Rothlisberger, Rodgers, Rivers, E. Manning and Brady getting up there in years.  Then came the drafts with top QB prospects in 2016 (Goff, Wentz), 2017 (Trubisky, Mahomes, Watson) and 2018 (Josh Allen, Mayfield, Darnold, Rosen, Jackson) and thr future looked promising.

 

Most of the older guys retired and , unfortunately, a majority of the young guys didn’t pan out.  Goff and Wentz were promising to start but both have regressed.  Trubisky is mediocre while only Josh & Jackson from the 2018 draft have met expectations.  Fortunately, the 2020 draft brought Joe Burrow, Herbert, Hurts and Tua, while the 2021 draft provided Lawrence.

 

That still leaves a lot of teams currently depending on journeymen, aging stars and hopeful unproven youngsters  Adding more teams needing to fill the position would be ridiculous.

Edited December 25, 2022 by BobbyC81

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

3 hours ago, The Red King said:

I see the occasional talk about adding more teams to the NFL.  In some ways it could help.  Diluting talent evens the playing field, and more teams mean that more players are drafted ahead of the top teams.  But there is one roadblock to this, the QB position.  A high-caliber QB is at this point in the NFL a make it or break it position.  You have one, or you don't.  Adding more teams will not add more star QBs to the pool, and with the rest of the positional talent being thinned down across additional teams league-wide it could serve to simply increase the gap between the top and mid-tier teams.

 

As a result, as things currently stand I don't think the NFL can expand in any capacity without harming the product.  A franchise QB is all but required, and there are not enough of them out there for the 32 teams we currently have.  Thoughts?

 

Don't disagree with anything you say except it hasn't stopped them yet from expanding to the current 32.

[Orlando Tim]

4 hours ago, The Red King said:

I see the occasional talk about adding more teams to the NFL.  In some ways it could help.  Diluting talent evens the playing field, and more teams mean that more players are drafted ahead of the top teams.  But there is one roadblock to this, the QB position.  A high-caliber QB is at this point in the NFL a make it or break it position.  You have one, or you don't.  Adding more teams will not add more star QBs to the pool, and with the rest of the positional talent being thinned down across additional teams league-wide it could serve to simply increase the gap between the top and mid-tier teams.

 

As a result, as things currently stand I don't think the NFL can expand in any capacity without harming the product.  A franchise QB is all but required, and there are not enough of them out there for the 32 teams we currently have.  Thoughts?

If QB play became a real problem then I think they would simply change the rules to help the lesser QBs, they could simply make a West Coast offense much more rules efficient than long bombs. On the list of what stops expansion I think this down the list a bit. 

[Bferra13]

1 hour ago, I am the egg man said:

NFL doesn’t have a global like feeder system like MLB, NBA & NHL. 
 

That said, they aren’t overly concerned about QB quality play versus growing their product and profit.

 

Wonder if they view their future growth sort of being in a now faze?

Do they really need growth though? They already make billions every year. The only thing that will really ever kill the NFL is if they get cancelled to two hand touch or something ridiculous like that because of head injuries. The day they put flags on the qb is prolly the day I quit watching.