NFL Practice Squad/Futures Contracts Tracker

[4th&long]

This is an utter disaster.

I don't think it's a disaster. This is a problem that was bound to happen, and even quite predictable. Still more than enough players in the pool.

I do not see this as an utter disaster at all.... But why are you saying "bound to happen" is that based on AAF history or something else?

[MGB01]

This league is losing players to futures contracts?!?! They should be picking UP players.

This is an utter disaster. How utterly SICK is it that players would rather sign a $0 contract with an NFL team that will likely bury them at the bottom of an offseason roster than actually accept money to play professional football? How did this go so horribly wrong? The XFL should be signing these guys!

Pretty sure most of these guys signed on practice squads during the five-week window between the draft and minicamp, and you're already going to be cutting over 100 players loose anyway that won't even be on team nine, so you're essentially arguing for making moves to make moves.

It's not like an IFL team has a fuller roster than any of the XFL teams

[4th&long]

This league is losing players to futures contracts?!?! They should be picking UP players.

This is an utter disaster. How utterly SICK is it that players would rather sign a $0 contract with an NFL team that will likely bury them at the bottom of an offseason roster than actually accept money to play professional football? How did this go so horribly wrong? The XFL should be signing these guys!

Pretty sure most of these guys signed on practice squads during the five-week window between the draft and minicamp, and you're already going to be cutting over 100 players loose anyway that won't even be on team nine, so you're essentially arguing for making moves to make moves.

It's not like an IFL team has a fuller roster than any of the XFL teams

No but I think Luck has been saying he expects to pick up some better players once the PS players are available. Hopefully enough of that happens.

[GDAWG]

This league is losing players to futures contracts?!?! They should be picking UP players.

This is an utter disaster. How utterly SICK is it that players would rather sign a $0 contract with an NFL team that will likely bury them at the bottom of an offseason roster than actually accept money to play professional football? How did this go so horribly wrong? The XFL should be signing these guys!

The XFL will be fine. This is just an overreaction.

[LeoNY]

Everyone knew that the majority of the XFL rosters would be players from the NFL cut down day. It’s close to 300 players from that group.

As for prying players away from practice squads. There are players like Cardale Jones that turned down practice squad spots in the NFL with the Cowboys to sign with DC.

Plus there are players in the XFL that were on NFL practice squads during the NFL season. Phillip Walker, Jalen Collins, Chase Litton amongst others

This part of the free agency is not vital. It’s just the finishing touches on the XFL rosters. It’s only going to be a handful of players added if that at this point.

The league has already locked down it’s 11 top tier quarterbacks.

If you are a practice squad player and you turn down a futures contract to go to the XFL at this point. You are essentially one of 70 players. No guarantees that you even make an XFL roster. Personally I would choose the XFL like Cardale Jones and others did but those type of players know that they have a chance to be legit starters.

[LeoNY]

There are also some side deals that take place with practice squad players and future contract players.

Quick story. Last year, the Jets wanted to sign Vikings practice squad player Jeff Badet to a futures contract after the season ended. Minnesota gave Badet a 75,000 dollar bonus to not sign with the Jets. Funny thing is that Badet ended up being released by the Vikings this summer. Now he is on the Dallas Renegades. With his 4.2 speed, Badet could end up being the Renegades #1 receiver. It worked out for Badet financially that the Jets pursued him. Some of these players may benefit from the XFL presence.

This is something that the XFL is not going to offer players. Bonuses to join the XFL. NFL teams can offer money to futures players to get them to sign with them rather than another NFL team, let alone an XFL team.

[4th&long]

There are also some side deals that take place with practice squad players and future contract players.

Quick story. Last year, the Jets wanted to sign Vikings practice squad player Jeff Badet to a futures contract after the season ended. Minnesota gave Badet a 75,000 dollar bonus to not sign with the Jets. Funny thing is that Badet ended up being released by the Vikings this summer. Now he is on the Dallas Renegades. With his 4.2 speed, Badet could end up being the Renegades #1 receiver. It worked out for Badet financially that the Jets pursued him. Some of these players may benefit from the XFL presence.

This is something that the XFL is not going to offer players. Bonuses to join the XFL. NFL teams can offer money to futures players to get them to sign with them rather than another NFL team, let alone an XFL team.

Agreed...

[MikeMitchell]

I wouldn’t get too worked up about players signing futures deals rather than signing with the XFL. The league has the players they want right now under contract. Any added additions are a bonus.

As I have written about and spoken about in the past. Enticing potential fringe NFL players will be more viable in year two than it will be in year one. Once the XFL establishes that it is truly here to stay.

With that being said. The XFL has done their job at the QB spot and in signing close to 300 final roster cuts from the NFL on August 31st.

[GregParks]

Remember, no matter what level you're playing, it's EVERY football player's desire to get (back) to the NFL. If you have an opportunity to sign a deal and begin the offseason program with a team in the spring (even if you may not get paid 'til then) versus taking a chance on a brand-new league, possibly getting hurt, and playing well but still NOT getting signed by an NFL team, most players will (as this has shown) take the offer from the NFL team. I could make an argument both ways, but it can't be surprising that players are eschewing the XFL for the NFL here.

[johnnyangryfuzzball]

Remember, no matter what level you're playing, it's EVERY football player's desire to get (back) to the NFL. If you have an opportunity to sign a deal and begin the offseason program with a team in the spring (even if you may not get paid 'til then) versus taking a chance on a brand-new league, possibly getting hurt, and playing well but still NOT getting signed by an NFL team, most players will (as this has shown) take the offer from the NFL team. I could make an argument both ways, but it can't be surprising that players are eschewing the XFL for the NFL here.

How many of these futures contract players actually end up even making a preseason roster, though? The futures contract is worthless. No sane agent should be letting his clients sign such things unless he's purposely steering them away from the XFL. All it does is to prevent the player from signing anywhere else, with nothing in return.

If the NFL team had a guy on their practice squad for a full season and didn't call them up once—maybe even kicking them off the squad and then bringing them back later on—how much value do they really see in the guy? That's something I think Cardale Jones and especially Phillip Walker had picked up on pretty quickly.

To see so many of these players simply jumping at the futures contract immediately after the practice squad deal expired, without even considering outside offers apparently, is a serious issue.