johnnyangryfuzzball wrote: ↑Sun Oct 13, 2019 8:01 pm
MikeMitchell wrote: ↑Sun Oct 13, 2019 3:13 pmAny quarterbacks that are on practice squads are then potentially signed to futures contracts. Which pay much less. Decision time for some players.
And by much less, that means nothing until the start of the league fiscal year in March... and the offseason per diem probably isn't much more than that. As opposed to $1,040 a week even if they're relegated to Team 9.
If I'm on a practice squad, I'm seriously looking at skipping the futures deal and making a few thousand in that two-month gap. Because why not? I know in Houston's case, June Jones doesn't even run contact practices, and if the rest of the league follows a similar model, it's going to be a relatively safe way to stay sharp during the offseason.
Excellent response Johnny, and all true. Oliver Luck basically painted this picture out on his interview with XFL Show Thursday. The XFL is going to target the practice squad players who then convert over to futures contracts at the end of the NFL season. That’s contingent on a team giving you a futures deal. So decision time for the players who end the season on the practice squad. Let’s pretend that Chad Kelly or a Quarterback like him spends the entire year on the practice squad. He can sign the futures contract offered by Indy and study the playbook in the offseason. Get to March and then get paid less. Then bank on playing during the preseason and impressing enough to get on the active roster. Another year in Frank Reich’s system is not a bad thing. One of the planets best football coaches.
However..... Kelly is behind Brissett and Hoyer in the pecking order. The assumption and gamble is that maybe the Colts don’t go quarterback in free agency or in the draft. You are also gambling that Andrew Luck doesn’t come back next season. Not saying that it will happen but the Colts still have his rights. You are still #3 in the pecking order regardless if no QB gets signed or drafted. The odds are that Kelly is in the same position next season. On the practice squad bubble. The upside for Chad is that injuries can happen and a path can be created for him at some point if things break right and he stays out of trouble and impresses on the field.
Let’s look at the XFL option. Sign for 495k in January. Play for June Jones in Houston. Jones coached Chad’s uncle Jim in Houston as well. Get on the field, start games and showcase your ability on ABC, Fox and ESPN every single week until late April. Then if all goes right. Go back to Indy or choose another NFL team based on the interest level which has increased for you. Especially if you play at a star level.
The downside. Getting injured during the XFL season. Which prevents you from being ready for an NFL camp. The other downside. You play poorly and are exposed as not being ready to be a starting pro quarterback. There is a lot to weigh. The pros and cons. I am taking the XFL option. You don’t move forward by staying in neutral. The only way Chad Kelly gets better is if he actually starts and plays on the field. The same goes for Cardale Jones or Paxton Lynch if he ends up back on the Steelers practice squad when Rudolph is cleared for play.
