In the football world, the biggest on-the-field stories are primarily about how a rookie can help his new team, or how a free agent can resurrect his career. Or, it’s all about possible rule changes, or how the league might improve the game.
As Ian St. Clair and I sat down to record the MHR Radio Podcast, there wasn’t a ton of NFL news to go over. However, we can always find a reason to talk about Drew Lock. Ian brought up Lock’s similarities with former Denver Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer.
The attitudes are definitely similar. Free spirits that work hard at their craft. Guys who love the game. Plummer was always at his best when things broke down and he had to improvise. Lock also has a penchant for making plays when things fall apart.
The best part about all this is the access Lock has to great QBs. Obviously, we all know that Lock has spoken with Peyton Manning. He has received advice from Plummer. He works for John Elway. In the advice department, Lock has more than a few options to go to.
We also had an interesting discussion about how a developmental league might help the NFL. With the NCAA possibly missing out on games in 2020, it brings up the thought of a return to an NFL Europe style league.
As Ian mentioned, a developmental league is about more than just players. Referees can learn on the job in a developmental league. With all the officiating issues of the last few seasons, some way of training referees couldn’t hurt.
As guys retire, a feeder league would definitely make the transition to new officials easier. It also wouldn’t hurt if officials were made full time. As it stands now, NFL officials are technically part time. That hurts the professionalism, divides the officials time, and makes it so they aren’t able to focus on training for the regular season as much.
At the end of the show, Ian and I took a little time to address the unrest surrounding the protests that are happening around the country. The issues that face this country are vast. We are proud of players like Justin Simmons who have stepped up to try and help. Ian reminded us of Champ Bailey’s powerful Hall of Fame speech. He implored us to “please listen.” I intend to do just that.