Man, I forgot about his speed at that height. If he didn't get hurt during camp/preseason at Arizona, probably would still be in the NFL
NFL: Hakeem Butler Invited to Steelers Camp
- Thread starter SaraV
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Man, I forgot about his speed at that height. If he didn't get hurt during camp/preseason at Arizona, probably would still be in the NFL
I just don't understand that at all. Dude was a playmaker at WR and they wanted him at TE? I just wish he didn't hurt his wrist, but maybe this 2nd chance will blow him up again.
~15 years is a pretty good run for a spring football league, especially one overseas. But like every other spring league failure, some front office people couldn't leave well enough alone.
Obviously I'm not the one with a fancy MBA to put together a business plan.
But something like this...
-- NFL spring/developmental league
-- it being an official NFL product gives it a veneer of seriousness and respectability and a built-in fanbase that "independent" spring leagues like the XFL 3.0 and USFL 2.0 can never touch
-- tie spring teams to the "big boy" teams somehow... maybe one spring league team per division or pair them up or pool them somehow so they have some built-in access to NFL fan bases
-- wouldn't diehard Packer fans, for instance, have wanted to watch Jordan Love play in the spring the past couple of seasons (assuming he would) to see what they have after Rodgers goes?
-- wouldn't Steelers fans have been excited to watch one of their spring guys be the best WR in the development league for a year and love to talk about what he could mean for helping out Kenny Pickett and his development by giving him a new target who can make plays for a young QB?
-- works like the NBA D-League, a further chance to develop and evaluate talent
-- let players a year or two under the NFL age cap (have to be out of high school for at least three years) play in this league... or maybe even a year before that... monopolize the talent yourself
-- this probably draws enough TV viewers to at least pay for itself
-- immediately starts building "the hype" for next season after the Super Bowl... the whole summer is going to be about what impact a guy like Butler might have on the Steelers after his great spring season with the Allentown Butter Churns or whatever you want to call them
Outsourcing it to these other leagues doesn't carry any risk for the NFL, obviously, and yet they get the benefit of evaluating and hyping a player like Butler... but doesn't have any of the built-in advantages.
The NBA doesn't really need the G League other than for some logistical streamlining. Multiple continents with their own pro leagues are now feeding the NBA and plenty of American players go there to develop and get paid more than G League.
Even baseball has legitimate foreign leagues in addition to college baseball. They use it even more for logistic reasons but if it didn't exist the best non MLB players would still have options.
It's kind of crazy NFL only had college football and arena league.
In the early years of NFLE (post-WLAF), it was mostly a developmental league, with NFL teams allocating players to NFLE teams. Kurt Warner and Adam Vinatieri are among the notables who played in Europe.
Later on, the owners/GMs ****** it all up by simply using NFLE "assignments" as a method to just stash guys and gain exemptions in order to get more bodies in their own teams' training camps.
He was like a grown man playing against middle schoolers at times. I've always been shocked he didn't stick in the NFL given his ridiculous physical talents.
I hope he makes it back and hits it big.
The Arena Football League is dead. I know there are still other indoor leagues, though. I think somebody bought the IP off the scrap heap and is going to try to relaunch it, but it's a different league.
I can't think of many arena guys who clawed their way into the NFL outside of Warner.
I still think it would be valuable as a roster management/development tool if NFL front offices used it in good faith (or the rules were setup to make them do that). That and it wouldn't take much of a TV audience to make it pay for itself. The TV ratings for the NBA and NHL and the like look pitiful compared to the NFL yet those "minor" leagues (compared to the NFL juggernaut) still manage to make excellent money.
That is before you account for the keep fans engaged/built hype for next season effect, which is something the NFL has to some degree now with free agency, the draft, the schedule release, and camps.
I know he left a year early, but wasn’t he an old junior? Didn’t he do a year of prep school first or am I thinking of someone else?
He's faster &, to me, a better deep ball target than Lazard, and he is not going the TE route, so just because he's tall doesn't mean he'll ever be a TE.
I expected the Steelers to draft a WR late, just for depth, but maybe they knew of this (bringing in Keem). Khan, their new GM, has done an outstanding job so far. Hope like Hell he can find a niche & make it. Would be outstanding.
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He has all the tools outside of consistently catching the ball. He's got a great shot if he can improve there. Unfortunately, I still saw some easy XFL drops. Wishing him the best. He's a great Cyclone.
I don’t think today’s college football with the spread offense is great for pro player development. Not like it used to be. How many qb’s can read a defense in college like is required of pros? I could be wrong but I get the sense the top spread guys really struggle in the NFL. The XFL would give guys a chance to play pro style ball against good competition.
You have to wonder too if the World League and NFL Europe was just bad timing? With more media companies today these companies are hungry for content which gives XFL a better chance to be televised. Not so 20+ years ago. Also, is there really an audience for American football in Europe?
That td catch at OSU, Purdy's first career td pass, was so good.
Nice review and breakdown of him, also talks about their WR situation. Sounds like he has a shot at making the roster.
Interesting bit here:
steelersdepot.com
Interesting bit here:
Film Room: Hakeem Butler Brings Size And A Big Play Threat To Pittsburgh’s WR Room
It was announced Tuesday evening that the Pittsburgh Steelers had signed XFL star and former NFL fourth-round draft pick WR Hakeem Butler. The Iowa State product was heavily touted coming out of college due to his immense size and length, boasting a 6055, 220-lb frame along with 35 1/4” arms and...
steelersdepot.com
Get yours Hakeem! Happy for him. He deserves it and I hope he succeeds. A steelers WR is good company to be in if he can stick with them.
