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NEW YORK -- When Troy Vincent mentioned in April the NFLs interest in establishing a developmental league, he couldnt have imagined the response it would get. "I got more than 100 proposals," he said with a laugh. "I think that shows it is worth a look." And that is what it will get, although the NFL has no timetable for establishing such a league. Why is it likely to get off the ground? Vincent, who recently became the NFLs head of football operations, cites a bunch of reasons, from training coaches and officials to finding players to testing rules. "It would be an opportunity to enhance our game on many levels, to develop the future, preserve and innovate the game," he said. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin would like to see it happen. "Im in favour of anything that increases opportunities for guys to grow and develop," Tomlin said, "and ultimately improve the product of our game for our fans, particularly at some positions." Notably, quarterback. Tomlin is well aware of how former Super Bowl QBs Kurt Warner and Jake Delhomme were helped by their time in the minors. "Quarterbacks often dont come to you ready-made, particularly with the way college football is played now with so many spread offences and half-field reads and so forth," Tomlin said. Tomlin is right that the NFL relies on the college game for developing the skills of potential pro players. That wont change but, as the number of undrafted free agents who populate NFL rosters shows -- 31.4 per cent in 2014 -- there are hundreds of players who would benefit from having a place to showcase themselves if the NFL doesnt come calling. Not since NFL Europe disappeared in 2007 has there been an NFL-affiliated place where players could go to prove themselves worthy of a look by one of the leagues 32 teams. Same thing for officials and coaches. "Thats what NFL Europe was intended to be, a developmental league," said Falcons defensive co-ordinator Mike Nolan, a former head coach in the NFL. "I thought it was great for coaches, I thought it was great for players, I thought it was great for officials. It wasnt my money they were spending on it, but I always thought the time was worth it. " There are dozens of questions accompanying any project: When and where would the league play games? How many teams would be in a developmental league? Who would play and coach? Would television be interested? Marc Ganis, president of SportsCorp, a Chicago-based consulting firm, has a strong relationship with many team owners. He envisions a league being established for spring play, with all of the teams supplying players they want to see more from. "After the NFL season and before the training camps, say March to July," Ganis said. "Its an open time in the sports schedule. The colleges are done and the NBA and NHL playoffs wind down. "A league in the fall is really tough. It is not like baseball, where teams can be calling up players every day from the minors. There would be lots of restrictions on player movement then." This wont be an international venture, either. In fact, it probably would be done regionally, cutting down on travel costs. "I do envision some sort of developmental league, based maybe in Florida or Texas or Arizona," said former NFL general manager Phil Savage, who now is the executive director of the Senior Bowl. "Anywhere from four to six teams; I dont think more than eight. "I see it as tightly managed, with not a ton of travel. And I dont think it would matter the size of the stadiums and crowds, because its a minor league, a place to look at players from the lower end of the roster or players trying to make it into the NFL." Ganis says not to worry about TV interest. "The networks have open time in the spring, and its an NFL product. There would be room on the networks for games on the weekend, and on the cable outlets for weeknights," he said. "Theres really a dearth of major sports on the weekends then. "I think you would see all the networks with cable channels -- CBS, Fox, NBC, and of course NFL Network -- to be interested. And ESPN would likely want in on the mix, although they need it the least." Savage was most intrigued by Vincents suggestion that an academy for training players, coaches and officials could accompany a D-league. But he foresees such an academy being held during the NFL season. "It would be in one centralized location and these players go there and they keep their football life afloat for another few months or another season," Savage said. "And maybe they show enough to play in the developmental league the next spring. Or maybe they get discovered for the NFL." One major caveat would be the status of the players. Would they be NFL Players Association members? What sort of medical coverage would they have? What would their salaries be? Savage believes the league, the union and the American Football Coaches Association -- the organization for college coaches -- could work out a strategy that would lead to a developmental league by the end of the decade, perhaps much sooner. "I think it could be a really neat thing and can help a lot of players," he said. Rams coach Jeff Fisher, co-chairman of the NFLs influential competition committee, agrees. "Theres been discussions over the last couple years. I dont know what direction its going, but I think we have a need for it," Fisher said. "I think it would be beneficial from a young players standpoint. ... if you have to make an outside roster move to get somebody thats in shape that you can evaluate on film." Vincent, naturally, is in a position to help bring a league, and an academy, into existence. "If it is something sustainable and it is good for the sport, and we can make it work," Vincent said, "its worth pursuing." Addison Reed Jersey .com) - The New York Islanders will try to solve their issues against Central Division opponents when they visit the Minnesota Wild for Tuesdays battle at Xcel Energy Center. Custom Minnesota Twins Jerseys . -- Two-time AL Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana agreed Tuesday to a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles as he tries to come back from the second major operation on his left shoulder. http://www.twinsrookiestore.com/Twins-Max-Kepler-Kids-Jersey/ . Rajne Soderberg, the director of the Stockholm Diamond League event, said in an email Friday that the ban still holds. Euromeetings, the organization representing Europes top track events, "will continue to recommend that members do not invite athletes who we believe cause disrepute to our meetings and our sport. Rod Carew Jersey . The Mariners ace allowed just one hit over eight innings while striking out nine, and Robinson Cano backed him with a two-run homer as Seattle earned a 3-0 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Sunday. Logan Morrison Jersey .com) - Willie Cauley-Stein and Karl-Anthony Towns each scored 12 points in the top-ranked Kentucky Wildcats 70-55 victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide.ORLANDO, Fla. -- Matt Every is finally a winner on the PGA Tour, and hes still not sure how it happened. He was nine shots behind Masters champion Adam Scott going into the weekend at Bay Hill. He was still four back of the Australian he referred to as a "stud" going into the final round Sunday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Every figured even par over the last three holes would do the trick. He made two bogeys. Even after a hearty handshake from the tournament host and a shiny trophy an arms length away from, Every summed up this wild day with just the right words. "I ... I ... I cant believe I won," he said. "I just ... I really cant." The tee shot that he feared might be out-of-bounds on No. 9 somehow bounced along a cart path and led to an unlikely birdie. He surged to a three-shot lead when Scotts touch with the putter vanished. Even with two bogeys on the last three holes -- he missed a 4-foot par putt on the 18th -- Every still closed with a 2-under 70. The last bogey made him sweat out the finish. Keegan Bradley, who birdied the 16th and 17th holes, had a 30-foot birdie putt on the 18th that would have forced a playoff. It was similar to the putt Tiger Woods has made so often to win at Bay Hill. Bradleys putt stayed left of the hole, and he finished one shot behind. Every finished at 13-under 275, one shot ahead of Bradley, who needed two late birdies for a 72. Scott was third. David Hearn (74) of Brantford, Ont., finished in a tie for 52nd at 1-over par. In his 92nd start as a pro on the PGA Tour, Every finally won at just the right time and just the right place. The 30-year-old who grew up 90 minutes away in Daytona Beach used to come to Bay Hill as a kid to watch the tournament. And he beat the Masters champion to earn his own spot in the Masters next month. "Being close to winning out here, it can be kind of discouraging because if you dont win, you just wonder if its ever going to happen," Every said. "And sometimes you tell yourself, Well, maybe its meant to be somewhere else, somewhere better. I dont see how it could get much better than this -- being so close to where I grew up and all the fans out there that were cheering me on. It was awesome." It was a nightmare for Scott. He shattered the Bay Hill record by taking a seven-shot lead after 36 holes and still led by three shots over Bradley going into Sunday. His putting stroke betrayed him. Scott made only five bogeys over 54 holes. He made five on Sunday alone. And he didnt make a birdie over the last 14 holes for a 76. "t;Im annoyed that I didnt do better today," Scott said.dddddddddddd "Sometimes youve got to be hard on yourself. Sometimes you dont. And I think I was getting into a really good spot, and an opportunity here to run away with an event and really take a lot of confidence. Im taking confidence anyway, from just some good play. But some opportunities youve got to take." Cocky by nature, Every choked back tears when he realized he had won. "Its hard," he said, stopping to compose himself. "Its tough, man. You just never know if its going to happen. You get there so many times. Its nice to get it done." He made it hard on himself. Every had a three-shot lead on the par-5 16th hole -- the easiest at Bay Hill -- when he drove into the woods, hit a tree trying to pitch out, laid up short of the water to play it safe and had to grind out a bogey. Scott, playing in the final group behind him, drilled 6-iron to 20 feet for an eagle putt that would have tied him for the lead. He three-putted for par. It was the second time in six tournaments that Scott lost a big lead on the last day. He had a four-shot advantage in the Australian Open and lost on the final hole to Rory McIlroy. This time, he didnt even have a realistic chance playing the 18th. "I really think the putting has let me down on both of those occasions," Scott said. "Today was a bit shaky. But this course was asking a lot of everyone today, and my short game just wasnt there. So that needs to be tightened up and probably shows that I need to do a bit more work on it to hold up under the pressure." Scott finished alone in third. He had to win Bay Hill to reach No. 1 in the world ranking when he arrived at Augusta National. Now, the No. 1 spot that Woods has held for the last year will be up for grabs at the Masters among Woods, Scott and Henrik Stenson, who tied for fifth at Bay Hill. Until Sunday, about the only time Every made news on the PGA Tour was when he was arrested and jailed on a misdemeanour drug possession charge at the 2010 John Deere Classic after agents were called to a casino hotel because of a strong odour of marijuana coming from the room he was in. Every paid the price with a three-month suspension that kept him from retaining his PGA Tour card. He once said earning his card back was his greatest achievement, though that sure takes a seat back to his win at Bay Hill. "Its just cool that I can say that I won on the PGA Tour," Every said. "But I always felt like my game was plenty good enough to win out here." 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