SnakeOil,
Your alignment idea could certainly work, but I cringe at the idea of expansion. Not that some cities may not be deserving, but I worry about talent dilution. Even today some teams have to field pretty shitty NFL quarterbacks and this isn't always caused by injuries. Hell, most teams can't feature an every down back anymore.
Much of this has to do with the way the college game has changed. Maybe the solution isn't expansion into the NFL, but the NFL starting a development league with independent teams set-up along the lines of tiers of European Association Football, not like the USFL where they were in direct competition for talent.
Your alignment idea could certainly work, but I cringe at the idea of expansion. Not that some cities may not be deserving, but I worry about talent dilution. Even today some teams have to field pretty shitty NFL quarterbacks and this isn't always caused by injuries. Hell, most teams can't feature an every down back anymore.
Much of this has to do with the way the college game has changed. Maybe the solution isn't expansion into the NFL, but the NFL starting a development league with independent teams set-up along the lines of tiers of European Association Football, not like the USFL where they were in direct competition for talent.
