Would it make sense to just create 4 teams with a complete computer generated players at all levels in a unaffiliated league that runs for a year and then merge it into the AFBL at the end of a year or two ?
Not really an expansion team, but teams that are more competitive right away.
This is something I've had in mind as well as an option. Sort of like an independent league for teams to run alongside of AFBL and whenever the time is right, they can be promoted up or similar. I'm open to something like this or a traditional expansion team if this is something we eventually do as a league.
This is still something that's on my mind and that I've finally had a chance to test/play with in a test AFBL world. I'm toying with possibility creating an 8-team Independent League that we can let run alongside with CPU control initially so these franchises can develop some history and such. Then when the time is right (maybe when we move to OOTP19?), we promote 4 teams into AFBL. After that we can either have the new AFBL teams stay as is or do some sort of expansion / free agent draft. Thoughts?
This of course is long-term planning and such.
Slightly different, but I think the NYSL has been positive for the NPBL. For those who don't know what that is, the NYSL is a 16-team (originally was 6) independent league filled with players from the FA pool from the NPBL, another online league.
Not only is it more interesting than a FA pool, but it allows players to develop.
Bob Gilmore is expected to make my 25-man roster this year; he spent a year in the NYSL.
There's no reason a similar league could be the starting place for expansion teams, but even if expansion doesn't happen, it's good to get the guys that would just be sitting in the FA pool some action.