NFL could be in Oklahoma City soon!

[traininthedistance]

I don't think teams should be allowed to move.  Expansion teams are the way to go -- there's plenty of talent to add teams in LA, London, Toronto, and San Antonio (or Oklahoma City).

I think the Jaguars should be allowed to move to make up for the the mistake of awarding a franchise to such a tiny, college-sports-preferring city in the first place.  As for where they should go, San Antonio and LA are IMO the two serious options.

I would not object to the Los Angeles Raiders, either, the Bay Area would still have a team and it's not like the Raiders don't have history there.

The idea of a London franchise is bonkers.

[traininthedistance]

Here's a possibility:

NFC East - NYC - London, NYC - Toronto, Washington - London, etc., great potential for even more new great rivalries
Dallas Cowboys
(London)
New York Giants
Philadelphia Eagles
(Toronto)
Washington Redskins

NFC Central
Chicago Bears
Detroit Lions
Green Bay Packers
Minnesota Vikings
St. Louis Rams
and one team moved over from the AFC East

NFC West - Largely a reunion of old NFC West foes from back in the day
Arizona Cardinals
Atlanta Falcons
Carolina Panthers
New Orleans Saints
San Francisco 49ers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers

AFC East - unfortunately this is 7 teams, so one will have to switch to the NFC Central
Baltimore Ravens
Buffalo Bills
Cincinnati Bengals
Cleveland Browns
New England Patriots
New York Jets
Pittsburgh Steelers

AFC Central
Miami Dolphins
Houston Texans
Indianapolis Colts
Jacksonville Jaguars
(San Antonio) [or Oklahoma City]
Tennessee Titans

AFC West
Denver Broncos
Kansas City Chiefs
(Los Angeles)
Oakland Raiders
San Diego Chargers
Seattle Seahawks - back to the AFC!


This is of course only one of many possibilities.

The idea of a London team is ridiculous enough without putting it in the same division as flipping Dallas.  It would have to go in the AFC East, where all the teams really are near the coast.

But, just for the sake of argument, if we were to go to 36 teams this is how I'd do it (and if we go to 36 that's enough for Jacksonville to be justifiable).  Note the lack of team in London:

NFC East: NY Giants, Washington, Philly Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Bucs
NFC Central: Chicago Bears, GB Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions, Atlanta Falcons, NO Saints
NFC West: St. Louis Rams, San Fran 49ers, Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks, (Los Angeles), (Portland)

AFC East: NE Patriots, NY Jets, Buffalo/Toronto Bills, Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars, (Tidewater)
AFC Central: Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Cincy Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans, Indianapolis Colts
AFC West: KC Chiefs, Denver Broncos, San Diego Chargers, Oakland/LA Raiders, (San Antonio), Houston Texans

Or, if the Jags move, slide the Colts to the East, the Texans to the Central, and that opens up OKC or Mexico City as possibilities.

As for the "Tidewater" choice- the Hampton Roads area is the largest metro in the nation with no pro team.  I guess that's kind of R**s***s area right now, but whatever.  San Antonio is kind of Cowboys country, too, and so is OKC.

[traininthedistance]

Boo!  OKC isn't big enough to have any pro sports team, even the Thunder.  I want the Jaguars to move to LA instead.

If OKC is too small (which a metro of 1.25 million and an anchor city of 600,000 is not too small), then Salt Lake City is too small for the Jazz and Memphis is too small for the Grizzlies, among other places.

OKC is fine for basketball, marginal for football, and impossible for baseball and hockey.  Baseball and football generally want larger metros, but since OK is football country that might compensate.  Obviously it is outside the hockey zone, and basketball is okay because the NBA has done well with a deliberate strategy of being the only game in town in smaller cities (OKC, Memphis, SLC, Sacramento, San Antonio).

I do wonder if an NFL team in Oklahoma might sink the Thunder, keeping that in mind.

[traininthedistance]

If anything, the NFL should have less teams.

I think 32 is actually the perfect number.  I'd have the San Antonio Jaguars and Los Angeles Raiders, and would tolerate the Toronto Bills, and besides that just call it a day.

30 would also be acceptable but I don't think contraction is necessary in the NFL.  Might want to remove four or so NHL teams though.