According to SiriusXM NFL Radio, the NFL will have a spring league in 2017.
BREAKING: The NFL will have a spring league starting in the spring of 2017, structured around four squads of veteran free agent players
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) December 22, 2016
The league is reported to be four teams comprised of veteran players who are free agents. Apparently this will run through the month of April with practices and six games to be played. Basically it appeared this would be the minor league team the NFL was reported to be thinking.