Colonel Sanders
05-09-2008, 08:20 PM
This is a really good read from Don Banks at SI. It talks about how there is no longer the 6 roster exemption spots allowed for NFL Europa players. This means teams go into training camp with 80 spots as opposed to the 86 allowed in the past.
Besides the obvious problem of having to evaluate free agen rookies faster, Banks talks about how this causes a ripple effect. Veteran players get less rest in camp and preseason, which exposes them to a greater risk of unnecessary injury.
http://sportsillustrated.com/2008/writers/don_banks/05/09/roster.size/index.html
You may not have heard much hue and cry yet about the freezing of the camp rosters at 80, but trust us, you will. The league's football people are already up in arms about the owners' strictly financial decision this spring to limit the size of rosters, and by August the issue is expected to come to a full summertime boil.
The young coaches who aren't careful about how they practice are really going to have some problems,'' said the veteran AFC general manager. "You're going to have to give guys injury settlements really quickly in order to get fresh legs in there to practice, and that's not going to be good for the team or the players.
Teams that are known for giving undrafted players a legitimate shot to make their roster will also feel the impact of having fewer roster spots in camp. The Colts are perhaps foremost on that list, and both head coach Tony Dungy and general manager Bill Polian have been outspoken in their opposition to the 80-man roster limit.
"I think we had six guys (from our) Super Bowl (team in 2006) who were collegiate free agents and played prominent roles,'' said Dungy last month, himself a former undrafted free agent who made the Pittsburgh Steelers roster as a rookie in 1977. "Gary Brackett, Josh Thomas, Jeff Saturday, Dominic Rhodes, Ben Utecht, and Aaron Moorehead. This is what we try to sell, that if you come to us, we'll give you a chance to show what you can do. But this means we'll miss out on some of the guys who could have helped us.''
Besides the obvious problem of having to evaluate free agen rookies faster, Banks talks about how this causes a ripple effect. Veteran players get less rest in camp and preseason, which exposes them to a greater risk of unnecessary injury.
http://sportsillustrated.com/2008/writers/don_banks/05/09/roster.size/index.html
You may not have heard much hue and cry yet about the freezing of the camp rosters at 80, but trust us, you will. The league's football people are already up in arms about the owners' strictly financial decision this spring to limit the size of rosters, and by August the issue is expected to come to a full summertime boil.
The young coaches who aren't careful about how they practice are really going to have some problems,'' said the veteran AFC general manager. "You're going to have to give guys injury settlements really quickly in order to get fresh legs in there to practice, and that's not going to be good for the team or the players.
Teams that are known for giving undrafted players a legitimate shot to make their roster will also feel the impact of having fewer roster spots in camp. The Colts are perhaps foremost on that list, and both head coach Tony Dungy and general manager Bill Polian have been outspoken in their opposition to the 80-man roster limit.
"I think we had six guys (from our) Super Bowl (team in 2006) who were collegiate free agents and played prominent roles,'' said Dungy last month, himself a former undrafted free agent who made the Pittsburgh Steelers roster as a rookie in 1977. "Gary Brackett, Josh Thomas, Jeff Saturday, Dominic Rhodes, Ben Utecht, and Aaron Moorehead. This is what we try to sell, that if you come to us, we'll give you a chance to show what you can do. But this means we'll miss out on some of the guys who could have helped us.''