Covid 2020 has shown the expanded rosters in ML Baseball including Reds were more than needed so far. The NFL may have to adapt adjust as well. Make the roster and reserve roster larger. The NFL will find these teams will get short handed at positions in Covid without expanded rosters. Maybe have same number on sidelines game day, but make it easier to move players back and forth from reserves and have many more players in reserve. Baseball is showing NFL will indeed need expanded rosters.

Baseball had to cast off some hard core traditions in Covid. NFL can't be bogged down by tradition either. The NFL has had small reserve squads and strict rules on how they can be used. That nonsense has to go in 2020 as teams will need larger reserve squads and ability to move players back and forth from reserves as baseball is doing. It is not a year to get bogged down by traditions of normal seasons. This is already not a normal season.

So the Bengals for example would have more in Reserves. That way if people test Covid positive, Bengals have reserves at all positions more than a regular year. Again, Baseball shows NFL will need extra players, they just will.

With no preseason, why even have preseason cut dates. Just let teams carry larger reserve squads. Make it easier to move players back and forth from reserves to roster and back to reserves in Covid season. That way you keep Team Work that you lose with players jumping team to team.

(08-05-2020, 12:16 AM)kevin Wrote: Covid 2020 has shown the expanded rosters in ML Baseball including Reds were more than needed so far.   The NFL may have to adapt adjust as well.   Make the roster and reserve roster larger.  The NFL will find these teams will get short handed at positions in Covid without expanded rosters.  Maybe have same number on sidelines game day, but make it easier to move players back and forth from reserves and have many more players in reserve.   Baseball is showing NFL will indeed need expanded rosters.

Baseball had to cast off some hard core traditions in Covid.   NFL can't be bogged down by tradition either.   The NFL has had small reserve squads and strict rules on how they can be used.   That nonsense has to go in 2020 as teams will need larger reserve squads and ability to move players back and forth from reserves as baseball is doing.  It is not a year to get bogged down by traditions of normal seasons.  This is already not a normal season.

So the Bengals for example would have more in Reserves.  That way if people test Covid positive, Bengals have reserves at all positions more than a regular year.  Again, Baseball shows NFL will need extra players, they just will.

With no preseason, why even have preseason cut dates.  Just let teams carry larger reserve squads.  Make it easier to move players back and forth from reserves to roster and back to reserves in Covid season.  That way you keep Team Work that you lose with players jumping team to team.

I've been on board with roster expansion in the NFL long before Covid. 90 guys come to camp and you cut to 53 and only dress 46. That has always seemed ridiculous to me with how many injuries happen every year. Plus add in the whole "Player Safety" thing we are supposed to be focused on and rosters should be around 60 - 65 active and dressed with your 10 man practice squad. 

Would provide a better quality game all season long. The back-ups may not have all the reps, but they'd probably start getting more to allow the starters a little more rest and to ready for Sunday, yet they would have the play book and know it which would certainly help the team out when starters go down.

Never understood how the NFL came to rest on 53 with the dress 46 rule anyways. 

Naw, make them play both ways like in High School......

Expanding the roster when the Bengals have priority on the waiver wire is exactly the type of move I'd expect the Steelers to push for.

Each team will have a 16 person practice squad that can include 4 vested veterans. A team can call up a player up until gameday. in case of a positive COVID test, and then return them to the PS without the player needing to clear waivers. Players can be placed in IR for 3 weeks and return from IR with no limits

(08-05-2020, 04:12 AM)Murdock2420 Wrote: I've been on board with roster expansion in the NFL long before Covid. 

Same here. If a team wants more employees/players, I'm all for it. I think Covid causes it to make even more sense. Less practice and no preseason. Injuries happen, someone gets Covid and likely gone for two weeks. Have someone already on the team who knows the playbook. Can still only put 11 on the field at a time. 

(08-05-2020, 02:45 PM)Destro Wrote: Same here. If a team wants more employees/players, I'm all for it. I think Covid causes it to make even more sense. Less practice and no preseason. Injuries happen, someone gets Covid and likely gone for two weeks. Have someone already on the team who knows the playbook. Can still only put 11 on the field at a time. 

I think it benefits the players as well. 

They vets have to take less reps as there is more bodies around longer. They can take a day off to heal up during the week and still have each position group well manned.

For the rookies, and UDFA's it would be a huge help. A guy like Rodney Anderson who needs to get healthy and get reps could do that with an expanded roster. It gives guys from smaller schools a chance to get up to speed on the level of competition in the NFL and maybe you start to see more of them have better careers.

The other big factor is special teams. You know longer have guys on ST's that are an important back-up or maybe even a starter. Imagine Simmons being able to pick his own guys to keep not having to worry about where they fit elsewhere on the roster.

With what is already going to likely result in lower profits for teams, I wouldn't expect they'd wanna pay for even more contracts than they already do.

There adding 16 guys to the practice squad, 6 of them can have unlimited years on them, and 4 of the players each week are designated to be untouchable by other teams. So yes they are having expanding rosters this year.

(08-05-2020, 02:34 PM)pally Wrote: Each team will have a 16 person practice squad that can include 4 vested veterans.  A team can call up a player up until gameday. in case of a positive COVID test, and then return them to the PS without the player needing to clear waivers.  Players can be placed in IR for 3 weeks and return from IR with no limits

Good to hear NFL is learning from MLB.   Players testing positive for Covid is going to happen on every team.  They will miss about 10 days and be back if like baseball.   But it could be any position and multiple players.  That is why you need in reserve a QB, RB, WR, TE, O Line. D Line, LB, DB,  and that is 8, but 8 more to make 16 sounds right.   NFL can see by looking at MLB that you need reserve players to cover Covid plus NFL has more Concussion.  Covid and Concussion demanding players miss games really shows need for reserves. 

So thanks for post on NFL plans.  Good to hear NFL is making needed adjustments.  Now can kickers punt, can punters kick, because going a game without a kicker or punter is possible.  Maybe a kicker needed in the 16.