Signed Jean-Baptiste to practice squad (merge)

[Superman]

I'm aware. Simply speaking to the opportunity of players that otherwise would have zero chance of making a squad.

If we're nitpicking, many of them still have zero chance of making a squad. I get the benefit to them, of course.

[Superman]

Supe...

I'm assuming you did the math with the practice squad salary which my understanding is $5700 per week x 17 weeks... roughly $100k per year.

As opposed to the regular base rookie salary which is what, $390k per year?

Just asking... I didn't try to crunch your numbers....

That's correct. Practice squad salaries for a full year (not including playoffs, which would increase the number slightly) for 4 more players per team. $96,900 x 4 x 32 = $12.4 million.

The salaries for players on a less restrictive IR (assume we're talking about an 8 week IR) is based on all the players making base pay for rookies, which is super conservative. And yes, that's $390k a year, this season.

Both the practice squad salary and the rookie base go up every year under the new CBA.

[throwing BBZ]

More than 700 players were on final cut day. A lot of those guys are sitting at home right now, right fit or not, and many of them have the talent to play. Like NJB.

If you relaxed the IR rules, keeping in place some common sense restrictions to keep teams from taking advantage of it, then it would probably create spots for two or three players per team. That's close to 100 players earning salaries on various contracts. Let's say it's 8 weeks worth of salaries for 100 players at rookie minimum, that's $18 million in pay checks for players that are sitting on their couches right now.

Expand the practice squad to 12 players from 8, that creates spots for another 128 players. That's an extra $12 million in pay checks for practice squad players. And the practice squad salary increases every year.

So we're talking about $30 million in extra money per year for players. I would think the NFLPA would be pushing these kind of expansions, rather than short term roster spots in the preseason.

Teams have 9-13 players making $1Million or more, the REST are basically minimum wage.

This Players Union sucks as Free Agency causes just a few guys to get overpaid and the rest get hind teet!

I agree, with so many injuries larger rosters are justified.

[Corndog]

Some people have natural over powering strength or what is referred to as being "country strong". He might be weak in the bench press as far as strength is concerned, but I'm sure the guy that is standing across from him trying to block him will not say he is weak by any stretch of the imagination. Some people can not be judged by weight lifting. With that being said, under normal circumstances yes his bench press is weak for a guy his size.

I am sure he's not a weak guy at all, it's just probably not an area he works out very much. All I am really saying, is one I was suprised a player at his level and size would have problems with that much weight, and two he just sounds like he needs to get with a conditioning coach(not just the lifting, but the running as well). The combines might be effective tests to some degree, but they don't test knowledge of positions and actual talent, they simply show the condition of the athletes.

[NewColtsFan]

Teams have 9-13 players making $1Million or more, the REST are basically minimum wage.

This Players Union sucks as Free Agency causes just a few guys to get overpaid and the rest get hind teet!

I agree, with so many injuries larger rosters are justified.

Remember, a fair number of the players making minimum money ALSO got big signing bonuses.

So, I believe all of our rookies are making minimum, but guys like Luck, Fleener, Allen, etc. got signing bonuses. And some of those bonuses are pretty nice. Their salaries also go up a fair amount in year 2 and 3 and so on....

[Superman]

Teams have 9-13 players making $1Million or more, the REST are basically minimum wage.

This Players Union sucks as Free Agency causes just a few guys to get overpaid and the rest get hind teet!

I agree, with so many injuries larger rosters are justified.

Minimum wage for an NFL player is $390k. Hardly hind teet.