Since the NFL reduced the size of rosters to a maximum of 80, why is the first cut still only to 75 (cut/decide on 5 players). Decisions on an additional 22 players is only 4 days later. Why not cut to something like 70, or only have one cut ? Is there some magic in these numbers/dates?
I think it has something to do with being able to fill out your roster with scrubs for the final pre-season game, but you're right, why can't they just make it one cut after the final preseason game? Seems like a hold-over number from when they had more players with NFL Europe exemptions.
Since the NFL reduced the size of rosters to a maximum of 80, why is the first cut still only to 75 (cut/decide on 5 players). Decisions on an additional 22 players is only 4 days later. Why not cut to something like 70, or only have one cut ? Is there some magic in these numbers/dates?
Well, the NFL didn't "reduce" the limit - it's always been 80, there's just no NFLE exemptions now.
The cutdown has been 75 since 2006, and at that time, the rule was changed from 65 and so NFLE exemptions, which used to expire at the 53-man cutdown, then expired at the 75-man cutdown.
The magic in the dates is that the 4th preseason game is between the two cuts. It has always been that way - the 75/65 is the Tuesday before the 4th preseason game, and the 53 is the Saturday after.
Teams ideally would want to get the offseason limit increased to 85 or so, but Goodell supposedly has told them to stop complaining. I bet that we'll see an increase at some point though; making the cutdown to 70 only gives teams less players for the 4th preseason game, meaning more starters would theoretically have to play.
I think it has something to do with being able to fill out your roster with scrubs for the final pre-season game, but you're right, why can't they just make it one cut after the final preseason game? Seems like a hold-over number from when they had more players with NFL Europe exemptions.
Well, the 65 to 75 change in 2006 didn't change much, because the NFLE exemptions expired, so teams were essentially going from about 83-87 (on average...it could have been as high as 92) to 75, whereas at the 65 they were going from about 83-87 to about 68-71, and them from 68-71 to 53.
But I agree, now it's a hard maximum of 80 down to 75, which is not much of anything.
Not sure where they get the numbers, but I'm 99% sure the reason they won't raise the preseason limit is because they're already getting criticized for charging full price in preseason games where the starters barely play. More players = fewer name players in full priced games.
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