NFL Competition Committee could expand roster sizes

The NFL Competition Committee is considering an expansion of rosters from 53 to 55 players, in addition to other player-friendly proposals that could be approved at the league meetings at the end of the month, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

The addition of two extra roster spots on each team would offer more opportunities for players to make an NFL roster; however, it’s not a slam dunk for the players. Many teams already struggle to stay under the salary cap, and there’s an argument that the addition of two more roster spots will further thin the amount of money given to players.

Still, other possible recommendations from the Competition Committee include the elimination of inactive lists for Thursday night games. With teams given just four days to prepare for Thursday Night Football games, there have been complaints from the NFL Players Association and, most notably, Houston Texans running back Arian Foster, about the safety of the short turnaround. With the elimination of the inactive lists, teams would have the entire 53, or possibly 55, players on roster available to use.

The Competition Committee is also considering a rule change to narrow a loophole that teams have used to avoid sending compensatory draft picks. Previously, any free agent signed after June 1 would not count against teams in the compensatory pick formula, leading many teams to sit and patiently wait until that date to sign players, as the Baltimore Ravens did with linebacker Daryl Smith two years ago.

By waiting so long to sign players, many of these veterans miss out on offseason training activities, so the Competition Committee’s proposed solution is to bump the date back from June 1 to May 1 to allow these players more time to adjust to their new settings.