Hundreds of players have been cut over the last 48 hours. However that doesn't mean they can't or won't make it in the NFL. Some cuts are due to injuries, some are due to a certain team having excellent depth at a certain position and some are just due to the players not quite being ready. This is where the scouting department makes it's money.
At noon eastern time today, teams can start signing players to their 8 man practise squads. So why not just go over the rules for the practice squad to make sure we are all good to go. Players are eligible for the practise squad if they:
- Do not have an accrued season in the NFL
- On An Active list (53-man roster) for fewer than nine games during their only accrued season.
- Players who have served two seasons on a practise squad are eligible for a third season, only if the team has at least 53 players on the active/inactive list for the duration of the players employment.
- A player will have served a season on the practice squad if he were a member of that squad for at least three regular season or postseason games during his first two practise squad seasons.
The minimum weekly salary for a practice squad player in 2012 is $5,700 a week, however there is no limit to how much a team can choose to pay a practise squad player. Practice squad players are free to negotiate with any other team to join their active 53 man roster at any time. However the player can not sign a contract with his current teams next opponent after 4:00pm EST, 6 days before the game.
Players signed from a practice squad to an active 53 man roster will receiver three weeks salary of his contract, even if he is cut before those three weeks have been served.
With the Jets, I'll be looking for us to add our three draft picks that were recently cut and I'm sure we are scouring the trimmings from other teams, looking for some help.
I hope everyone finds this information useful.