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Update: NFL practice squads officially expanded

Two more Broncos to cheer for.

By kmonty Updated
Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Originally published on August 18th. Updated August 19th at 4:45 p.m.

Cut Day will be a little less bloody this year.

The Denver Broncos and all 32 NFL teams will enjoy an expanded practice squad beginning this year, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. The report was confirmed Tuesday.

What does this mean for the Broncos? It means two more NFL dreams get to carry on in Denver, along with 62 other dreams around the league. It means an increased and potentially improved scout team during game weeks, and a deeper roster overall. It means more stories like Brandon Marshall's emergence from the practice squad in 2013 to fill-in starter in 2014 can potentially come true.

From the release, there are two important updates regarding eligibility.

  • First, a player must have a minimum of six games - up from the current three games - on a Practice Squad in order for that season to count as one of the player's three permissible seasons of Practice Squad service.
  • Second, each club will be permitted to sign a maximum of two Practice Squad players who have earned no more than two accrued seasons of free agency credit. Absent this exception, a player who has earned one or more accrued seasons would not be eligible for a Practice Squad unless the player spent fewer than nine games on a club's 46-player active list in each of his accrued seasons.

The way I read this: Previously, teams could have one practice squad player with two accrued seasons. Now they can have two. All the same 53-man roster restrictions still apply. (ozark_orange, do you agree?)

NFL rosters are due to be cut down to 75 on August 26th and 53 on August 30th. The next day, August 31st, the eight/ten-man practice squad can be set.

Come September, we may have two more in the orange and blue to cheer for.

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