In Atlanta, the NFL owners are meeting and have made a move to change a couple of rules. Aside from the new requirement a season from now that obligates all players to wear thigh pads and knee pads, there are two changes that have been approved that actually affect teams and players.
The trade deadline, previously after Week 6, now is pushed back to after Week 8.
The other allows teams to bring back one player from injured reserve after Week 8 and back to practice after Week 6.
Both of these rules make a lot of sense.
Both in the NBA and MLB, the trade deadlines come after the midpoint in the season. As a result, the trade deadline is a big deal because teams generally know whether they are in contention or not. Pushing back the deadline for football might actually create a buzz for the deadline. During the season it is rare for teams to make a trade. A team that has a player go down with an injury can have a couple of extra weeks to see if there is anyone they can acquire via trade, rather than scouring over the players no one wanted.
The IR rule is also a positive thing. Players end up taking roster space when not quite injured enough to send him to IR, although he can't play. This will provide teams with little more flexibility in the case that a key player goes down for an extended period of time during the season.
Are these rules good changes to the league? Let us know.
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