The NFL and the NFLPA have agreed. There will be n preseason games this summer.
That is both good news and bad news at the same time. In recent years, the preseason has been loathed by everyone from coaches and players to fans and gamblers. The four-game ramp-up suddenly became an exercise of both caution and recklessness with the three of the four games being used to whittle down the roster while one game – usually Week 3 – was played as a dress rehearsal for the regular season.
But in this age of the coronavirus, necessity has become the mother of invention. Americans are figuring out how to get what they need done within the restrictions handed down by their respective municipalities. The NFL is no different. The preseason is 75% meaningless to 90% of its participants, so why risk playing it.
The website Rotowire made some excellent points in regards to what will be lost and what will be gained by bypassing the preseason:
“This is a gigantic step towards having the season start on time. The NFL has slowly inched towards the NFLPA’s side of this argument, initially requesting two preseason games, then down to one and now agreeing to none. This will allow for a longer acclimation and strength and conditioning period for players once arriving at team facilities, as teams can now take their time to practice rather than prepare for games. Still, you have to feel for fringe NFL talents who simply won’t have the opportunity to put their game on tape for other teams to see in the hopes of maximizing their opportunities. Think of names like Victor Cruz, or even recently Raheem Mostert, as players who have greatly benefited from preseason action.”
That’s good news for the New York Giants’ ten draft choices and veterans on the bubble. They can’t play their way off the roster with horrible preseason performances. They will also benefit because they’re unlikely to sustain an injury since there is no game action.
For undrafted free agents and walk-ons, their chances of making the 53-man roster just became very limited. This of it as an unknown actor landing a role in a major motion picture without an audition or screen test. The odds are long.