We are receiving reports of some news as we are. . .again. . Just two days away from rookies, quarterbacks, and a few others reporting to Eagan for the start of camp for his Minnesota Vikings.
The first news comes from Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network, which solidifies the news that came out yesterday:
The NFLPA leadership told players in a conference call a few minutes ago that there will be zero preseason games this year, sources say. It’s not a surprise, given that the league offered that, but now everything but official, according to the union.
– Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) July 21, 2020
The league reportedly offered this option to players yesterday, and because that’s what the players wanted all along, it looks like they jumped on it. That means the next time we watch NFL football, the games will really count.
There is also some news about the size of the list, according to Ian Rapoport:
In a call with players today, the NFLPA leadership said the roster size is expected to be 80 to start camp, the source said. It is not a surprise, the GMs are working on this assumption.
– Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 21, 2020
That’s not a huge I agree if the GMs are already working on that assumption. That doesHowever, throw some cold water in a possible Everson Griffen meeting with the Vikings (or a Dre Kirkpatrick / Mike Zimmer meeting, about which there has been a bit of buzz).
The Vikings currently have 87 players on their roster, including their 15 draft picks. That means that between now and the start of camp, seven of those guys are going to get their walking papers. As we talked about yesterday, the guys most likely to get hit will be some of the undrafted free agents the Vikings signed after the draft. Less camping time and no preseason play means teams will want players ready for Week 1, and a veteran simply gives the team a better chance of that than a rookie, particularly those the team didn’t use capital draft in. .
Also, as ESPN’s Courtney Cronin points out, the league is still considering expanding practice squads from 12 to 16 players. However, nothing has yet been finalized in this regard.
We are following all these developments, as always, and will bring you more news as soon as they arrive.
