PFT- Talks spreads of Increasing Roster sizes

[Kentucky Jet]

TALK SPREADS OF INCREASING ROSTER SIZES

Due to a spike in player injuries, a league source tells us that there is growing talk in league circles of increasing team rosters by as many as five players.

Per the source, the numbers being thrown around are 57 and 58. The current roster size is 53.

There's also talk about pumping up the game-day roster from 45. This would reduce situations in which, for example, a backup offensive lineman who is activated because a starting offensive lineman is out with an injury has to take a position on the kickoff team because there wasn't an active roster spot for one of the guys who usually performs those duties.

The presence of additional players, however, would create issues with the salary cap. Teams would either have to find a way to pay all of them with the currently available allotment, or the per-team limit would have to be increased.

But increasing the salary cap would mean increasing the percentage of "Total Football Revenue" that the players of all teams share. Working with the cap as currently formulated would result in less available cash for the players to share.

The bottom line, then, is that it's unlikely that any changes in roster sizes would be made beyond the confines of formal renegotiation of the entire Collective Bargaining Agreement, which currently is due to expire after the 2011 season.