[NFL] Practice Squad

Rocket River · 09-06-2010, 11:15 PM

Not bad money if you can get it

Rocket River

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shu...urn=nfl-267513

Here's an interesting job description.

WANTED: Oversized, freakishly athletic (and currently unemployed) football players looking to make new friends and help NFL franchises at the developmental level. Must be willing to sublimate your ego for the good of the group, wear silly mesh pullovers, and pretend to be opposing players a lot of the time. Chances of Sunday afternoon facetime: minimal. Chances of getting lost in the shuffle: decent. Pay is quite good -- and as they said in "Bull Durham", it beats selling Lady Kenmores.

Does this sound like a gig for you? Then you, my recently cut-by-an-NFL-team friend, are ready to become part of an NFL practice squad. The league has been putting together their practice squads Sunday after final cuts came Saturday evening, and each team will sign eight free agents to theirs. Practice squad players will make a minimum of $5,200 per week as long as on they're on an NFL roster, and they can be signed by another team if that team intends to move them to the active roster. While on the practice squad, a player will take place in all weekly activities (practice, film, meals, training, etc,), but are not allowed to play in games.

sbyang · 09-06-2010, 11:18 PM

A few P squad guys get paid the minimum nfl salary so they won't sign with another team.

Ziggy · 09-06-2010, 11:20 PM

Saw this in that post. Never seen it before...

RV6 · 09-06-2010, 11:48 PM

i read something similar to this, but it was about the dallas cowboys specifically

....i wonder if anyone grows up trying to be just this. It's really a sweet job. I don't remember the weeks included, but i think you can make anywhere from jus tunder 100 k to almost a quarter of a million, get meals and then there's the stipends, which i think are daily. You've got the money, tons of time off, but without the pressure the active players deal with.

Jontro · 09-07-2010, 12:12 AM

What about the chances of injury? I assume they could cut you in the event of a season ending injury.

RV6 · 09-07-2010, 12:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jontro

What about the chances of injury? I assume they could cut you in the event of a season ending injury.

I think so...but you also don't really have to go all out as much as a regular player and they may hold back towards you as well. You may get more rest too, so i'd say the odds are in their favor.

I also think i read that if you get called up, even for one game, you automatically get a minimum deal, or something like that.

I always wondered why NBDL players get so little, at least compared to something like this. It's a similar situation and they only get about 40 K, yet they're closer to real NBA action than these guys are to NFL action.

giddyup · 09-07-2010, 02:33 AM

I think it's just a two year job. Eligibility expires.

peleincubus · 09-07-2010, 03:44 AM

i would do it in a second. you know if i wasnt 6' ft tall and 160lbs.

rrj_gamz · 09-07-2010, 08:07 AM

pretty sweet deal...yes, downside of being injured and being a scrub are high, but if you love the game, you'll do just about anything to follow your dream...

DieHard Rocket · 09-07-2010, 09:49 AM

Maximum is three years of practice squad eligibility, IIRC. Then you either have to make a roster or find another line of work. Tim Bulman of the Texans made the team after three years of practice squad.

And it's really not that sweet of a deal unless you are pretty highly touted and they are just sticking you on PS to free up roster space. If you watch closely, the turnover on PS is quite rampant ... meaning there is no job security. *Maybe* 3 or 4 guys will actually stay on all season, and one lucky one might get signed to an injury riddled roster. The rest is just the team filling practice needs as injuries come up during the season.

ferrari77 · 09-07-2010, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DieHard Rocket

Maximum is three years of practice squad eligibility, IIRC. Then you either have to make a roster or find another line of work. Tim Bulman of the Texans made the team after three years of practice squad.

And it's really not that sweet of a deal unless you are pretty highly touted and they are just sticking you on PS to free up roster space. If you watch closely, the turnover on PS is quite rampant ... meaning there is no job security. *Maybe* 3 or 4 guys will actually stay on all season, and one lucky one might get signed to an injury riddled roster. The rest is just the team filling practice needs as injuries come up during the season.

Gotta disagree with you there man. It beats a 9-5 anyday imho.

macalu · 09-07-2010, 10:13 AM

assuming you stay all 16 weeks, that's $83,200.

i'll take that for 4 months a year.

T-Slack · 09-07-2010, 10:33 AM

With what we know now, I can't believe no one took Adrian Foster off our practice squad last year, granted he was injured, but I just read that the Saints and some other team wanted to sign him when he was a undrafted free agent. We got lucky.

DieHard Rocket · 09-07-2010, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ferrari77

Gotta disagree with you there man. It beats a 9-5 anyday imho.

Yeah, if you stick and make the $80k. But half the guys on PS don't last half the season before being let go for someone else. $40k for a couple of months is nice, but it's not like you can do this long term.

It's definitely worth it to see if you'll get a shot at making a roster, but it's not like you can make a career out of it.