Wellness

[gardenman]

On 11/12/2014 teganslaw said:

The Colts recently had Josh Cribbs work out for them. He hasn't been signed, but there is speculation as to what it's about. Grigson has been looking to upgrade ball returners, and Cribbs has a record of being one of the best punt returners. The thing is, he was just getting over an injury and I can't overlook the fact that he was cut by the Raiders. If the Raiders don't want him, there must be a reason. Maybe he's past his prime. But apparently, he did have a good workout with the Colts.

I'm wondering who would be waived, if they decide to sign Cribbs. I'm not sure what to think yet. I'll have to see if he's signed and how the Colts would work the roster to fit him in. It could be a good signing, if it happens, but have to see what happens to some other players.

At this time of year most teams have a few guys with injuries who can be put on IR to clear up a roster space. You'll see that done a lot over the next few weeks. Guys with a bad hamstring who would have been kept active earlier in the season will end up on IR now. That lets the team bring in immediate help they can audition for next year without losing the guys they have. Guys who have a four to six week injury will end up on the IR now, and putting them on IR frees up their roster space, but the team keeps all of their rights. Practice squad guys really start moving around towards the end of the season. Smart teams will play all kinds of roster tricks over the last month and a half of the season to try and find good talented players to fill out the roster for next year.

A few years ago the Eagles grabbed ten or twelve practice squad guys from other rosters by putting guys with relatively minor injuries on IR. It gave the coaches a few weeks of time to get to know the new guys and see if they can play. If you're heading for the playoffs, you won't do this, but at that time we weren't heading to the playoffs and needed some more talent. Really bad teams like the Raiders are likely to be doing this on a massive scale as the season winds down. If a player shows up with a hangnail they're apt to put the guy on IR so they can bring in someone new to take a look at.