Rosters Will Expand to 46, No Emergency QB Rule

Player vs. Owner squabbling is about as interesting to blog about as piles of old hair on the floor of a barbershop, but thankfully there are other CBA-related items a football fan can possibly get slightly excited about. Rules changes, for instance. Oh blessed rules changes.

Here’s one that could have implications for the Vikings this year: Henceforth, teams will be allowed 46-man active rosters, one up from 45. Also, the 3rd quarterback will no longer be an inactive “emergency” quarterback. So from now on the 3rd QB can be inserted in the game at any time without rendering the other QBs ineligible for the remainder of that game.

You can see right away how this might benefit the Vikings. Under the old rules, a guy like Joe Webb – our 3rd QB for much of last season – could only be used on an emergency basis. But under the new rules a guy like Webb can be carried on the roster like any other player and potentially used in special packages.

Of course in 2011 Webb could end up being the #2 quarterback, or maybe even the starter if things go really wrong. The point is, if a team has a talent like Webb, a guy who can play QB and do other things, it’s now easier for that team to keep that player active every week, and make more extensive use of their abilities.

It will be interesting to see how creative Bill Musgrave gets this season. In Webb and Percy Harvin he has a couple of potentially versatile players who could be lined up in multiple spots and create real issues for defensive coordinators.

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