I seem to be missing something basic to this proposal so please fill me in where I'm wrong. As I understand it, the "taxi squad" proposal is really about protecting uncarded or low value players with potential for the future. As such, it is an expansion of the current Injured Reserve rule. Strictly speaking, it is not an actual "taxi squad" as the term has been used in the NFL to indicate a reserve pool of players available to be called up to the active roster in the event of injury. As proposed, this is more of a six player savings account to be cashed in during the future if and when these stashed players become viable.
A couple of questions: In what way is the current Injury Reserve clause inadequate to deal with this issue? Is there any reason why a team can't already keep a "taxi squad" eligible player on the roster while still incurring a salary hit? Shouldn't there be some risk associated with the potential reward?
As to the in-season availability of a "taxi squad" as typically defined, rule 8.4 (In Season Free Agent Waiver Claim Period) more than adequately covers that making this proposal simply about whether we want teams to be allowed to protect an additional six players with future potential. If that is correct, then I have a problem. I think it is essential for competitive and owner retention reasons that we keep the Free Agent Draft Pool as big as possible. Let's say we do adopt this rule and a third of the players given the taxi squad designation turn out to be worth signing. That is 72 players who are now unavailable in the Free Agent Draft. I understand that the proposal wants to reward coaches who have made lucky or savvy decisions in assembling their teams and recognizes that some players take longer to develop and mature than our current system allows. That idea has some merit but I don't think it outweighs my concern about keeping as many players in the Free Agent pool as possible which benefits not an individual team but the league as a whole.
One last note on the proposed idea of increasing roster size. Commissioner Mark is right to point out the difference between the NFL and the KRFL, namely that going in to the season we know exactly how much we can expect out of a player in terms of injury whereas the NFL hasn't a clue. With the current minimum stat requirements and the Free Agent "taxi squad" making hundreds of subs available to call up there is no need to expand the roster or address the concomitant salary cap issues that would require. I'm in favor of one more year of COVID compelled 55 but want to reduce to 53 next season.
allow any player to be placed on a taxi squad; but make it like the NFL where a team could sign a player off another team's taxi squad; this would prevent stashing....
I think a distinction between IR and taxi squad must be defined and maintained....
"In what way is the current Injury Reserve clause inadequate to deal with this issue?"
Currently, any player that did not play in the NFL can be put on the injured reserve. It does not address players like Jeff Okudah. He was a high draft pick for me. He played 1 game last season. His durability is a 1. He is basically useless for me on the field. I really like him and want to keep him. However, keeping him hurts my ability to be competitive this season.
"Is there any reason why a team can't already keep a "taxi squad" eligible player on the roster while still incurring a salary hit?"
Under my proposal, Okudah could go on the taxi squad and I would still pay his salary.
I would disagree with the idea that teams coud claim someone from my taxi squad. That really goes against what I am trying to propose here. I would not be able to keep Okudah on the taxi squad if he were claimable.
Also if we did draft or designate roster players for taxi what ever that number is, you could only keep one on the actual roster the following year. The others would be put back into the FA draft.
Why not simply amend the Injured Reserve rule? (Change in underlined BOLD) As long as they are being paid, I have no problem with a team keeping as many such players as they want.
4.7 –Injured Reserve. KRFL will allow returning players to be retained by their KRFL team on an injured reserve (IR) squad if they are “uncarded” OR HAVE A DURABILITY OF 1 in the DKSports APCFB game. A returning player is defined as a player whose rights are still owned by the team FOR THE NEXT SEASON. Declarations of Injured Reserve Players must be done at the annual Roster Cut Down Deadline before the annual player drafts or other deadlines set by the Commissioner. Injured Reserve players will count against the salary cap but will not count against the team's 55-man active roster. Injured reserve players cannot be traded or cut.
I feel the proposals to modify the injured reserve rule and create a practice squad/development roster are better for the league than this proposal and therefore cannot support it. Never mind the issue of how it is determined which players are on this taxi squad from game to game.
Can someone enlighten me with the background of the "uncarded" provision? I have always assumed that Uncarded players are established players who miss an entire season due to injury. If a coach wants this player back even though they won't play, he pays the contracted salary and tucks the player away on IR. This season's example would be DeShaun Watson, who should be uncarded this year, right??
