The NFL changed the preseason schedule when they went from four games to three this offseason and they’ve now made other changes to summer operations as well.
According to multiple reports, the league’s owners have approved a new structure for roster cuts. Teams will be able to carry 90 players into camp with a cut to 85 players on August 17, a cut to 80 players on August 24, and a final set of cuts to a 53-man roster on August 31.
Those dates are the Tuesdays after each of the three preseason games.
The change moves the final cut further away from the start of the regular season. The deadline for those cuts has traditionally been the Saturday of Labor Day weekend, which is eight days before the first Sunday of the year.
The change means teams will now have 12 days before that Sunday and a bit more time to get players acquired in last-minute roster shuffling acclimated to their new surroundings.