Sure, they pretty much know who their starters will be even before the preseason.
But they need to know how the backup guys, draft picks and undrafted free agents look in real games, too, before the real season starts in September.
Now there's word the NFL finally realizes fan anger over preseason ticket prices is reaching the breaking point.
The league is even considering cutting back the preseason schedule by one or two games, which would be a great move. Two preseason games is plenty of time for coaches to discern who they've got.
Unfortunately, the NFL is also considering adding a game or two to the regular season, which would be another act of insanity.
Think there are already too many injuries in the NFL?
Wait until you see what happens when they make the season longer. Players will be dropping like extras in a George Romero movie.
Look, it's a violent game. Players are big and fast. And when big, fast players collide with each other, some get hurt.
Adding two games to the schedule just increases the odds of a player getting banged up and maybe having his season end.
Besides, they would have to pay the players a ton of extra money to get them to agree to a 17- or 18-game regular schedule anyway.
No, if the NFL wants to make the players and fans happy, here's what it should do:
* Cut out a couple of these meaningless preseason games.
* Trim preseason ticket prices in half. (I know, I know, like that'll ever happen.)
* And leave the regular season at 16 games so we're not watching a steady parade of star players being carted off the field on stretchers.
That's something no one would want to see.
Listen to Kevin Cowherd on Tuesdays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. with Jerry Coleman on Fox 1370 AM.
