Cutting down the rosters.

[Craztel]

After watching a couple of Pre Season games tonight, I think one of the hardest jobs as an NFL coach, would be "Roster Cuts".... I know that there is only room for a specific number of players, but it would be tough to weed some of them out. I saw some second and third stringers, that are fighting hard for a job, that looked better then some of the first string players. It was mostly on Defense, but they were great plays....

[kelkat]

Unfortunately, some of these great players may not get the chance to show there stuff because some the "named" players bring in more people. It's a sad reality of an income driven "sport".

[Dr.Funk]

I think the hardest part would be to cut that guy who is on his last stand in making it in the big time.

[CTNelson]

Anybody remember that series on HBO about the Dallas Cowboys training camp. The coach was Dave Campo and it went in to all the ups and downs of these fringe players who are constantly on the edge of getting cut. Very interesting series and shed some light on the human side of a news blurb about who got cut and who made the team.

I found the old website for the show, it was called Hard Knocks:
http://www.hbo.com/hardknocks/

[Craztel]

I would have liked to see that show, to see what actually happens to the players. It may have given some insight, into the factors that may get a player Cut, or Kept.....

[kelkat]

My guess is that even a show about one team wouldn't tell you what manages to keep a player in. Each coach is going to have different reasons for cutting or keeping and they are going to see different things in each person each year.

[CTNelson]

Originally Posted by Craztel

I would have liked to see that show, to see what actually happens to the players. It may have given some insight, into the factors that may get a player Cut, or Kept.....

It was really good stuff. They would follow the fringe players so that you would really get to know them then they would show them during practice then they would show the discussions that went on during the coaches meetings about who to keep and why.

Originally Posted by kelkat

My guess is that even a show about one team wouldn't tell you what manages to keep a player in. Each coach is going to have different reasons for cutting or keeping and they are going to see different things in each person each year.

You are correct about this as even on the show coaches on the same team had varying opinions on players and usually the final decision was made by the head coach after hearing everybody's input.

It was really a great show, I wish it was still on.

[inSTAALed]

Why don't you contact HBO and ask them politely to make a new one

I'm sure there would be support.

[CTNelson]

Originally Posted by inSTAALed

Why don't you contact HBO and ask them politely to make a new one

I'm sure there would be support.

Actually it appears it got morphed into a similar program called Inside Training Camp which is or was (not sure if it is still on) shown on NFL Network.
http://www.nfl.com/nflnetwork/insidetrainingcamp
In 2004 it was apparently the Jaguars training camp that was the focus:
http://www.nfl.com/nflnetwork/trainingcamp/

Haven't seen this new show so I can't say if it is as good as the HBO Hard Knocks series.

[Buck It]

It sucks on every level. In the Pros, guys will actually hide when they think they're gonna be cut. They won't answer their dorm door, so their cut notice gets slipped under the door. Some guys get pissed, some break down and cry. It's my least favorite part of the gig.