There was a time when cutdown day was the most feared moment in a National Football League player’s career.
Before 2004, if a player didn’t make a team’s active roster and was waived, he had to hope another club would sign him and cut somebody else.
But, 17 years ago, the NFL added a 10-player practice squad geared to helping franchises retain young players who showed promise, but weren’t quite ready for the active roster.
Then, before Covid-19 disrupted the current season, the league and Players Association agreed to extend the practice squad to 12 and stipulated that two practice squad players could be added to the active roster each week, effectively making it 55.
In addition, in a concession to coronavirus concerns, this season practice squads can number 16 players and up to six of them can be veterans who normally wouldn’t be eligible. Teams can also protect four practice-squad players each week, meaning they can’t be poached by another franchise.
AND THAT brings us to this afternoon’s less-than-intimidating 4 o’clock roster cutdown to 53.
Due to Covid-19, the NFL dropped the normal 90-player training camp limit to 80. That means teams are waiving only 27 players and 16 of those would be eligible for the practice squad.
How does that affect the Bills?
After Friday’s moves, Buffalo’s roster stands at 78 with fullback Pat DiMarco being placed in injured reserve and linebackers Vosean Joseph and Corey Thompson getting waived, though likely candidates for the practice squad.
Offensive guard Jon Feliciano (torn pectoral muscle) seems destined for the Physically Unable To Perform (PUP) list and will miss at least the first six weeks of the season while tight end Tommy Sweeney, who was on that list, was activated yesterday.
And, some of today’s cuts are easy.
Buffalo has four quarterbacks – Josh Allen, Matt Barkley, Jake Fromm and Davis Webb – and the decision is between the latter two. Fromm, a fifth-round draft pick, would likely be picked up by another team if he was waived. Thus, Webb would figure to be cut then added to the practice squad.
Four Bills’ running backs are locked – Devin Singletary, Zack Moss, T.J. Yeldon and Taiwan Jones – and another, Christian Wade, has been nursing an injury, and the former rugby player from England already has a mandated spot on the practice.
Antonio Williams, who was re-signed Thursday, looms as the fifth running back on the active roster with DiMarco on IR.
Buffalo, with starters Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde plus backups Jaquan Johnson and Dean Marlowe, has one of the NFL’s top safety units, leaving Josh Thomas the odd man out.
THEN THINGS get tougher.
Five wide receiver spots are set: Stefon Diggs, John Brown, Cole Beasley, Gabriel Davis and return specialist Andre Roberts.
That leaves veterans Isaiah McKenzie, Duke Williams and Robert Foster plus sixth-round draft choice Isaiah Hodgins competing for probably one spot. It’s unlikely the Bills would risk losing Hodgins, if he was waived, and any or all of the other three could either be traded or wind up on the practice squad given this year’s new rules.
Buffalo’s three tight ends will be Dawson Knox, Tyler Kroft and Lee Smith with Jason Croom, Nate Becker and rookie former fullback Reggie Gilliam bidding for spots on the practice unit.
The Bills have 14 offensive linemen and figure to keep eight or nine, but after starters
Dion Dawkins, Quinton Spain, Mitch Morse, Cody Ford and Ty Nsekhe, with Feliciano out, who among Daryl Williams, Ryan Bates, Evan Boehm, Brian Winters, Trey Adams and Ike Boettger make the active or practice rosters?
Buffalo also has 14 defensive linemen and will likely keep nine or 10 – tackles Ed Oliver, Harrison Phillips, Vernon Butler and Vincent Taylor and ends Jerry Hughes, Mario Addison, A.J. Epenesa, Quinton Jefferson and Darryl Johnson Jr. are safe – with Justin Zimmer, Tanzel Smart, Mike Love and Bryan Cox Jr. probably not surviving the cut. There’s also a question whether end Trent Murphy will be retained given the potential salary cap savings.
The question is whether Buffalo will try to go with only five linebackers, starters Tremaine Edmunds, Matt Milano and free agent A.J. Klein plus special teams star Tyler Matakevich and trade acquisition Andre Smith. With Joseph and Thompson waived, Tyrel Dodson and Del’Shawn Phillips are the remaining reserves..
Five of Buffalo’s cornerbacks are set – Tre’Davious White, Levi Wallace, Josh Norman, Taron Johnson are Siran Neal – though Norman’s hamstring issue bears watching. That leaves Dane Jackson, Cam Lewis and Brian Allen seemingly bidding for one spot.
Finally, the Bills addressed their special teams last week with the waiving of veteran place-kicker Stephen Hauschka and punter Lachlan Edwards leaving the trio of rookie kicker Tyler Bass, punter Corey Bojorquez and long-snapper Reid Ferguson to man those positions.
(Chuck Pollock, a Bradford Publishing senior sports columnist, can be reached at cpollock@oleantimesherald.com)
