The NFL pays well and, for the stresses — both physically and mentally — for all involved, it probably should. This pressure certainly doesn’t equal the peril of many jobs, but for the No. 1 sport in America, there is an urgency to succeed. For the ‘hazard pay’ they receive, coaches are beholden to team owners to produce winning seasons and players pretty much put their bodies through a car crash 25 to 50 times per game (and countless times during padded practices).
Washington Redskins head coach, Jay Gruden, has spoken about the pressures of his job, joking that he doesn’t get a lot of sleep during the season. But he says that when he does sleep, it’s in his office (as opposed to going home to his family). By the same token, he also frequently uses the word “fun” to describe his job so it’s clear that he loves being a coach in the NFL.
His players say they love and respect their coach as well so it’s no surprise that one of the pressures that weigh on him is the NFL’s deadline for cutting the training camp roster from up to 90 men, down to 53 (plus the practice squad).
This deadline is quickly approaching. Whereas reducing the roster used to be accomplished over a couple of different days, the roster must be reduced by 4 p.m. this Saturday (Sept. 1). Perhaps 37 men doesn’t seem like a lot. But, Gruden and his staff have been working hard with these players up to 12 hours a day for almost six months. Families are discussed, meals are shared and relationships are formed. There are issues on the practice field and in the meeting rooms, to be sure. Frustration between coaches and players is not unheard of, especially during the grueling days of training camp. But working day-in and day-out with hard-working guys; and then basically telling them their efforts weren’t good enough (on cut-down day), is difficult.
“Yeah, it’s hard. It’s always hard,” Gruden said about making the necessary roster cuts. “But I think a lot of them will put enough good on tape that they’ll get an opportunity somewhere and it could be with us later as we learned last year. We called back a lot of guys; not only practice squad guys, but like Arie Kouandjio is a great example. We had to let him go; then he went to Baltimore [Ravens] practice squad, we called him up on a Friday, and started for us on Sunday. You know, an opportunity lost here, they could get another one somewhere else, you know? You are upset for them, because of how much work they put in, and they are all such great kids and you want to see them do well. But we know the NFL and what it’s all about and every year this happens. But hopefully, they’ll bounce back and do well.”
This year, Gruden has a tougher-than-normal job ahead. He has more talent and depth on his roster than he’s had since he arrived in D.C. There are always guys in training camp that get a lot of attention and that there is pressure to keep them on the team. But there just isn’t enough room on the roster.
Wideouts Cam Sims and receiver Shay Fields, CBs Danny Johnson and Greg Stroman; and safeties Kenny Ladler and Fish Smithson are just a few of the guys that have proven they belong on an NFL roster. Fortunately, some waived players can be stashed on the practice squad, but the better ones will be snatched up by other teams once they’re released. How quickly this happens is a testament to how hard it will be to let them go.
No one likes NFL roster-cut-down day… not the fans, not the players and not the coaches.