NFL teams have until Saturday at 4 p.m. ET to reduce their roster to 53 players, meaning about 700 men will lose jobs over the next day.
Many general managers and coaches will have tough decisions to make, cutting quality players because there's too much depth at certain positions. In many instances, it becomes a numbers game. Teams can't keep six running backs, even if number five and six are clearly worthy of an NFL roster spot.
Some teams have the opposite problem: weak rosters riddled with holes. These teams generally spend the next week picking through others' discards for slight upgrades.
Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell has spent his entire tenure in this latter group. The Jags cupboard was essentially bare when he took over. After years of painfully slow growth, Caldwell finally has stockpiled an impressive amount of talent.
Now the GM has some tough decisions to make.
"Usually at this time of the year, we are looking for players from other teams, like these last couple of years," Caldwell said during the television broadcast of Thursday's preseason tilt, via ESPN. "This is a situation where we are going to cut some players who are going to go out and play for someone else."
We went over the Jags' roster in our AFC South preview, noting the impressive upgrades on defense and insane weaponry on offense. The Jags have the talent to take a giant leap out of the NFL's cellar. First, Caldwell has some difficult calls to make.
