New Orleans Saints Must Cut Over 20 Players Today
Today is the day that NFL teams have to have their rosters cut down to 53 players. That's not a new number, and all of the teams knew they were going to have to get there, but franchises are still having some issues adjusting to it. But why?
This is only the second season where the NFL Preseason is just three games long, instead of the four game Preseason many are used to. So General Managers, coaches, and players are all still adjusting to where roster cuts should fall, and how many should be cut when.
For example, during a four game Preseason, you can cut multiple times between games, so you trim your roster slowly over a month. But with many teams filling out their Preseason week 3 rosters with mostly "bubble" players, while sitting starters, they now have to make way more cuts than in previous years.
The New Orleans Saints find themselves in that situation today. While players like rookie wide receiver Chris Olave are safe from cuts, the team is carrying so many wide receivers, they may have to cut as many as 5 today.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Saints have a lot of high quality players on the top-line of the depth chart. But they've also added plenty of depth in the offseason, which is normally a good thing, except on roster cut day.
The defensive backfield has double-digit players on the current depth chart, which means a lot of players will have to be cut from the safety and cornerback positions. Which are normally points of concern for teams during the season. So the players the Saints cut will probably find a new home quickly. Names like Daniel Sorensen and J.T. Gray may end up getting cut today.
With 74 players on the Saints roster this morning, they will have to cut 21 players to get down to 53 players by today’s 3PM central deadline. But that won't mean they're done at 3PM.
Other teams are in the same boat as the Saints, meaning a lot of players will be released today. With injuries along the Saints offensive line, some additional space may need to be created on the roster to bring someone else in.
With so much uncertainty surrounding the Saints depth chart this morning, this could be a really disappointing day for some, and a really exciting day for others.