[MIJB#19]

General Manager Notes: Early Pre-season cuts
Going into training camp 66 players deep, it was unavoidable to release at least 6 players - bar trades - to get to the pre-season limit of 60. We got there by letting 6 players know their stint in Maassluis as short or long as it was, has come to an end. Although some might think a second or third chance is still an option.

DT Francisco Blades was by far the biggest name on the list. A 6th round pick in 2111, made it to our special teams unit in his rookie season, then spent 2 seasons waiting in the wing to, finally, making it to the active front four group in his fourth season on team. A run stopper with play diagnosis and pass rush strength, a suitable player on any d-line. But no longer on ours, after we spent 1st round picks in 2119 and 2120 on DT Neil Burton and DR Floyd Dillon, in between signed veteran DT Rodney Gagliardi and right after we picked Burton, we picked up undrafted rookie Jeremiah Cortez, who turned out to be a pretty similar player to Burton and Blades. And that's where it became a problem, too much of the same. Cortez sat out most of 2120, but now it will be his time to run havoc on opposing offensive guards and centers. Blades played in 123 regular season games and 6 playoffs games spread over those 10 seasons.

TE Jackson Henselman played in week 17 and the playoffs games last season as an undrafted rookie promoted from inactive fourth stringer to a TE2 role. He played it admirably well, scoring a touchdown in his first game in the IHOF, but the arrival of TE Perry Bussey and TE Sedrick Hill made it hard to stick with Henselman.

RB Corey Ward was our bubble boy for the 2120 regualr season roster, but this time around, there was too much competition in the backfield. Still lacking endurance, we just can't afford to keep a roster spot for him, knowing he's a 10-carries-at-best-back. A bummer, his hole recognition and breakaway speed are a nice combo.

RB Claude May got cut as well from a crowded backfield in training camp. Despite his breakaway speed and elusiveness, a tiny bit making us remind him of blast from the past RB Donald Terry (lead the league in rushing in 2039 when he carried the team to the IHOF Bowl), but those were different times.

DE Gage Bensen was a post training camp casualty for the second straight season. This time he lost the roster spot battle to DE B.J. Shellhaas, a better run defender and a clear upgrade to our special teams unit. Last season he lost to the earlier mentioned run stopping defensive tackles.

CB Bert Hinson misses out primarily due to his lack of interceptions making. We liked his other skills, as you can imagine from the profile I sketched the other day, but we just have enough defensive backs already.

The release of DT Francisco Blades was also a cap friendly move, putting us at almost $42M under the salary cap. Which we'll likely end up spending for the most part on QB Renaldo Wilson anyway, providing pre-season will be good to him. Fingers crossed, we'll find out soon...