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Cutting down to 60 for preseason means making some decisions that matter:
At RB/FB, only two jobs are safe: starter Banks, and leader Roberts. Roberts is theoretically good enough to get some carries, but ideally he's just a spot duty guy in a no-injury league. 3rd year Les O'Dwyer is a shifty special teamer, but lacks the blitz protection to really be a major 3rd down back. Undrafted rookies Earl Blackburn and Van Aldridge are likely to be getting the main looks for the RB2 role. Minsal TE Duane Reed could slide into a FB role if we're unhappy with the RB group. I think Blackburn could get a preseason bump and win this thing. Nobody's getting cut right away.
At TE, Doss is the starter, and Brenden Houston is the ballgagged affinity gimp. Myles Henson is locked in as the TE2 with his maxed-out GD rating. That leaves Reid on the fence, but unlikely to stay any longer than preseason. Ondre gets cut here, he's too catching-only.
WR Larry Woodworth is cut, no longer an affinity after our leadership switch. FA Everett Buel steps into that role for now, and we hope that rookie Kirk Jacobs will hold it for the long term (though I'm now skeptical). Stallings will take the main SE role over Vukmir, but both will play a lot. Decent-at-everything Dusty Tatum is in the twilight zone, without a real role defined for him. 2nd year Cesar Jeffries has a 99 personality, but won't make it here to connect, he's out.
OL: Have 8 guys, plan to carry only 7. Rookie T McDonald looks like spare parts, plus only had a 5 personality, so he can't be a long term asset for us I don't think. Hate cutting a 3rd rounder, but... it could happen. Neither he nor the other rookie (undrafted G Benson) will get starts for an affinity this year - we might even explore signing someone who would connect right away.
LB: Biggest news is that S Cesar Howe bulks up to move up to WLB. He won't be a difference maker on the field, but we needed him for chem leadership. With that move, I have new signing CB/S Jon Hammond drift back to free safety, and he'll anchor our chemistry there. I do some trimming to get to 11 LB - we'll be watching rookie LB Robert Lester as the most promising of the young lot, which clearly needs more pruning still. Our last 7 cuts will likely include 3 more LB.
I cut down to 60, and know that we have to do another tier. This team always has about 58 guys I'd really like to keep, it gets painful. Sunk costs always play a role, too -- I've been carrying a reserve S thinking he'd one day get his chance, but now I realize he won't, and I cut him here. Should have cut him two years ago and at least booked an affinity for the last two seasons.
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