Final Cutdown Day

It's here. The annual NFL take-out-the trash day followed by a frienzied dumpster-diving to fill out practice squads. ("I didn't really mean to throw that awa....heeeyyyy, can you believe Kansas City's getting rid of this?")

The grand adventure begins after teams' final preseason games. A thirty-two hand poker game breaks out as clubs try to trade their surplus talent rather than giving it away via roster cuts. Buyers do some serious tire kicking before a few crap-for-crap or draft pick transactions go down. Any time a seventh round pick is involved, the buyer is essentially saying, "if we could give you less, we would," while player-for-player trades offer false hope ("can you believe we got someone for TONY MOLL?") followed by modest-to-significant disappointment with the new personnel.

Most teams end up trolling the waiver wire. Talent-rich teams cross their fingers that the players earmarked for the practice squad slip through while needy and injury-riddled teams line up at the buffet table. Over six hundred players will be cut by 5:00 p.m. EDT Sept 4. A lot of talent is available for a low investment, but, informercial-style, is only available for a short time as teams begin signing players to the practice squad on September 5. Teams can still poach players from other teams practice squads during the regular season, but that player must stay on the claiming team's 53 man roster for the entire season. No such restriction exists for cutdown players.

As for the Packers: Contrary to published reports by professional sports writers, I don't see the Pack going with three fullbacks again this year and expect Kregg Lumpkin to stick. With Spencer Havner and the other backup tight ends on the roster, why keep Quinn Johnson? Johnson's a road-grader but doesn't do much else or play special teams. Use a tight end as the extra fullback and at least have a receiving threat out of the backfield. Still not a Sam Shields fan, but it looks like he'll be on the roster, as will Frank Zombo. I'm going with Masthay in the punter derby.

Spencer Havner sidebar: Havner's versatility and on-field trifecta (offense, defense, special teams) triggered a memory of some cheeky mid-90's Chicago sports radio personalities who dubbed Bears running back Raymont Harris the "ultraback" for reasons that still elude me. Yes, Harris did have a thousand yard rushing season in 1997 and could catch the ball out of the backfield reasonably well, but unless he contributed in a way that doesn't show in the stat sheet (grounds crew, assistant trainer) "ultraback" is a waste of a great nickname on a pedestrian player. There is an appropriate name for Harris' abilities and accomplishments: Professional NFL Running Back.

And now I have to come up with something else for Havner.