Cutting down to the final 53-man rosters is a tough day for players and coaches. Over 700 NFL players lost jobs Saturday and the coaches are the ones who have to tell them their dream is dead -- at least for now.
But as the cuts poured in Saturday, there were several noticeable trends, with one of the biggest being more and more teams opting to keep two quarterbacks.
The New York Giants, New Orleans Saints and Washington Redskins cut their third quarterbacks Saturday, leaving them with two each.
The Giants parted ways with Andre Woodson and Rhett Bomar, which means Eli Manning and David Carr are their two quarterbacks.
The New Orleans Saints opted to get rid of Joey Harrington and keep just Drew Brees and 39-year-old Mark Brunell.
In Washington, the Redskins put Colt Brennan on the injured-reserve list with a leg injury while cutting rookie Chase Daniel. That leaves Jason Campbell and Todd Collins as the quarterbacks.
The other team with just two quarterbacks is the New England Patriots (Tom Brady and Brian Hoyer).
Look for the Redskins to sign Daniel to their practice squad and the Giants will likely do the same with one of theirs.
Here are a couple of other noticeable trends:
Teams are now more apt to admit draft mistakes.
The Denver Broncos cut 2007 second-round pick Tim Crowder, a defensive end from Texas who never worked out.
The Arizona Cardinals cut tight end Leonard Pope, who was a third-round pick in 2006. The Pittsburgh Steelers cut 2008 third-round pick Bruce Davis and the Indianapolis Colts cut 2007 third-round pick Dante Hughes. Marcus McCauley, a third-round pick in 2007, was waived by the Minnesota Vikings.
The Eagles waived 2008 third-round pick Bryan Smith, a defensive end/outside linebacker.
In the past, teams would hold onto these picks in hopes they could develop and also with an eye on reputation.
Bad draft picks don't look good.
But admitting mistakes is the quickest way to get over them.
This is a smart trend.
Few big names.
This cut to 53 used to feature big-name players. This year, there weren't many.
Why?
Teams do a much better job of managing their rosters leading into the seasons. A lot of big-name players who might have been axed on the cut to 53 are already long gone.
That's why players like Marvin Harrison and Matt Jones and Jerry Porter are still out there looking for work.
The NFL front offices are much smarter at doing their jobs now. They don't wait. They get rid of name veterans early enough in the offseason to show they're ready to move on.
One of the big names let go was Seattle safety Brian Russell, who started for the past two seasons. His problem? He can't run. Safeties have to be able to cover in this NFL.
Cut-day notes
• The Green Bay Packers released quarterback Brian Brohm. Was I ever wrong about him? I thought he would be a star. What happened? His decision-making was lacking. In the NFL, that's a way to get run out of the league. Wonder if he's picked up?
• The Seahawks have added veteran safety Lawyer Milloy. He is reunited with coach Jim Mora, who had him in Atlanta when he was coach of the Falcons. Memo to Seahawks: Milloy can't run either. Why do you think the Falcons let him walk?
• Shouldn't be a shock that the Falcons released D.J. Shockley and kept John Parker Wilson, the rookie from Alabama. The Falcons staff loved the way Wilson picked up the offense. He knows where to go with the football.
• Dominic Rhodes getting cut in Buffalo in favor of Xaiver Omon might seem like a surprise, but it isn't. You go with youth and Rhodes is slowing down.
• The Giants had no choice but to cut David Tyree, Super Bowl hero or not. He wasn't as good as the players they kept. It was that simple. Plus, he's been bothered by injuries since his amazing catch in the Super Bowl victory over New England. There is no sentiment in the NFL. Always remember that. He'll get picked up. Maybe Baltimore?
• The Saints releasing veteran defensive end Paul Spicer shouldn't be a surprise. The 10-year veteran looked slow during camp and Anthony Hargove clearly outplayed him.
