Preseason Blog: Wrapping Up the Preseason and Overall Winner
Looking at final destinations, both for players and the preseason. Also, who won this year’s camp?
NFL training camps and preseason games are officially over and teams have faced the dreaded 53-man roster deadline of September 2.
The weeks leading up to the start of the regular season often go unappreciated and ignored by many, yet, in reality, many questions and concerns are answered here.
Today concludes a four-week series that will address some notable topics of the preseason ranging from position battles to trades and everything in between.
This week’s segment will focus on the results of training camp, the impact of injuries, notable cuts, and my overall winner heading into the regular season.
The preseason is officially over and for avid football fans, there was no shortage of excitement. From trades to injuries to shocking releases, preseason ball set a nice stage for the official return to the gridiron.
Beginning with the drama of the 53-man roster deadline, fans can track the cuts made by their favorite teams here. This can be an exhilarating time for fans as they await the final make-up of their teams, yet in complete honesty, it can be the most trying times for players trying to make a living.
Over 1,000 players lost their jobs by the conclusion of the preseason. Among the jobless were Denver Broncos’ T.J. Ward and Cleveland Browns’ Brock Osweiler.
The bright side, neither stayed jobless for very long. Ward signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers while Osweiler went full circle back to the Denver Broncos.
Another big name that made a move was CB Joe Haden. After being released by the Cleveland Browns, the pro-bowl cornerback signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
If there’s one thing that should be learned through this entire process, it’s that nothing is ever final. A player cut today could be playing across the country tomorrow, or even in the same city. Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback Kellen Moore was released to make room for undrafted free agent Cooper Rush. Yet, not even a week later, he was back with the squad.
Whether you appreciate this process or not, it is the reality of the NFL. Another, all too real aspect is the devastation wrought by injuries and suspensions. I’ll get into suspensions later this week, but will focus on injuries now, namely that of Odell Beckham Jr.
Beckham, along with others, did not participate in practice today. There has been some speculation that this insinuates the star wide-out will sit out the season opener against the Dallas Cowboys. However, let’s be real, the Giants cannot afford to play without their top offensive weapon.
I’m interested to see the discussions to be had on starters in the preseason. My opinion: starters should practice and get reps, but ought to avoid games. Now, I recognize that there’s a different dynamic available by in-game play, but pro-bowl level stars should be able to prepare regardless of their preseason.
I find myself keeping this short purely out of excitement for the season opener tonight between the Patriots and Chiefs. But before I wrap this up, I must choose a winner of the preseason.
Although not a team or any certain individual, my winner here is the rookie draft class, especially the quarterbacks and running backs. We shall see some amazing starters in McCaffrey, Fournette, and Cook, while others like Trubisky and Mahomes seek to get better on the bench.
With that, I want to say thanks for sticking through this preseason series and be on the lookout for awesome, in-depth NFL coverage for the next six months.
