Highlighting the Biggest Winners and Losers of NFL Roster Cuts

The NFL stands for "Not for long," and that is never more apparent than on cut-down day. Nearly 700 NFL players got their pink slips Friday as NFL teams cut their rosters from 75 players to their final 53-man rosters.

Some players are making reservations at the nicest restaurant in town to celebrate, while others are making some of the toughest phone calls of their lives.

First, their agent, who provides a glowingly fake depiction of the fact the player has just been fired. There are other opportunities, waivers, and practice squads. 

Somehow the player is not as convincing in his level of positivity when breaking the news to his wife, who is answering the phone in the home they have recently taken out a mortgage for. He realizes then that he is being let down slowly.

Today is tough on people.

We know that good can come from bad, and that addition can come via subtraction. What we should aspire to learn are the causal factors that lead to the end condition: Winning or losing. 

Here we examine the biggest winners and losers of 2012's final round of NFL Preseason roster cuts.   

LOSER: Jeff Ireland, Miami Dolphins

Ben Voilin of the Palm Beach Post recounted a portion of this week's episode of

HBO's Hard Knocks at the Miami Dolphins training camp by quoting GM Jeff Ireland saying: 

"(We) have a lot of '4′s, 5′s and 6′s," at wide receiver "but need '1′s, 2′s and 3′s.”

Basically, Ben Voilin is reporting what we all saw on TV and what we all know. The Dolphins WR corps is total garbage and the man who puts the team together is crying about it.

I personally see it this way: You need "1's?" Draft them. Have your scouts find them. Make some moves to give the heap of garbage you have assembled a fighting chance. Do your job.

Oh, wait. Jeff Ireland doesn't do that. Jeff Ireland asks Dez Bryant if his mother is a prostitute. He trades away Brandon Marshall to stockpile the beginning of a set of picks that got bigger in the Vontae Davis portion of this fire sale.

Maybe he doesn't realize he will likely be canned before he can ever even use these picks. 

Rookie WR B.J. Cunningham was cut today. Jeff Ireland wasted a sixth-round draft pick on him. Ireland is complaining about not having a No. 1, 2 or 3 WR?

That is called losing.

WINNER: David Wilson, New York Giants

The Giants have waived D.J. Ware, and apparently really do believe in rookie RB David Wilson.

As the NFL's 2012 Preseason comes to a close, we will look back at Wilson's initial four weeks in the NFL as a well-scripted ascent to his current role. 

That is, of course, the role that he was drafted to play. The role of spelling Ahmad Bradshaw, who is for the first time in his NFL career being relied upon to carry a workhorse rushing load on one very busted foot. A foot that even Frankenstein would think is too full of screws to walk on.

Wilson, as many NFL starters, was used sparingly in Week 4 of the preseason, but had done enough by then to have effectively stated his case.  

I have heard head coach Tom Coughlin say at numerous press conferences that the Giants' optimal offensive philosophy is dependent on having two capable runners.

This was Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs previously, of course. It became clear as the preseason wore on that Wilson's potential, not surprisingly to those of us who scouted him in college, will indeed be translating to the NFL level.

What's more, he will be operating in a system that will be capable of utilizing him efficiently. 

D.J. Ware has been with the Giants for five years, spending some time on the active roster and some on the practice squad. He is a veteran player and a fairly decent NFL running back.

To let him go, the Giants had to feel very comfortable with Wilson in every phase. 

Wilson has stepped up and earned his job in a manner that is so clear, it made the Giants comfortable with this. Heading into the season with a running corps consisting of Bradshaw, Wilson and another practice squad-type guy in Andre Brown who's in a four-game timeout for PEDs to start the season. 

LOSER: Vince Young, Buffalo Bills

Well, it looks like this might be the end of the line for Vince Young. It hurts me to say it, but it's true. Russell Wilson winning the starting job for the Seattle Seahawks was the like a butterfly flapping its wings on the West Coast. By the time the effect reached Buffalo, it had turned into a hurricane headed squarely at VY.

Tarvaris Jackson, no longer needed in Seattle as a "proven" backup given Wilson's quick adaptation as a rookie, blew into town and stripped Young of house and home, rendering him expendable. 

Young was awful in training camp and in the preseason. He is now rumored to be bordering on broke and owing money for loans taken during the lockout last season. 

One source from Bills camp told me via email this week:

"

I can't believe how bad VY was ... I can't believe he's the same guy I watched in the Rose Bowl vs. USC ... I can't believe he's the same guy I saw play great in a win at Buff (30-29) in 2006. In the immortal words of Tommy Lasorda: 'He can't hit water if he fell out of a fu**ing boat.'

"

I can't believe it, either.

Vince has always loved him some Vince. He was already speaking about himself in the third person as a freshman in college. Here in Austin, Vince has "Lance Armstrong status."

Basically, neither person can do any wrong. Period. Lance didn't dope and Vince never got a fair shake in the NFL.

That is the story here and people are sticking to it.They are likenesses both represented in statue around the city, they both have monuments and areas named after them.

They are both adored, and are local restaurant and club owners. Vince never got used to not being loved as an NFL player. It was his downfall, and while I will never call Vince Young a loser, he lost big this week. We'll be seeing him at the Vince Young Steak House downtown much more often this season I suspect.

WINNER: Bill Belichick, New England Patriots

Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots, as they normally do, made some of the biggest waves in the NFL right at cut-down time. Whether I understand the moves or not, I have to give the man the benefit of the doubt.

He is the hooded wizard and to second-guess him is absurd and probably dangerous. He could be spying on me and keeping notes for future use without my knowledge.  

Some people might say these were losing moves, but you know Belichick has something up that nasty, cut-off sweater sleeve of his. He always does.

Stallworth, Branch, Gaffney, all gone.

I spoke today with editor Mike Loyko of www.NEPatriotsDraft.com. He believes that cutting Gaffney was merely roster management in order to play more of the young WR group in the fourth preseason game.

I believe Loyko is right, and that Gaffney will be resigning with the Patriots soon enough, if not prior to week one, shortly after.

Gaffney was injured and you just get the feeling that after all the hustle to get him back, that an agreement was in principle to bring him back once rosters were cut down.

We know two things about the Patriots. They make their moves late in the offseason and they do not get emotionally attached to anyone. Deion Branch? See ya. Thanks for everything.

The Patriots know that Julian Edelman is a faster straight line runner than Wes Welker and will be more than capable of sharing 3rd WR duties with (presumably Gaffney), or whoever the third WR is behind Brandon Lloyd and Welker.

Branch is old and can run two routes. Loyalty only goes so far, and dynasties do not stay dynasties by being soft. 

Then the atom bomb, Brian Hoyer. A supposedly coveted backup QB who most everyone figured was poised to walk into 2013 free agency and command a larger contract. The type of "former backup" that Matt Cassel was. I figured he would sign with a club he had an opportunity to start for after racking up one more year in the Patriots' system. 

Nope. Show him the door. Hoyer was owed almost $2 million dollars, and as Mike Loyko said early on, the Patriots believe they have something special in Ryan Mallett. If there were moves to be made, possible trade scenarios, you are crazy to think the Pats did not explore them before waiving Hoyer. Hoyer will certainly be claimed off waivers, but the interest in the trade market obviously wasn't there. 

So Belichick moved on, as he always does. Like a winner. 

LOSER: Marvin McNutt, Philadelphia Eagles

Rookie WR Marvin McNutt has been cut from the Philadelphia Eagles, and he is no doubt wondering how all this happened. It was like a camera falling from the sky. 

McNutt started camp with an open to shot take Riley Cooper's job.

He has that kind of potential and, according to this report, McNutt was one of the first names mentioned by Eagles head coach Andy Reid at the start of training camp as a possible early contributor. 

Widely considered one of, if not the greatest WR in University of Iowa history, McNutt took one of the largest and most noticeable falls in the 2012 draft, not being selected until the sixth round by Philadelphia. At the time, I thought it was an absolute steal.

McNutt was a QB and a baseball player growing up. He has huge hands that are the first thing you notice when meeting him. He was one of the best WRs at the Senior Bowl, although at times he did appear a bit "plodding," and not truly electric in the way that Marvin Jones or Joe Adams proved themselves capable of being.

Still, he looked the part. He caught the ball with his hands, used his range to make plays and stayed productive. Not a practice went by where he didn't produce.

It's strange to think back and remember that quarterback Nick Foles was basically laughed off the field every day by scouts and media alike for looking terrible, while the group of media around McNutt was usually overwhelming; and unabashedly positive in the spin that followed by way of their headlines.

Now, Foles is the heir apparent to Mike Vick and the future of the Eagles franchise at the QB position while McNutt is trying to book a flight home to St. Louis. 

WINNER: Travaris Cadet, Saints

RB Travaris Cadet, by all indications at the time of print, has made the Saints' 53-man roster. Talk about a winner. 

Cadet was viewed by many as a camp body, especially given the Saints' relative abundance of wealth. Not only do they already feature a solid three-headed attack of Pierre Thomas, Mark Ingram and Darren Sproles, they also signed Chris Ivory to a one-year deal for 2012 during the offseason. 

No. 39 popped out at me like almost no other player at Saints training camp. That is saying something given the amount of athleticism and beastliness the Saints boast on both sides of the ball. Cadet has a skill set like Darren Sproles, but is a much more substantial athlete physically at 6'1", 210 pounds. He took advantage of the minimal amount of first-team reps he got, showing off great hands and body control (video).

When he was not taking first team snaps this preseason (which was the majority of the time), he was making a case for himself to win one spot out of 53 at a position that was already taking up four. 

While Cadet is a good kick returner as well, the Saints don't exactly need one. They already have a guy named Darren Sproles pulling double duty in the RB backfield and as a returner. Making this team meant making it the hard way. Cadet ran hard, played hard and stayed sharp all preseason. He is the NFL's preseason receiving leader as a running back. I know preseason can only tell us so much, but let's call a spade a spade. 

Look at this. Cadet was so impressive that the Saints knew they couldn't afford to let him go. He's a 4.55-ish 40-time guy who plays faster than that and still manages to carry a load. It undoubtedly has something to do with No. 39 and the dreadlocks, but he reminds me of a slightly smaller, faster and more versatile Steven Jackson, of the St. Louis Rams.

I would not be surprised to see a trade occur at this point involving Chris Ivory. Cadet is a winner, and he has won Ivory's spot fair and square. 

LOSER: Mike Shanahan, Washington Redksins

Shanny being Shanny. One week RB Tim Hightower is his starter, the next week he is cut. Good luck owning any player in that backfield for fantasy. What a nightmare.

This day marks the date at which head coach Mike Shanahan gave up and lost the fight on Hightower. Upon bringing him to Washington from Arizona, the Redskins quickly got off to a blazing start on the ground. A blazing dumpster fire. They were 30th in the league in 2010 and got all the way up to 25th in 2011. Believe it or not, they looked even worse. 

Still, Shanahan stood by Hightower stubbornly, believing that he was and/or could be something that he isn't. Hightower is not a downhill runner. He is not a "one-cut-and-go" runner perfectly suited for a zone blocking scheme. If that is the case, Redskins' Evan Royster is the Chicago Bears' Matt Forte, but stronger.

Hightower is a below-average NFL running back and that has been painfully obvious to anyone with eyes for years now. 

Shanahan finally saw the writing on the wall, and he is a loser for taking this long to come to the realization that Tim Hightower is terrible. I cannot wait to see who the next RB is that he dubs as the next Terrell Davis.  

WINNER: Colt McCoy, Cleveland Browns

I couldn't believe it when I saw that the Cleveland Browns waived quarterback Seneca Wallace. All you ever hear about Wallace is how much coach Mike Holmgren loves him. 

This makes a couple of things clear to me. 

It means, for one thing, I should always listen to ESPN's Vic Carucci. 

He told RosterWatch at the Senior Bowl that the staff had noticed progression in Colt McCoy regardless of the public perception that he was basically terrible. To be honest, I saw it too. Everyone knows a pure West Coast Offense is not learned overnight. It takes years, generally three, sometimes two in rare cases.

McCoy hasn't won an AFC North game in eight career tries, but Carucci—host of the Cleveland Daily Browns show—said it was just prior to last season's Week 13 season-ending injury versus the Steelers that he was seeming to start to "turn the corner."

Taking Brandon Weeden with the 22nd overall pick may or may not have been the "plan," but Carucci did say that the Browns would no doubt be drafting a QB. He wasn't so sure it would be as high a pick as it was, however. He just said that it was a mantra of Holmgren's regime to keep a "bullpen" of developing QBs in his system, and the plan was to take one. 

I got the distinct impression that all of the great drafting that Cleveland has done on defense over the past two seasons had finally given way to the realization the organization desperately now needed to address its offense. They did not reach for an offensive tackle, and they still drafted the 2012 OT prospect that has probably looked the best so far in Mitchell Schwartz.

The Browns believe in their O-Line regardless of how poorly they played last season while missing two starters, and sure enough, the unit as a whole is greatly improved.

I think that this article would not be being written had wide receiver Kendall Wright been available at pick 22, and I think that the Browns organization would be far better off having drafted a weapon for McCoy as opposed to letting the walrus give him the harpoon without a fair competition. 

I believe the Browns are starting to feel the same way. Weeden has not been as bad as advertised, but he has been far from good. McCoy may be starting QB for the Browns again before he knows it.