NFL Roster Cuts 2011: Players Have Mixed Emotions on Cutdown Day

The NFL preseason is a necessary evil, from roster locks to those who are on the roster bubble. 

Either you're playing for a job you already have, or you're working your butt off with potentially no reward other than the opportunity, the memories and the friendships forged along the way. That opportunity, to most of these men, is worth the work they put in for it. Excuse them, though, if there's still an empty feeling in the end.

There are two types of guys on the roster bubble: those who have shown enough to make the team and those who haven't.  

Matt Ehalt, New York Jets writer for ESPN New York, shared some words with potential victims of the roster bubble after their 24-14 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Tight end Jeff Cumberland is in a battle for the third roster spot at tight end. His strong performance of 11 receptions for 156 yards in the preseason may have earned him that spot.

"

"There's no need for me to be nervous. I went out there and gave it my all each time I was out there on the field and throughout practice, I went out there and gave it my all and that's all you can do, and when you know you did that, there's no need to be nervous no matter what happens. If it's a cut or practice squad, whatever it is, there's no need to be nervous when you went out there and gave it your all."

"

That's all well and good for guys who have had their chances in the preseason, but those who haven't had much of a chance don't know what to expect. 

New England Patriots safety Josh Barrett played in his first preseason game Thursday night against the New York Giants, and up until then was viewed by many as on the wrong side of the bubble. He echoed Cumberland's sentiments in an interview with NESN.com's Jeff Howe, but was a bit more uneasy about it. 

"

"These are stressful days coming up...You just want to relax. That's why these games are so important to put your best foot forward—just so that whatever the case is, whatever the coach's decision is, you feel like you've done and given your best to secure your spot. But it's the coaches' decision. They'll do a good job of getting this team together."

"

He's right to be a little stressed. The Patriots brought in former Jets safety James Ihedigbo, whose role on the team is eerily similar to Barrett's. They have also been shopping for safeties all offseason to this point. 

The emotions felt by Barrett and Cumberland aren't the same ones being felt across the NFL for guys who didn't perform as well as they might have liked this preseason. Even some guys who stated their case as clearly as Cumberland may get a pit in their stomach when they hear the phone ring over the weekend.

Take, for example, Jets linebacker Garrett Mcintyre, who registered nine tackles and two sacks this preseason. The journeyman has played across the NFL from Arizona to Tennessee, and has even made appearances in the AFL and CFL.

"This is my last chance in the league, so if I don't make it, maybe I'll play for another team, but if not I probably go finish my career up in Canada, so this is it for me and I hope that I stick," Mcintyre said.

Confident in his future, if slightly uncertain of his present.

Despondence reins when the forecast is cloudy, but there's always sunshine waiting to peek through the darkness. Cuts aren't the only thing that happen to these players, as some are traded and jobless free agents are signed as well.

"There’s always a lot of player movement this time of the season," said Bill Belichick at his press conference Thursday night. "Last year, we traded for Tracy White, and we weren’t even talking about him after the game last year, so things like that happen. Who knows? I don't know."

Neither do the players. That's the nature of cutdown day. At the same time, this is a rare instance where the devil you don't know—a clean slate with a new home—could be just as good as the devil you know—life on the bench at the bottom of the depth chart.

All the players are looking for is a chance, and for some of them, the bad news delivered this weekend will make way for that chance down the line.