FOXBOROUGH - It's the unpleasant side of the NFL this time of year for both players and coaches - cuts. Coaches know they have to make them. Players know they have to be made. But that doesn't make it any easier for either side.
"I just think that whether it's your 12th year in the league or your second, it's a pretty somber day just in a sense of there are guys that are potentially losing their jobs," said Patriots running back Sammy Morris.
Yesterday, the Patriots made their first NFL-mandated roster reduction, trimming from 80 to 75. The biggest surprise was the team's decision to part ways with veteran cornerback Jason Webster, who was signed in the offseason from Buffalo. A hamstring injury proved to be Webster's undoing. The veteran, entering his ninth NFL season, had been missing from practice since July 27 until he returned Monday. But he had run out of time to show the coaching staff what he could do.
The Patriots released only three players: Webster, running back Kyle Eckel, and rookie offensive lineman Ryan Wendell. They got down to 75 by placing right guard Stephen Neal on the reserve/physically unable to perform list, meaning he'll have to sit out the first six weeks of the season, and ending the season of backup right tackle Ryan O'Callaghan (shoulder), moving him to injured reserve.
Yesterday was just the precursor to the final round of cuts that must be made by 4 p.m. Saturday to get down to 53 players (teams are given exemptions for players who open the season on PUP).
With that in mind, here's a position-by-position breakdown of the decisions facing the Patriots:
Quarterbacks (3): Reigning league Most Valuable Player Tom Brady, who has not taken a snap in an exhibition game, and rookie third-round pick Kevin O'Connell are safe, so this comes down to whether to keep four quarterbacks or cut fourth-year backup Matt Cassel or second-year signal-caller Matt Gutierrez. Cassel has struggled in the preseason, failing to lead the team to the end zone in 15 possessions. Gutierrez has the best numbers of the QBs in the preseason, 24 of 36 for 293 yards with two touchdown passes and an interception. Best guess: Brady, O'Connell, and Gutierrez.
Running backs (5): They had only four on the final roster last year. Laurence Maroney is entrenched as the starter, and Kevin Faulk is invaluable as a situational back. Heath Evans is the lone fullback type and a good special teams player. That leaves Morris, who was the team's leading rusher last season when he went down with a sternum-clavicle separation, and preseason pickup LaMont Jordan, who is the team's leading rusher in the exhibitions with 19 carries for 76 yards, battling for a backup role. Best guess: Bill Belichick seems set on keeping those five.