Throughout three weeks of training camp and three preseason games, today's date has loomed ominously on the horizon. Unfortunately, all NFL rosters need to be trimmed to 65 players by tomorrow, which means that a considerable amount of players across the NFL will be put on waivers today, including 10 Texans players.
Although the NFL mandates the roster cut, Texans head coach Dom Capers takes zero pleasure in doing so. If it were up to him, he would keep every player on the roster. After all, a player would not be invited to the Texans training camp if he didn't belong.
"To me, (cutting the roster) is the hardest thing," Capers said. "Especially if a guy has come in and he has done all the things that you've asked him to do. It is extremely difficult. For most of these guys, it's their dream and they're obviously very disappointed if it doesn't work out for them. You wish you could keep more guys, but those are the rules."
The final NFL roster cut will be this Sunday, when rosters are required to be cut down to 53 players. Instead of releasing a player, teams also have the option of carrying up to five players on their practice squad, but any other NFL team can claim those players without any compensation if they place them on their active roster.
Texans tight end Billy Miller, who has been through four NFL training camps and roster cuts, knows what it feels like to be let go. The Denver Broncos released him in 2001 after drafting him in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft. Miller learned a lot from the process and has become a better football player for it.
<span>"To
be honest, I didn't handle (being cut) very well," Miller
said. "I was very upset. I just became a real angry guy. I was
just mad at the world, thinking it was the coach's fault and
it was everybody else's fault but my own. When in actuality, I
wasn't a very good football player at that time. I could've
been a lot better."
Miller worked hard to become a better football player and made
the Texans' roster last season as a free agent. The long hours
of work paid off for Miller, who led the Texans with 51
receptions last season. He is living proof that being released
does not necessarily signify the end of a player's NFL career.
</span><span>
</span><span>This
afternoon, Capers had the unfortunate task of sitting down with
10 players, informing them of their release and wishing them all
the luck in the future. Those players included: center Matt
Anderson, safety Curry Burns, defensive tackles Charles Hill and
Howard Grenn, tight end Patrick Hughes, punter Craig Jarrett,
quarterback Mike Quinn, kicker Todd Sievers, offensive tackle
Tarlos Thomas and linebacker Antonio Wilson.</span>
