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Roster Limit Creates Issues for Redskins
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"A guy who, say, you may project as a second-team guy, he will get an awful lot of work this preseason, and he might come into the season a little more worn out," Kendall said. "We'll see how it plays out. I don't know what our plan is yet. I don't know what the Colts' plan is, but I'm sure 32 teams will have 32 plans."
The Redskins needed to shrink the roster to 80 before camp opened July 20. The last players let go included former Maryland quarterback Sam Hollenbach, who would have entered training camp as the fifth quarterback.
Many of Zorn's offensive drills require the participation of the quarterbacks throwing the football. Without the fifth passer, Zorn has spent more time than planned monitoring his four quarterbacks.
"Their arms get a little bit tired," Zorn said. "If anyone went down with a very sore arm and had to rest a couple days, that puts extra pressure on the rest of the group."
Hollenbach said he was not aware of the roster limit until Zorn mentioned it in a team meeting during offseason training activities. Because of the physical nature of training camp, Hollenbach understood why a quarterback would be released before a position player. If Hollenbach knew he was going to be waived, he said he wished it was before the offseason so he could have found another team.
"If you get a chance to play a preseason game, [there are] 31 other teams that could see the film," Hollenbach said. "I would rather have been out of a job for a few months."
Rosters must be cut to 75 players by Aug. 26 and the final 53 by Aug. 30.
James Thrash, entering his 12th season and one of the Redskins' player representatives for the NFL Players Association, said the roster limit sneaked up on the players and expects that both players and teams will determine a better number in the future.
Thrash's concern was not as much with the veteran players who will need to play more reps, but with players such as Hollenbach who do not even reach training camp. Thrash said he did not like players participating in offseason training activities and workouts only to be released before camp opens.
"It's something in the offseason we're going to have to address," Smoot said. "Our player union has to get stronger and address it. We have to get stronger in the players' union. I'm sorry, but we have to speak for the players instead of let one person speak for all of us when that ain't how we feel."
The way teams deal with injuries also has changed. In the past, teams could be patient with a nagging injury that does not warrant injured reserve status. But with clubs pinched at nearly every position, Cerrato predicted more injury settlements.
"If a guy gets hurt and he's going to miss a couple weeks, you can't afford to keep him around because you need people for practice," Cerrato said.
The problem has spread around the league, with coaches griping in news reports about the limit. It presents one of the few issues where players, coaches and front-office executives all agree.
"The more opportunities guys have in terms of roster positions," Thrash said, "the better off we all are."
