KEY QUESTIONS: What’s the timeline for Reader after returning from PUP?
Head coach Dan Campbell addressed the media Monday a little more than 24 hours ahead of Tuesday’s roster cuts that require all 32 teams to trim down to an initial 53-man roster before 4 p.m.
This is always a difficult time for the front office and coaching staff, but there’s also the excitement that comes with formalizing the team and the practice squad and starting to prepare for the Rams Week 1.
Here’s a look at the key questions coming out of Campbell’s Monday presser:
How difficult are the next 24 hours for him and his staff?
Unfortunately, the business side of the NFL means that more than 1,100 players won’t find themselves on an initial 53-man roster on Tuesday. It’s always a difficult time for all involved.
Campbell said the process of whittling down the roster has been smooth between himself and GM Brad Holmes. There’s been an instance where they’ve decided to sleep on an issue and come back the next day to hash it out more, but now in their fourth season of this, Campbell said he and Holmes are very much on the same page.
The conversations when it comes to the last couple receiver spots should be really interesting. Campbell talked about three players specifically on Monday. He mentioned the 6-foot-2 size of Donovan Peoples-Jones and Daurice Fountain as being part of the conversation.
Teams would ultimately love to have the versatility of employing speed, quickness and some size at the receiver position. A little something for every situation. Peoples-Jones and Fountain would allow Ben Johnson to play some big boy ball on one-on-one matchups and in the red zone.
Campbell also talked about the body of work we saw from undrafted rookie Isaiah Williams in training camp and the preseason, and that has to factor into the conversation too.
“Brad and I are having to weigh here, ‘Is there enough – have we seen enough out of those guys to where we feel like we can use that or need to use them sooner than later, or will they provide value depth or role player?” Campbell said.
“The other thing is special teams, ‘How much do they bring in on special teams?’ I don’t know, it’s tough to say. So, it’ll all come into play.”
