Midway through the week before the third preseason game the anxiety starts to creep in, at least for those without a secured roster spot.
By next week, Tuesday at 4 p.m. to be precise, NFL teams must cut down rosters for the first time, from 90 to 75 players, a necessary evil, something that is “going to be difficult, but we have to do it and we’ll figure it out,” according to Redskins head coach Jay Gruden.
Less than a week later the roster will undergo more extensive renovations, when the coaching staff decides on its final 53 players to keep around.