Bloody Friday has arrived and all across the NFL, hopeful players are finding out whether they have made the 53 man roster that represents the team’s personnel moving forward. Players are being called in and relieved of their playbooks, thanked for their effort, and then shown the door. It is a day when the team’s General Manager has to be cold blooded business-like, and the players have to remember there is more to life then the team they were trying out for.
It is also a day when the world outside of the organization get to see the state of each individual team, and in the case of the Miami Dolphins, it appears as if the 2012 season can officially be named a building year.
The Dolphins are just like any other team in the NFL, making tough choices for the betterment of their team, but the cuts this year represent a departure from several players who were thought to be a part of the team’s immediate future.
Most notable among the players released today is Roberto Wallace. Entering into his third year as a Dolphin, the lengthy wide out was pegged to be the main feature of Miami’s receiving corps. At 6’4”, 225 pounds, Wallace has the best mix of size and speed of all the receivers on the team’s roster, but horrible route running, and an uncanny ability to NOT shed defenders has finally ended his tenure as a Dolphin.
Another cut that was somewhat of a surprise is the release of second year receiver Clyde Gates. Gates was selected in the fourth round of last year’s draft and suffered from an early hamstring issue as camp began. After his return to the field, it appeared as if he put on a good show, but nearly all of his reps were with the 2’s and 3’s, and he was unable to make the most of the snaps he did get with the starters.
Of all of today’s cuts, linebacker Gary Guyton has to be seen as “out of left field”. Guyton was signed this offseason to help bolster the middle of the defense. He did well in camp, and has played behind Karlos Dansby all preseason, even starting in Dansby’s in the last two exhibition games, as the starter recovered from an injury. Seeing his name listed among the Bloody Friday casualties is as big of a surprise as any other.
The clear message today has been that no one is safe. If you are not living up to Coach Joe Philbin’s expectations, you will no longer be a Dolphin, which may not be such a bad thing, at least for this season.
Jeff Everette is a featured columnist for www.RantSports.com, covering the NFL and NBA. You can follow him on twitter @jeverettesports, or subscribe to Jeff Everette-www.RantSports.com on both Facebook and Google+ for all of his latest articles, opinions, and rants.
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