The holiday weekend is here, but there will be no relaxing for NFL front offices. While you bid farewell to the summer with an icy cold can of non-ironic PBR and some overdone hamburgers, your favorite team’s general manager is working the phones trying to shore up holes in the team’s final roster before the 2012 NFL season starts on Wednesday.
NFL Roster Cuts 2012: 10 Names To Know
NFL teams looking for help have several options following Friday’s roster cuts.
Teams have plenty of options to consider after Friday’s final cut deadline saw more than 700 players released from preseason rosters. I took an an early look at some of the players being cut on Friday, and even more names hit the wire since then.
If a team wants to improve their backup quarterback situation, they have some options. Brian Hoyer and Seneca Wallace were among the first players to hit the open market, and a few others joined them as teams made their final round of cuts.
Mike Kafka - The Eagles tried to trade their 2010 fourth-round pick to no avail. Maybe the chance to see Kevin Kolb work his magic in the preseason gave teams pause when it comes to dealing for Philadelphia backups. A team that doesn't need a do-it backup could find a use for Kafka.
Sage Rosenfels - The Vikings swooped him up in the spring, even guaranteeing him some money. He has not played in the regular season since 2008.
Josh Johnson - When the 49ers signed the former Harbaugh protege in March, some thought he could be Alex Smith's backup. Johnson is no great shakes, but he is a solid backup quarterback with age on his side.
Backup quarterbacks were not the only players to hit the market on Friday, obviously. The following list of players should all be getting a call soon as teams strengthen their depth charts between now and Wednesday.
Antonio Dixon, DT - In 2010, the Eagles defensive tackle was one of the top run stuffers in the league. Last year, he was lucky to get on the field as the Eagles switched to a system demanding more athletic defensive linemen. There are always teams in need of a situational player like Dixon.
Drayton Florence, CB - In hindsight, the Broncos probably overpaid with a two--year, $4.5 million deal. Florence should find work pretty quickly as a third or fourth corner. There are just too many teams in need of help in the secondary.
James Ihedigbo, S - Any teams looking for depth at safety have a handful of options. Ihedigbo played in 16 games with the Patriots last season, after spending the last four seasons with the Jets. He struggles in coverage, but is a capable run defender when he plays closer to the line of scrimmage.
Ricardo Lockette, WR - Seattle picked up the small school wide receiver that scouts raved about last spring. He possesses fantastic speed, but a faces a big learning curve to become an NFL regular. He should land on a practice squad quickly, depending on the status of the leg injury that made him expendable in Seattle.
Roderick Muckelroy, LB - The Texas product has barely seen the field since being selected by the Bengals in the fourth-round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He spent last season on IR with a torn Achilles. Will he ever catch on after a promising college career?
Lydon Murtha, OT - There seems to be a rash of fair to poor offensive lines in the NFL this year, and Murtha could help teams in deep of tackle depth capable of being a starter when pressed. A toe injury put him on the shelf in 2011, when the Dolphins could have really used him. He allowed just one sack in 237 snaps in 2010.
D.J. Ware, RB - The former Giant is not going to help a team in need of a starting running back, but he will make a very useful addition as a third-down specialist. He was one of the ten best blocking running backs last season according to Pro Football Focus.
Who else should be on the radar?
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