PHOENIX — Monday's Cardinals practice was difficult for some players after 10 players were cut this morning as the 53-man roster deadline looms.
Offensive tackle and former first-round draft pick D.J. Humphries weighed in on the mood around the locker room.
“I don’t care how long you’ve been in the league, it never gets easy watching the look on guys' faces when they head out and realize they are getting cut,” Humphries said.
The deadline for the final roster comes at 1 p.m. on Aug. 31. The cancellation of the last preseason game in New Orleans definitely made the choice a lot harder, according to Head Coach Kliff Kingsbury.
“Tough break for the young guys obviously. Particularly first and second-year players," Kingsbury stated. "To not have preseason last year and to lose a game this year was a tough break. You hate that for them. A lot of guys were going to get a lot of reps.”
One of the cuts that stood out to many was wide receiver KeeSean Johnson.
“We obviously drafted him. We know he can play in this league. It’s just tough competition in that room. There were some other guys that stepped up and it was just a numbers game,” said Kingsbury.
The canceled preseason game did affect some of the cuts that were made by the team. According to Kingsbury, there were a "couple of guys we would have liked to see a little more.”
Cardinals outside linebacker Marcus Golden also chimed in about this tough but necessary time of year.
“I hate this week. This is one of the worst parts about football," he said. "I hate watching guys who work their tail off get cut.”
One noticeable player that was back on the practice field was outside linebacker Chandler Jones. His return from injury helped some of his teammates bring more energy to the practice field today.
Chandler Jones’ return was also welcomed by the head coach.
“It was awesome, he brings a lot of juice, we know what type of player he is. Hoping it can be a blessing in disguise for him, feeling fresh going into game week,” said Kingsbury.
The Cardinals are looking forward to starting the season. However, they will have to make it through the four-day “Bye week” that all NFL teams are required to take this year.
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