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The finale of Hard Knocks was very much a finale, not because this is the last episode this season, but because this was the end of the line for 22 players with the Los Angeles Rams. The episode highlighted the harsh realities of being a professional football player being in limbo; fighting to earn a roster spot. For many of the 22 players that were cut (and the ones that didn’t make the first cut) this is the end of their careers in the NFL. The ones that did make the 53-man roster also began to understand the harsh realities of being an NFL player and how hard it is to keep their spot. Here are some of the highlights of the final episode of Hard Knocks:
Jared Goff remains confident
After struggling again in his final preseason game despite being the starting QB for their game against the Vikings, head coach Jeff Fisher finally conceded that Goff is not ready to be even the backup quarterback for the Rams. That honor will instead go to Sean Mannion. Goff remains confident about the situation being placed as the third string QB for the Rams as the regular season begins. While watching a college football game on television, Goff reflected on his preseason, stating that while he would have liked to have done things differently in camp, there were more positives than negatives. His relaxed demeanor showed that he isn’t shaken by his placement as the third string quarterback.
Show favorite Eric Kush and his dozens of tank tops get cut from the roster
I was a little gutted to see Eric Kush not make the final 53-man roster. Known as the player who wore his famous “Fat Arm Friday” tanks, he became my favorite personality throughout the season. He embraced the cameras better than anyone and would have been a good fit with this team, even as a backup. He told Rams GM Les Snead, “I’ve just had a lot of fun here. I’ve had a lot of fun here, and that’s what hurts the most.” Don’t feel too bad for Eric though. After being cut by the Rams, the Chicago Bears immediately picked him up.
WR battles
Neither Austin Hill nor Paul McRoberts made the cut. While both had glimpses of success against the Vikings, neither player impressed the coaching staff enough to justify a roster spot. McRoberts fumbled his roster spot away by muffing a punt in the third quarter deep in their own territory. While failing to call a fair catch during a punt sequence, McRoberts got drilled by the Vikings’ special teams causing a critical turnover which Minnesota quickly turned into a touchdown and a 27-10 lead.
Coach Fisher let him have it and McRoberts knew at that point he was not going to make the team. Austin Hill was cut once again, his fourth as a pro. A visibly disappointed Hill remarked later, “I’ve been cut multiple times and you always think it’s going to be easier each time, but it’s not.” While Hill was cut outright from the team, McRoberts was signed to the practice squad.
Ian Seau learns the hard way that strength and not just heart matters in the NFL
Despite the positive things Coach Fisher and his coaching staff said about defensive lineman Ian Seau and the work he put in during camp, one major problem remained abundantly clear: he was not strong enough to compete at an NFL level. The final preseason game against the Vikings showed that, with Seau being overpowered at the line of scrimmage time and time again. Fisher complimented Seau’s work ethic, but he also advised him to strengthen up in order to compete. Defensive line coach Mike Waufle echoed Fisher’s sentiments. While Waufle commended Seau on the hard work he put in trying to win a roster spot, He simply told Seau that he needed to get stronger. Seau stated that there is a spot somewhere for him, he just has to keep working hard to reach his goals.
Finally…
I was somewhat disappointed that running back Todd Gurley, one of the stars on this roster, was not featured more prominently on Hard Knocks. I am not sure if that was done so purposefully by management, but it was a shame that he was not shown more frequently in any of the five episodes. It was disappointing not because he is the Rams best player offensively, but because I felt like the real Todd Gurley was relegated to a background role on Hard Knocks. I believe the people making this show blew a huge opportunity to introduce Gurley, a potential superstar running back in the making, to the world, rather focusing on the players that were trying to make an NFL roster.
Martin Cruz is a staff writer for RamsTalk. You can follow him on Twitter with the username @MCruz1988.
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The finale of Hard Knocks was very much a finale, not because this is the last episode this season, but because this was the end of the line for 22 players with the Los Angeles Rams. The episode highlighted the harsh realities of being a professional football player being in limbo; fighting to earn a roster spot. For many of the 22 players that were cut (and the ones that didn’t make the first cut) this is the end of their careers in the NFL. The ones that did make the 53-man roster also began to understand the harsh realities of being an NFL player and how hard it is to keep their spot. Here are some of the highlights of the final episode of Hard Knocks:
Jared Goff remains confident
After struggling again in his final preseason game despite being the starting QB for their game against the Vikings, head coach Jeff Fisher finally conceded that Goff is not ready to be even the backup quarterback for the Rams. That honor will instead go to Sean Mannion. Goff remains confident about the situation being placed as the third string QB for the Rams as the regular season begins. While watching a college football game on television, Goff reflected on his preseason, stating that while he would have liked to have done things differently in camp, there were more positives than negatives. His relaxed demeanor showed that he isn’t shaken by his placement as the third string quarterback.
Show favorite Eric Kush and his dozens of tank tops get cut from the roster
I was a little gutted to see Eric Kush not make the final 53-man roster. Known as the player who wore his famous “Fat Arm Friday” tanks, he became my favorite personality throughout the season. He embraced the cameras better than anyone and would have been a good fit with this team, even as a backup. He told Rams GM Les Snead, “I’ve just had a lot of fun here. I’ve had a lot of fun here, and that’s what hurts the most.” Don’t feel too bad for Eric though. After being cut by the Rams, the Chicago Bears immediately picked him up.
WR battles
Neither Austin Hill nor Paul McRoberts made the cut. While both had glimpses of success against the Vikings, neither player impressed the coaching staff enough to justify a roster spot. McRoberts fumbled his roster spot away by muffing a punt in the third quarter deep in their own territory. While failing to call a fair catch during a punt sequence, McRoberts got drilled by the Vikings’ special teams causing a critical turnover which Minnesota quickly turned into a touchdown and a 27-10 lead.
Coach Fisher let him have it and McRoberts knew at that point he was not going to make the team. Austin Hill was cut once again, his fourth as a pro. A visibly disappointed Hill remarked later, “I’ve been cut multiple times and you always think it’s going to be easier each time, but it’s not.” While Hill was cut outright from the team, McRoberts was signed to the practice squad.
Ian Seau learns the hard way that strength and not just heart matters in the NFL
Despite the positive things Coach Fisher and his coaching staff said about defensive lineman Ian Seau and the work he put in during camp, one major problem remained abundantly clear: he was not strong enough to compete at an NFL level. The final preseason game against the Vikings showed that, with Seau being overpowered at the line of scrimmage time and time again. Fisher complimented Seau’s work ethic, but he also advised him to strengthen up in order to compete. Defensive line coach Mike Waufle echoed Fisher’s sentiments. While Waufle commended Seau on the hard work he put in trying to win a roster spot, He simply told Seau that he needed to get stronger. Seau stated that there is a spot somewhere for him, he just has to keep working hard to reach his goals.
Finally…
I was somewhat disappointed that running back Todd Gurley, one of the stars on this roster, was not featured more prominently on Hard Knocks. I am not sure if that was done so purposefully by management, but it was a shame that he was not shown more frequently in any of the five episodes. It was disappointing not because he is the Rams best player offensively, but because I felt like the real Todd Gurley was relegated to a background role on Hard Knocks. I believe the people making this show blew a huge opportunity to introduce Gurley, a potential superstar running back in the making, to the world, rather focusing on the players that were trying to make an NFL roster.
Martin Cruz is a staff writer for RamsTalk. You can follow him on Twitter with the username @MCruz1988.
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