from chicagobears.com
PRESEASON FINALE VS TENNESSEE
In a final tuneup for the regular season, the Chicago Bears rallied from a 25-point deficit against the Tennessee Titans to climb within a field goal before falling 34-28 at Soldier Field. The Titans jumped out quickly, scoring touchdowns on their first two drives to build a 14-0 lead after the first quarter. Chicago sandwiched a pair of field goals by Paul Edinger (45 yards) and Jaret Holmes (36 yards) around a Tennessee field goal to close within 17-6 at the half. Tennessee opened the second half with the first-team offense still on the field, as starting quarterback Steve McNair hit tight end Michael Roan on a five-yard scoring toss to make it 24-6. Backup QB Neil O'Donnell hit Yancey Thigpen on a 20-yard scoring strike to increase the deficit to 31-6 midway through the third quarter before the Bears began to rally. Chicago's Jim Miller guided the home team on a 10-play, 70-yard drive, capped by a 15-yard touchdown pass to rookie Dez White on a wide receiver screen as the Bears climbed within 31-13 after three quarters. Third-string quarterback Shane Matthews completed a pair of 22-yard passes to wide receiver Eddie Kennison to spark a 76-yard drive on Chicago's next possession. Running back Marlon Barnes added the finishing touches, breaking left for an 18-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to 31-20. Matthews' next possession also went all the way, as rookie running back Frank Murphy completed a 77-yard drive by reversing field and sprinting into the endzone for a two-yard touchdown run. Matthews hit wideout Corey Bridges for the two-point conversion and the hosts were within a field goal at 31-28 with more than eight minutes left in the game. After both teams went three-and-out, the Titans faced third down and 11 yards to go on their own 21-yard line before quarterback Billy Volek hit tight end Erron Kinney down the field for a 68-yard gain. Al Del Greco added his second field goal of the game to give the visitors a 34-28 cushion and Chicago's final two drives came up short as Tennessee held on for the win. For the Bears, Matthews completed 8-10 passes on the night for 122 yards while leading the team on a pair of touchdown drives. Chicago piled up 116 rushing yards on the night, cracking the century barrier for the third straight game, led by Barnes' 49 yards on eight carries. Twelve different Bears hauled in a pass as Chicago's QBs combined to hit 28-49 passes for 331 yards.
CHICAGO BEARS OFFENSIVE NOTES
CLASS IN SESSION: Last season, Chicago's Cade McNown was a member of what many consider to be one of the finest groups of rookie quarterbacks drafted in NFL history. The second-year signal caller is in the midst of a stretch where he will get a chance to measure up against his classmates. Starting in the preseason, McNown (drafted 12th overall) faces four of his second-year counterparts over a five-game stretch. The UCLA product has already faced both Cleveland's Tim Couch (top pick) and Cincinnati's Akili Smith (third overall pick) in preseason play. With the preseason now complete, the Bears open the regular season against conference rivals Minnesota, with quarterback Duante Culpepper (11th overall pick), and Tampa Bay, with second-round pick Shaun King (50th overall). McNown will also battle Philadelphia's Donavan McNabb (second overall) in Week 8.
SPREADING THE WEALTH: Chicago Bears quarterbacks completed passes to 18 different receivers in four preseason games. That group included eight wide receivers, six running backs and four tight ends. Veteran Bobby Engram led the way with 11 catches for 151 yards while Eddie Kennison ranked second with 10 receptions for 155 yards. Engram led all Chicago receivers with 88 receptions last season. Every wide receiver, running back and tight end on the Bears 53-man roster recorded at least one reception this preseason.
DYNAMIC DUOS: Last season, both the Bears and the Vikings were in select company as two of only three teams to have a pair of players with 80 or more catches. For Chicago, wide receivers Bobby Engram (88) and Marcus Robinson (84) accomplished the feat while the Minnesota pair of Cris Carter (82) and Randy Moss (80) were equal to the task. The NFC Central pulled off the hat trick in this unique category, as Detroit's Germane Crowell (81) and Johnnie Morton (80) also pulled off the feat. Engram and Robinson were the first tandem in Bears history to collect over 80 grabs each.
THE STREAK: Wide receiver Bobby Engram has caught a pass in 33 straight games, the fourth-longest streak in team history. Engram's streak began in the season finale of 1997 after an ankle injury cost him five of his last six games. The Penn State product has caught a ball in the last 54 games he has played, dating back to his rookie season when he did not grab a ball versus Oakland (9/29/96), the only game he has played without a reception. With a reception against the Vikings this weekend, Engram will match Willie Gault for third place. If he catches a ball in each game of the 2000 season, Engram will tie the Bears all-time consecutive games with a reception record set by Mike Ditka from 1961-65 (49).
CLIMBING THE CHARTS: Bobby Engram is also climbing another set of Chicago records as he ranks eighth in Bears history with 230 catches. The fifth-year veteran is just eight receptions shy of Dick Gordon for seventh place. Engram established a career-high with a team-leading 88 receptions in 1999, the second-highest single-season total in Bears history (93, Johnny Morris). He has increased his total number of receptions in each of the past four seasons. Engram can also be found in the Chicago record books for receiving yardage, ranking 17th with 2,722 yards.
BARN(ES)-BURNER: Reserve running back Marlon Barnes had another strong preseason outing last weekend against Tennessee. The Colorado product led the Bears with 49 yards on eight carries in the second half against the Titans, including an 18-yard touchdown run. Barnes totaled 75 all-purpose yards in the third preseason game at Cincinnati, including 55 yards on 11 carries and 20 yards on three receptions. Through the final two preseason games, he averaged 5.2 yards per carry with 104 yards on 20 attempts.
Barnes ended the preseason ranked second on the team with 118 yards on 25 rushes (4.7 avg.), despite receiving no carries in the second preseason game against Cleveland. He spent time on both the Miami and Oakland practice squads after being signed by the Raiders as an undrafted free agent in 1999.
CRACKING THE CENTURY MARK: The Chicago rushing attack broke the 100-yard barrier for the third straight game last Friday against Tennessee. The Bears averaged a preseason-best 5.3 yards per carry and ran for 116 yards on 22 attempts against the Titans, the majority of which came from backup Marlon Barnes (8-49). Chicago put up a preseason-high 119 yards at Cincinnati and collected 107 yards on the ground against Cleveland. The Bears averaged 100.5 yards per game this preseason with 402 rushing yards on 100 attempts. The only time Chicago was able to string together three-consecutive 100-yard team rushing efforts last season was from October 3-17 (112 vs. NO, 101 at Min, 113 vs. Phil).
WELCOME TO THE ENDZONE: A pair of Bears newcomers recorded their first preseason touchdowns on Friday night against Tennessee. Wideout Dez White, a third-round pick, recorded his first TD reception in the third quarter, going 15 yards on a wide receiver screen from Jim Miller for the score. In the fourth quarter, running back Marlon Barnes broke free for an 18-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
CHICAGO BEARS DEFENSIVE NOTES
PICKS APLENTY: Chicago's defense registered seven interceptions during preseason play to rank fourth among all NFL teams (Arizona 10, Pittsburgh 9, San Diego 8). Strong safety Tony Parrish led the Bears with two interceptions, which rated second among all players. The Chicago defense collected its seventh interception last Friday against Tennessee, as Parrish picked off a Steve McNair pass at the one-yard line near the end of the first half. The Bears' defensive backfield collected six of the seven interceptions this preseason, with Jerry Azumah, Mike Brown, Walt Harris and Shawn Wooden each earning a pick. Linebacker Rosevelt Colvin also picked off a pass at New York.
ROSEY OUTLOOK: Second-year linebacker Rosevelt Colvin put together a solid performance in training camp, earning the starting nod on the strong side for the preseason finale against Tennessee. Colvin recorded five tackles against the Titans, including a sack of Steve McNair near the end of the first half. The Purdue product led all Bears defenders in the preseason with 18 tackles and also nabbed a key interception at New York. Colvin also had an impressive training camp as a rookie when he tied for the NFL lead with four sacks in the preseason, including three at Pittsburgh (8/13). A fourth-round pick in the 1999 Draft, Colvin saw action in 11 games last season and collected 11 tackles.
NEW FACES IN NEW PLACES: The Chicago defense will take on a new look in the 2000 season, as seven of the 11 starters from the 1999 season opener have been moved or replaced. Five players who were not in the starting lineup on Opening Day a year ago have earning starting nods against Minnesota. That group includes second-year linebackers Rosevelt Colvin on the strong side and Warrick Holdman on the weak side. Free agent acquisition Phillip Daniels will start at right defensive end while two newcomers will be found in the secondary: free agent Thomas Smith at left cornerback and rookie Mike Brown at free safety. In addition, two incumbent starters can be found in a new position to open the 2000 season as Barry Minter makes the move from the weak side to the middle linebacker and Walt Harris switches over to the left cornerback spot. The only four defenders to start in the same spot in the 1999 and 2000 season openers will be left defensive end Bryan Robinson, left tackle Jim Flanigan, right tackle Mike Wells and strong safety Tony Parrish.
STARTING LINEUP CHANGES ON OPENING DAY
POS. 2000 1999 POS. 2000 1999
RE Phillip Daniels Russell Davis RCB Thomas Smith Walt Harris
RT Mike Wells Wells LCB Walt Harris Tom Carter
LT Jim Flanigan Flanigan SS Tony Parrish Parrish
LE Bryan Robinson B. Robinson FS Mike Brown Chris Hudson
WLB Warrick Holdman Barry Minter
MLB Barry Minter Sean Harris
SLB Rosevelt Colvin Rico McDonald
ADDING SOME (CUL)PEPPER: The Chicago Bears added some depth to the defensive line when they signed former Tampa Bay defensive tackle Brad Culpepper to a two-year deal last Wednesday (8/23). Culpepper, a nine-year NFL veteran, was released on Monday by the Buccaneers after collecting 378 tackles and 33 sacks over the past six seasons. In 1999, the Florida product started all 16 games while leading the Bucs defensive line with 72 tackles and adding six sacks. Culpepper was originally drafted by Minnesota in the 10th round of the 1992 Draft.
ROOKIE DEFENDERS: A pair of Chicago rookies saw significant playing time during the preseason in first-round pick Brian Urlacher and second-round choice Mike Brown. Urlacher, drafted ninth overall, started the first three preseason games at strong side linebacker. The New Mexico product ranked fourth on the team with 15 tackles while also recording five stops on special teams. Brown, selected 39th overall, collected an interception in his first action at New York and started the preseason finale at free safety. The Nebraska grad recorded 16 tackles this preseason to rank third on the team.
CHICAGO BEARS SPECIAL TEAMS
AND THE WINNER IS, PART I: Following a tightly contested training camp battle with the departed Jaret Holmes, rookie Paul Edinger will enter the 2000 regular season as the Chicago Bears' placekicker. Edinger, a sixth-round pick, hit 5-6 field goals during preseason play. The Michigan State alum was a perfect 5-5 on field goals from 30-49 yards out, with his only miss on a 54-yard attempt at Cincinnati. Holmes hit all five of his field goals in preseason play, as the two kickers combined to hit 10-11 through four games.
AND THE WINNER IS, PART II: The punting battle was decided before the Tennessee game, as second-year man Brent Bartholomew earned the job. The Bears waived Aron Langley in the cutdown to 65 players on Tuesday, Aug. 22, leaving Bartholomew as the lone punter on the roster. The Ohio State grad kicked 11 punts for 432 yards (39.3 avg.) during the preseason, including a long of 52 and four punts inside the 20-yard line. Bartholomew was acquired by Chicago this past offseason in a trade with Miami in exchange for a seventh-round pick in the 2000 Draft. Originally a sixth-round selection by the Dolphins in 1999, he saw action in two games last season before suffering a right knee injury.
RETURN TO PROMINENCE: After not returning kicks in the first two preseason games, Bears Pro Bowler Glyn Milburn registered three kickoff returns for 104 yards (34.7 average) against the Titans. Milburn nearly went all the way at the end of the first quarter, breaking off a 54-yard return before being tackled in Tennessee territory. The Stanford grad totaled six kickoff returns for 196 yards (32.7 avg.) and two punt returns for 19 yards during the preseason. He earned the second Pro Bowl bid of his career last season as a return specialist after leading Chicago with 1,426 yards on 61 kickoff returns and 346 yards on 30 punt returns.
RETURNS IN RESERVE: The Bears also found a pair of capable backup kick returners this preseason in wide receiver Eddie Kennison and cornerback R.W. McQuarters. Kennison, acquired in a trade with New Orleans this past offseason, returned five kicks for 175 yards (35.0 avg.), including a preseason-best 65 yard return at New York. McQuarters, a trade acquisition out of San Francisco, returned six kickoffs for 143 yards (23.8 avg.) and six punts for 67 yards (11.2 avg.), including a preseason-long punt return of 50 yards at New York.
OPENING DAY NOTES
OPENING DAY WINS: Chicago has 47 Opening Day wins, the most of any NFL franchise (Note: the NFL only credits the Bears with 39 Opening Day victories because they began counting in 1933). The New York Giants are second with 38. The Bears overall record on Opening Day is 47-28-5.
OPENING DAY STARTERS: With a start at Minnesota, right tackle James "Big Cat" Williams will have started his seventh straight Chicago season opener, the longest such streak on the Bears. Left guard Todd Perry has been in the Chicago starting lineup on Opening Day since 1995, while defensive stalwarts Jim Flanigan and Walt Harris have started every season opener since 1996.
OPENING DAY QUARTERBACKS: For the third straight season, the Chicago Bears will have a different quarterback in the starting lineup to open the season. Second-year man Cade McNown has started all four preseason games and will earn his first Opening Day start this weekend. Last season, veteran Shane Matthews started his first career game in the Bears season opener against Kansas City. In 1998, Erik Kramer began his final season in Chicago with an Opening Day start against Jacksonville.
LUCKY 13: The Bears have won 13 of their last 16 Season Openers, including a nine-game win streak from 1984-92. Chicago's nine consecutive victories from 1984-92 constitute the longest opening day streak in franchise history. The NFL's founding franchise was 10-1-4 over its first 15 Season Openers (1920-34). The worst losing streak Chicago has seen is six straight losses on Opening Day from 1964-69. Chicago snapped a two-game losing streak in home openers last season with a 20-17 win over Kansas City at Soldier Field.
UNFAMILIAR TERRITORY: With the Bears first game at Minnesota, Chicago will be opening a season on the road for just the second time since 1983. The Bears opened the season at Soldier Field nine times during the 1990's, with the only exception a 38-24 defeat at Green Bay in the 1997 season opener. Chicago is looking to snap a three-game losing streak in road openers since 1971 (1997, 82, 80). The last time the Bears opened the season with a road victory was in 1970, when Chicago earned a 24-16 victory against the New York Giants.
Overall, the Bears have compiled a 23-20-4 in road openers since 1920. From 1940-67, Chicago started the season with a road game every year, building a 13-14-1 mark. Since then, the Bears have opened on enemy territory in only five seasons (1969, 70, 80, 82 and 97).
FAMILIAR OPENING FOE?: While the Bears and the Vikings have met only three times out of 80 Opening Days, two of those games were played in the 1990's. The two teams' initial Opening Day meeting came in 1961, Minnesota's first game in the NFL, as the Vikings earned a 37-13 win at the old Metropolitan Stadium. The two squads did not open a season again until the 1990's, as Chicago defeated Minnesota at Soldier Field on Opening Day in 1991 (10-6) and 1995 (31-14). The Bears have never opened a season at the Metrodome. Chicago has started the season against a Minnesota team on one other occasion, as the Bears earned a 19-6 win in the 1929 season opener at the Minneapolis Marines.
NFC CENTRAL OPENERS: Since 1940, the Chicago Bears have opened against an NFC Central opponent in 36 different seasons, compiling a 21-14-1 record. Chicago has built a 10-4 record against NFC Central foes in home openers while compiling an 11-13-1 mark on the road. From 1940-69, the Bears never faced a division opponent in a home opener, instead starting the season on the road at either Green Bay (19 games), Detroit (2 games) or Minnesota on 22 different occasions. Following that string of road opening games, Chicago has hosted 11 Opening Days versus NFC Central teams since 1974.
Since 1976, when Tampa Bay joined the division to constitute the current NFC Central, the Bears have gone 9-4 in Opening Days against division foes. The Bears are 9-1 at home in those games and 0-3 on the road, including defeats at Green Bay (1980, 1997) and Detroit (1982). The last time Chicago opened the season with a win at an NFC Central opponent was in 1963, when the Bears won 10-3 at Green Bay. Chicago has lost six straight season openers on the road at NFC Central foes.
MORE CENTRAL ISSUES: Chicago plays four of its first five games this season against NFC Central foes, including two straight road games to open the schedule. The last time the Bears opened the season with two road games at division opponents was in 1964 (at Green Bay, Minnesota), with Chicago splitting the two games. The last time the Bears opened against two or more NFC Central teams was in 1997, when Chicago dropped three straight contests to division rivals. However, the Bears have never opened a season by playing NFC Central opponents in four of their first five games.
OPENING DAY SCORING: Chicago has averaged 25.8 points on Opening day since 1984. Five times the Bears have tallied 30 points or more, including 41 points against Cleveland in 1986. The franchise's Season Opening best was a 45-point outburst against Green Bay in 1948 resulting in a 45-7 win for the Bears on the road.
QUICK HITS…
DOWN TO 53: The Chicago Bears waived 17 players on Sunday, trimming their roster to 53. In addition, the team traded tackle Chad Overhauser to Seattle for an undisclosed draft pick and placed wide receiver Sulecio Sanford on Injured Reserve with a left knee injury. The following is a list of Sunday's cuts:
Ken Anderson (DT)* Russell Davis (DT) Dan Palmer (T)
Shawn Banks (LB) Scott Dragos (FB) Cordell Taylor (CB)
Corey Bridges (WR) Mark Hartsell (QB) Chris Ward (DE)
Keith Burns (LB) Jaret Holmes (K) Ryan Wetnight (TE)
Donnie Caldwell (S) Ray McElroy (CB) Ben Williams (DE)
Terry Cousin (CB) Frank Murphy (RB)
* Waived-Injured
NUMBER CHANGES: The following players changes jersey numbers:
Name New # Old # Name New # Old #
Dustin Lyman 89 49 Dez White 80 19
R.W. McQuarters 21 26 Troy Wilson 95 73
NEW BLOOD: The Bears have 15 players who will wear a blue and orange jersey for the first time this weekend at Minnesota. Last year, Chicago had 17 new faces on its final roster after seeing 22 new players for the 1998 season opener.
MAKING THE GRADE: Seven of the Bears' nine members of the 2000 Draft class made the 53-man roster, as only sixth-round pick Frank Murphy and seventh-round pick James Cotton were waived. A pair of Bears defenders will see significant playing time on defense. First-round pick Brian Urlacher started the first three preseason games at the strong side linebacker position and enters the regular season behind Rosevelt Colvin on the depth chart. Second-rounder Mike Brown started the preseason finale against Tennessee at free safety. Offensively, third-rounders Dez White and Dustin Lyman should see playing time at wide receiver and tight end, respectively. Sixth-round pick Paul Edinger won a battle for the placekicker position. Reggie Austin was picked in the fourth round and will spend the season on Injured Reserve while seventh-rounder Michael Green, the last player selected in the draft, will see time on special teams.
FIRST STARTS: Linebacker Rosevelt Colvin and rookie free safety Mike Brown are scheduled to make their first career starts at Minnesota this weekend. Colvin saw action in only 11 games as a rookie in 1999 and led the Bears in tackles during the 2000 preseason. Brown is Chicago's second-round pick and becomes the third Bears rookie since 1996 to start opening day in the defensive backfield. The other players on that list will start alongside Brown this weekend, as cornerback Walt Harris started the 1996 season opener and strong safety Tony Parrish earned the starting nod in the 1998 opener.
Starting for the first time in a Bears' uniform are free agent signees Phillip Daniels (right defensive end) and Thomas Smith (right cornerback).
MINNESOTA ROOTS: A pair of Bears defensive linemen made their start with the Minnesota Vikings. Newly acquired defensive tackle Brad Culpepper was originally drafted by Minnesota in the 10th round of the 1992 Draft. He played two years with the Vikings before being waived in 1994 and joining Tampa Bay. That same year, Culpepper spent time in Minnesota training camp with a rookie defensive tackle named Mike Wells, who was drafted in the fourth round of the 1994 Draft (125th overall) by the Vikings. Wells was also waived in that camp and moved on to play for Detroit before joining Chicago in 1998.
INJURIES: Through 18 days of practice in Platteville, Chicago had seen 35 players miss practice time due to injury. However, only two players missed the Titans game due to injury: Ty Hallock (abdominal strain), and Khari Samuel (right knee strain). Rookie tight end Dustin Lyman was forced out of the Tennessee game in the third quarter with a sprained left AC joint (shoulder) while running back James Allen left the field in the fourth quarter with muscle cramps.
CONNECTIONS: Bears linebacker coach Dale Lindsey played with Vikings director of pro personnel Paul Wiggin in Cleveland (1965-67)…Bears running backs coach Earle Mosley coached outside linebackers for two seasons (1984-85) under then head coach Dennis Green at Northwestern…Bears running back Glyn Milburn was a teammate of Vikings receiver Chris Walsh on the Cardinals 1992 Blockbuster Bowl winning squad while at Stanford…Milburn played for current Vikings head coach Dennis Green when he held the same position with the Cardinal (1989-91)…Green was named Big Ten Coach of the Year during his stint at Northwestern University (1981-85)…Minnesota linebackers coach John Fontes (1984) and running backs coach Carl Hargrave (1981-85) served as assistants to Green with the Wildcats… Bears Head Coach Dick Jauron and Minnesota offensive coordinator Sherman Lewis both served as assistants under Mike Holmgren at Green Bay from 1992-94…Chicago defensive coordinator Greg Blache was also on that Packers staff…Vikings assistant head coach Richard Solomon has coached at Southern Illinois University (1976) and Illinois (1980-86)…Vikings quarterbacks coach Alex Wood coached at Southern Illinois and served as head coach at James Madison from 1995-98, where he tutored Bears wide receiver Macey Brooks…Minnesota offensive line assistant Dean Dalton played at Western Illinois from 1983-84 and served as a WIU assistant coach from 1984-85…Vikings player personnel coordinator Scott Studwell was named to the University of Illinois All-Century Team, joining former Illini and Bear great Dick Butkus and Ray Nitschke as the linebackers on that squad…Bears newcomer Brad Culpepper was originally drafted by Minnesota in 1992 (10th round, 264th overall) and was waived by the Vikings in 1994…Chicago defensive tackle Mike Wells was also drafted by the Vikings, but two years later in 1994…Minnesota linebacker Pete Bercich grew up in Joliet, Illinois…Bercich played on the same Notre Dame defense as Chicago's Jim Flanigan and Shawn Wooden…Tight ends John Allred of Chicago and Johnny McWilliams of Minnesota played together at Souther Cal…Three members of the 1999 Wake Forest defense are now playing for Chicago and Minnesota in the Bears' Reggie Austin (injured reserve) and Dustin Lyman and the Vikings' Fred Robbins…Three defensive backs out of Northwestern State will be on the sidelines this weekend in Chicago's Mike Green and Minnesota's Keith Thiboudeaux and Kenny Wright…As a Wildcat in 1992, Bears guard Todd Perry blocked for the Vikings' Moe Williams, then a freshman running back at Kentucky…Last season, Minnesota wideout Cris Carter became the first recipient of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, renamed for the legendary Bears running back this past year.
NEXT WEEK: Chicago continues its season-opening stretch of NFC Central opponents with a road game at the defending division champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Kickoff is scheduled for Noon Chicago time.
OTHER NOTES
NFL Dream Team: In the September issue of NFL Insider, a panel of Pro Football Hall of Fame voters selected the NFL All-Time team. Three Chicago Bears were selected to the team in running back Walter Payton, linebacker Dick Butkus and kick returner Gale Sayers. Pittsburgh was the only team to have four selections, as five teams earned three picks (Chicago, Baltimore, Green Bay, San Diego and San Francisco). However, Butkus, Payton and Sayers spent their entire careers with the Bears while the selections among the other four teams played for multiple cities during their time in the NFL.
A League of Their Own: The Chicago Bears roster contains at least 13 players who have played professionally in a league other than the NFL. The majority of those players (11) took part in NFL Europe, including 1998 Offensive Most Valuable Player Marcus Robinson. Other Bears to play overseas are Ken Anderson, Shawn Banks, Donnie Caldwell, Scott Dragos, Mark Hartsell, Jaret Holmes, Chad Overhauser, Dan Palmer, Sulecio Sanford and Chris Ward. Two current Bears have played in the Canadian Football League; cornerback Todd McMillon, who spent three seasons with the Saskatchwan Roughriders, and tackle Uzooma Okeke, a member of three different teams from 1994-1999.
Roster Cuts: Tuesday, August 22, marks the NFL's mandatory cutdown day to a 65-man roster. The following Sunday, August 27, each NFL team must narrow its roster to 53 by 4:00 PM EST. On Monday, August 28, a five-man practice squad may be established after 4:00 PM EST. To be eligible for the practice squad, a player must not have an accrued season towards free agency. If a player does have an accrued season, he still is eligible for the practice squad if he was not on the active or inactive list for more than nine regular-season games. |
