The New York Giants close their preseason Friday night against the New York Jets. The NFL’s roster cutdown deadline is Sunday at 6:00 p.m. ET, when the team must reduce its roster from 90 players to 53.
Tough cuts are expected this year.
Head coach John Harbaugh addressed the human side of the process when asked about his message to players, particularly those on the bubble, as the final week of preseason arrives.
“We tell them your best dream is not too big, matter of fact, it might not even be big enough,” Harbaugh told reporters. “And you have the right to go ahead and feel free to hope for all the things that inside you might not even want to tell anybody because for fear that someone might -- but if they’re not laughing at your dream, then
it’s not big enough either, so say it, speak it and go for it. And these guys have really done that.”
Harbaugh said the players have talked with one another and committed to helping each other achieve their dreams. He pointed to the relationships formed in meetings and among the group, noting that competitors for the same position can be seen rooting for one another and helping each other along on the sideline.
“You see so many of the best things about human nature come out on a football team, believe it or not,” he said.
This week will be challenging, Harbaugh acknowledged, because some players will not remain after the cuts. He pointed to defensive lineman Ben Barten, who was released by the Jets and returned to the Giants this week. Harbaugh told him he would be back and recalled former owner Wellington Mara’s line that once a Giant, always a Giant.
"Wellington Mara famously said, ‘Once a Giant, always a Giant.’ I think that holds true as well. So, you become part of the team, part of the organization, part of the fabric of what it means to be a Giant, and I do think that those guys, they treasure it," he said.
Every player in an NFL camp ranks among the top athletes in the world, Harbaugh reminded the group. Whether they stay or leave, each can look back proudly knowing he put his best foot forward for the rest of his life.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: John Harbaugh's message before cutdown day: Once a Giant, Always a Giant
