Going from a 90-man roster during the spring down to a 53-man roster is not a surprise for Lovie Smith.
The Houston Texans coach is in his 12th season in the NFL as the man on the sidelines. Part of what helps him make his decisions is to clarify the goals for the players.
“What I’ve learned is that we kind of know the rules early on and numbers we have to get down to,” Smith told reporters Monday. “You let the players know early. ‘Guys, eventually we have to get to this. Everything you do from now on, we’re looking at.’”
The NFL Smith is in compared to what he entered in 2004 as coach of the Chicago Bears is one of information. With practices filmed, the coaching staff and personnel departments have plenty of information to decide who fits with the organization and who doesn’t.
Ultimately, Smith listens to an inner voice.
Said Smith: “What I’ve learned is there’s a gut feeling you go with, backed up by information, and we grade everything. We see them in every environment. In the end, I don’t think the decisions are that hard. It becomes clearer when you just let guys start playing.”
The only group of players that can prove mysterious are the rookies, according to Smith.
“Rookies you don’t know, you let them come in and you just start comparing them and they kind of tell you,” Smith said. “It’s not my first rodeo and that’s what I felt going into hard cuts. In the end, it’s pretty clear on what you need to do.”
The Texans need to get to 53 players by 3:00 p.m. Central Time Aug. 30.
