Living on the edge

As cuts loom, life on the fringes is fraught with anxiety

The Turk is on the prowl.

When the clock strikes four this afternoon, the Patriots must have their roster cut down to a maximum of 75 players. That means a handful of guys will be on the lookout for The Turk, the one guy in the organization who’s given the unfortunate chore of telling guys the chilling news: “Coach needs to see you. And bring your playbook.” According to players who have been cut by New England, bad news in Foxborough is delivered before you reach the locker room — the franchise usually stations an employee at the door to the players entrance of Gillette Stadium.

So you could understand that as any one of the designated cutdown days approach — New England must be at 75 by 4 p.m. today, and then get down to 53 by Saturday — the anxiety level is high, especially for those who might be fighting for a roster spot. On the fringes of the roster, many times, you don’t have the luxury of being able to coast through the preseason like many of the established veterans. You are fighting for your professional life. As a result, the pressure is occasionally on a player either in practice or in a game to try and do too much in a last-ditch attempt to make the team.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick says that would be a mistake. There’s a simple way to make sure you make the roster.

“I think it comes back to do your job first, whatever that is. We all have an important job on the football team and we all have to do that job,” Belichick said. “Everyone has to do their job. That is where it all starts.

“I constantly tell [the players] there isn’t anything more you can do than prepare to play, and play when you get the opportunity to play,” he added. “I think they are better off not worrying about all of those, and concentrate on what they can do to do their job better.”

Patriots tight end Stephen Spach can tell you all about the drama that goes with cutdown day. After spending the entire 2005 season with Philadelphia, in 2006, the Fresno State product survived the first round of cuts with the Eagles, only to be released as part of the final cuts. A year later, the same scenario played out with the Vikings. He says the pressure can lead players on the bubble to try some over-the-top stuff as cutdown day approached, but that sort of thing rarely worked.

“All you can do is your job. Whether that temptation is there or not, if you don’t stay focused on what you’re trying to do, then something bad can happen,” said Spach. “Do your job — that’s the most important thing. That’s what’s going to catch the coaches’ eye in a good organization like this. They know what they’re asking you to do, and you know your job here.”

While the players involved today’s cuts from 80 to 75 won’t have the chance Thursday night against the Giants, many of those who survive The Turk’s initial visit will use the preseason finale against New York in the Meadowlands as a final audition. One of those players could be Ray Ventrone, a defensive back who has been lining up at wide receiver. He has fared well thus far — a team-high eight receptions in the preseason — which should guarantee him safe passage through the first round of cuts.

But he knows that when you’re living on the outer edges of the roster, you’re only as good as your last outing.

“The past is the past,” Ventrone said. “I’m trying to make some plays on Thursday.”