Former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman, Ramon Foster was lucky to never get a call from a team official to give him the unfortunate news that he did not make the 53-man roster. That didn't mean the day could still be emotional for him. He had multiple teammates cut while he was with them. Foster shared his personal experiences and peeled back the curtain on some of the things that happened on that day.
Christopher Horner / Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Ramon Foster stands next to Mike Tomlin during a 2017 game against the Cleveland Browns.
Foster shared a couple of stories about his early adventures during that day with co-host Dejan Kovacevic on the Tuesday edition of The Ramon Foster Steelers Show. He said that it can be very hard for players who are left without a roster spot. While it is a business decision at the end of the day, it can still be difficult to watch guys you've known for years or even just weeks face a potential roadblock in achieving their dreams of being an NFL player.
He said that one year he was in Niagara Falls, Canada, with a friend on the team. While on the trip, they got a call telling them they had been cut. Another year, he had a teammate over at his house, and his phone rang with that fateful call from a team official. After that, he made a rule.
"I said when it comes down to the final 53, don't call me," he said. "I got busy on cut day and I didn't want to be around anybody."
He joked that he's adding a new rule now that he's moved into the media side of the business: to not talk about any fringe guys on the podcast the day before the cut day. On the Monday show, Foster said that tight end Zach Gentry would be a potential surprise cut, and Kovacevic and Foster opened the Tuesday show saying that they jinxed it. Gentry was among the cuts made by the team on Tuesday before the 4 p.m. EST deadline.
Steelers' Foster Pulls Back The Curtain On Cut Day
Foster said that the call that a player is getting cut can come from Head Coach Mike Tomlin, General Manager Omar Khan, or another senior member of the front office. When a player gets that call, if they ask for feedback, Foster said that whoever is making the call will give the player the reasons for not ending up on the final 53-man roster.
He added that if a player genuinely takes feedback, they will often be one of the first calls when the team is assembling the practice squad. He also said that for some players who show promise, Tomlin will try to use his connections to help the player find a new home in the NFL.
DK Pittsburgh Sports
Former Steelers guard Ramon Foster and co-host Dejan Kovacevic break down what happens on a cut day and get into some of the decisions made in advance of the 2023 season.
Foster said he once saw a guy fully coast through camp because he was certain he had a roster spot secured. Sure enough, he got cut. Foster said the player didn't ask for feedback because he was professional enough to know he had not put his best foot forward.
He said it's important for all players, but especially players on the roster bubble to practice hard. Once a player thinks they're safe, they can start to develop bad practice habits, like not blocking properly, and start to have mental errors. When that happens, their time in Pittsburgh will come to a swift end. They can probably forget about Tomlin vouching for them to earn a spot in another organization too.
Nate Guidry / Pittsburgh-Post-Gazette
Steelers guard Ramon Foster stretches during a practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.
While the cut day is a fun day for fans to see the first version of who will be playing for their favorite team in an upcoming season, it can be a tough day for players as Foster explained. It's not just tough on the guys getting cut either. Foster literally made the decision to avoid his teammates because he didn't want to have to be there to see one of his brothers be shown the door.
What did you take away from Foster's observations on the cut day? Did it change how you think about it? Comment below!
#SteelerNation
