Will France’s Dable, Germany’s Boehringer and Australia’s Gotsis Make The Cut In The NFL?

It is cutdown day in the NFL today, August 30.

It’s the day that NFL teams must cut down from 90 players to 75. The next and final cuts are made September 3 to pare down to a 53 man roster.

Which of the three international newcomers most in the limelight has the best chance of making the 53 man active roster on their respective teams?

Anthony Dable (France), New York Giants (doubtful)

NFL - Giants-Dable.2-2

According to Ed Valentine of SB Nation, Anthony Dable looks to be one of the 15 players to  be let go by the New York Giants to reach the roster limit of 75. He has not seen the ball much during the preseason and against the New York Jets he was one of two of the 12 wide receivers who did not dress.

However, that may have been a move by the Giants coaches to keep a low profile to be able to waive him and place him on practice squad. As an international player he he does not count against the 10 player practice squad limit.

Moritz Boehringer (Germany), Minnesota Vikings (doubtful)

Germany - Boehringer - Vikings training camp

According to blogger Adam Houck, Moritz Boehringer is definitely on the bubble but will likely end up on the practice squad.

Moritz Boehringer (hey, did you know he’s from Germany?) has barely sniffed the playing field in the two games. Always considered a low floor – decently high ceiling prospect, it appears Boehringer will be sent to the practice squad if he clears waivers, which he should.

In Boehringer’s case as well, his international status allows him to be kept around on the practice squad without counting against the player limit of 10.

One blogger had this to say following the Vikings preseason win over the San Diego Chargers:

Also, I have scarcely seen Moritz Boehringer this preseason, and not at all today. The lack of snaps cater to my theory that the coaching staff is attempting to sneak him on to the practice squad without getting snatched up by another team. Either that, or he just isn’t good.

Adam Gotsis (Australia), Denver Broncos (likely)

CHICAGO, IL - AUGUST 11: Adam Gotsis #99 of the Denver Broncos awaits the snap against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on August 11, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. The Broncos defeated the Bears 22-0. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Gotsis has recovered from the torn ACL suffered last fall when playing for Gerogia Tech and has seen plenty of playing action in the the three preseason games. Normally he has been coming off the bench in the second quarter and getting major minutes. He has impressed the coaching staff who are counting on him in a six man rotation. Cameron Wolfe of the Denver Post is high on him as is head coach Gary Kubiak.

“He still has a long way to go as a young player, but obviously we’re counting on him big time,” coach Gary Kubiak said.

Wolfe:

Now, Gotsis and second-year defensive lineman Darius Kilgo likely will be the first two defensive linemen off the bench for a unit that uses a six-man rotation.

Should all three survive the first day of cuts, Saturday September 3 still looms.

Other international hopefuls who did not make the cut include Kenya’s Helva Matungulu who was released by the New York Jets. Great Britain’s Efe Obada was waived by the Atlanta Falcons August 26.

The NFL regular season opens Thursday September 8 when the Denver Broncos play the Carolina Panthers in a rematch of Super Bowl 50 which Denver won 24-10.

Roger Kelly is an editor and a writer for AFI. A former PR Director the B.C. Lions of the Canadian Football League for 7 years, he now lives in Sweden writing about and scouting American Football throughout the world.