CHARLOTTE — The next few days are an integral and painful time for crafting an NFL roster.
They are a touchstone of the offseason, a hinge on which a team can swing, and when all the work from the spring and summer begins to come to a head.
The next few days follow the same pattern each year, allowing those involved to better know what to expect and when to expect it, giving a sense of normalcy to the whole thing.
But let's be honest, the next few days are hard.
"I think you get to a certain point in your career where you just understand that it is what it is," explained linebacker Jon Rhattigan .
By Tuesday at 4 p.m. EST, all 32 NFL clubs must have their initial 53-man roster set. Camp rosters sit at 90 players each, give or take an International Pathway Player (of which the Panthe