Indianapolis — As if it wasn't difficult enough to survive roster cuts in the NFL, try accomplishing the feat when you sign with a team after training camp has already started.
At that stage, you've missed the acclimation period of the offseason program, where there's time to get to know your teammates and the playbook. You now have less than a month to make an impression, so you can't afford to do anything but hit the ground running.
That's the scenario both running back Justin Jackson and wide receiver Maurice Alexander faced when they joined the Detroit Lions two days apart at the beginning of the month.