ORCHARD PARK — When Jimmy Ciarlo sees the ball land in the hands of a kick returner, he sprints downfield like a heat-seeking missile. Ciarlo knows that if he doesn’t make a good enough impression, he may soon be sprinting into battle with a rifle.

Players who aren’t one of the 53 players selected for the final roster Tuesday or the 16 signed to the practice squad have to think about what’s coming next. Ciarlo already knows what comes after football and it’s inevitable.

kAm$9@F=5 r:2C=@ ?@E 36 @? 2? }u{ C@DE6C 3J E96 DE2CE @7 E96 D62D@? @C D9@CE=J 27E6C[ 96 H:== D6?5 9:D ?@E:46 E@ E96 &]$] pC>J 2?5 =:<6=J C6A@CE 3J E96 DAC:?8] p 8C25F2E6 @7 (6DE !@:?E[ H96C6 96 H2D 2 E62> 42AE2:?[ r:2C=@ @H6D 6:89E J62CD @7 D6CG:46 — 7:G6 24E:G6 2?5 E9C66 C6D6CG6 — 😕 9:D D6=64E65 7:6=5 2D 2? :?72?ECJ>2?[ 2 4@>>@? 49@:46 7@C 7@@E32== A=2J6CD H9@ 8@ E9C@F89 E96 24256>J]k^Am

kAmr:2C=@ :D?’E 5C625:?8 9:D D6CG:46[ :E’D D@>6E9:?8 E92E 96 H2?E65 E@ 5@[ A:4<:?8 pC>J @G6C @776CD 7C@> }2GJ 2?5 $JC24FD6 4@>:?8 @FE @7 9:89 D49@@= 2D 2 4@C?6C324< 😕 }6H y6CD6J] qFE r:2C=@ 😀 9@A:?8 E@ DE:4< H:E9 E96 qF772=@ q:==D 2D 2 aad\A@F?5 =:?6324<6C 2D =@?8 2D 96 42?[ @H:?8 9:D D6CG:46 😀 2=H2JD 2 72==324< @AE:@?]k^Am

kAm“%9:D @AA@CEF?:EJ 😀 D@>6E9:?8 E92E @?=J 4@>6D FA @?46 😕 2 =:76E:>6[” r:2C=@ E@=5 v}} $A@CED] “pD =@?8 2D x 42? 5@ E9:D[ x H2?E E@ 5@ :E] yFDE E2<6 25G2?E286 @7 E96 @AA@CEF?:E:6D E92E x 92G6] p?5 H9:=6 E96 5@@C’D DE:== @A6?[ x’== 2=H2JD DE:== AFCDF6 :E] ~?46 E92E 5@@C’D 4=@D65[ x’> 4@>A=6E6=J C625J E@ ;F>A :?E@ H92E >J pC>J 42C66C’D 8@:?8 E@ =@@< =:<6]”k^Am

kAmq67@C6 E96 q:==D 42==65[ r:2C=@ H2D 2=C625J AC6A2C:?8 E@ 42== E96 pC>J] %C2:?:?8 42>A DE2CE65 2?5 96 H2D?’E @? 2 C@DE6C]k^Am

kAmp7E6C 8@:?8 F?5C27E65[ r:2C=@ D:8?65 H:E9 E96 y6ED =2DE J62C] qFE @? 9:D 7@FCE9 A=2J — 2== @? DA64:2= E62>D — @7 9:D 7:CDE AC6D62D@? 82>6[ r:2C=@ 76=E 9:D pr{ 3=@H[ 6?5:?8 9:D D62D@? 367@C6 :E 3682?]k^Am

kAm%96 y6ED <6AE r:2C=@ @? :?;FC65 C6D6CG6[ 2==@H:?8 9:> E@ C6923 9:D 66 H:E9 E96 E62>] qFE 9625 4@249 #@36CE $2=69 H2D 7:C65 7:G6 82>6D :?E@ E96 D62D@? 2?5 6G6?EF2==J C6A=2465 3J p2C@? v=6??]k^Am

kAmr:2C=@ H2D C6=62D65 😕 |2J[ ;FDE 52JD 367@C6 96 H2D 6G6?EF2==J 4=62C65 E@ C6EFC? 7C@> :?;FCJ] w6 H@C<65 @FE H:E9 E96 !2EC:@ED ;FDE 367@C6 EC2:?:?8 42>A[ 3FE :E 5:5?’E =625 E@ 2 D:8?:?8] }6:E96C 5:5 2 G:D:E H:E9 E96 v:2?ED]k^Am

kAm“xE C62==J 76=E =:<6 2== >J 9@A6D 2?5 5C62>D H6C6 8@?6[” r:2C=@ D2:5] “… x 925?’E 925 2?J 5676?D:G6 D?2AD J6E[ D@ H:E9 ?@ 7:=>[ E@C? pr{ 4@>:?8 2?5 ~%pD H6C6 DE2CE:?8[ x 6H 2E E92E A@:?E :E AC@323=J 5:5?’E =@@< E@@ 8@@5 7@C >6] p?5 F?7@CEF?2E6=J[ E92E’D ;FDE E96 3FD:?6DD 2DA64E @7 7@@E32==] … x H2D ;FDE =@@<:?8 7@C 2?J @E96C @AA@CEF?:EJ 27E6C E92E]”k^Am

kAmqFE D9@CE=J 27E6C 7:?:D9:?8 9:D H@C<@FE H:E9 E96 v:2?ED[ E96 q:==D 2=D@ C6BF6DE65 2 H@C<@FE] {:?6324<6C q2J=@? $A64E@C ;FDE DF776C65 2 42=7 :?;FCJ 2?5 E96 q:==D H6C6 AC6A2C65 E@ A=246 9:> @? H2:G6CD] u:G6 52JD 27E6C G:D:E:?8 E96 v:2?ED[ r:2C=@ H2D A=2J:?8 282:?DE E96>]k^Am

kAmr:2C=@ >:89E 36 2 =@?8D9@E E@ >2<6 E96 db\>2? C@DE6C[ 3FE 96’D FD65 E@ 492==6?86D] w6 =:<6D E@ 962C 23@FE 4@==686 6IA6C:6?46D 7C@> E62>>2E6D 3642FD6 9:D H2D 4@>A=6E6=J 5:776C6?E E92? H92E 2?J @7 E96> 6IA6C:6?465]k^Am

kAmx? 255:E:@? E@ >6E:4F=@FD F?:7@C> C6BF:C6>6?ED[ (6DE !@:?E 4256ED H6C6 DF3;64E65 E@ 2 C:8@C@FD 52:=J D4965F=6[ DE2CE:?8 367@C6 f 2]>] 2?5 6?5:?8 2E “ib_ A]>][ H96? %2AD 649@65 E9C@F89 42>AFD[ D:8?2=:?8 7@C 2== 4256ED E@ 36 😕 E96:C 5@C>:E@C:6D]k^Am

kAm%96 H9@=6 6IA6C:6?46 😀 56D:8?65 E@ 36 5:77:4F=E 2?5 r:2C=@ =@G65 :E] w:D 8C62E\8C2?572E96C[ 9:D F?4=6D 2?5 9:D 4@FD:?D H6C6 2== 😕 E96 >:=:E2CJ 2?5 r:2C=@ 76=E :E 42==:?8 E@ 9:> 2E 2 J@F?8 286]k^Am

kAm|2?J :?DECF4E@CD 2E E96 24256>J 2C6 7@C>6C DEF56?ED 2?5 E96J @776C E96:C 6IA6C:6?46D] r:2C=@ :5@=:K65 D@>6 @7 E96> 2?5 E92E’D 9@H 96 =2?565 @? 36:?8 2? :?72?ECJ>2?[ 2=@?8 H:E9 2 56D:C6 E@ >2:?E2:? D@>6 @7 E96 E9:?8D 96 =@G6D 23@FE A=2J:?8 7@@E32==]k^Am

kAm“%92E’D C62==J E96 3C2?49 x E9:?< >2E496D E96 >@DE H:E9 H92E x’G6 5@?6 >J H9@=6 =:76[ H9:49 😀 2 =@4<6C C@@>\EJA6 6?G:C@?>6?E[ H96C6 :E’D 2 E:89E\:=:E2CJ 7@C >6]”k^Am