The list of finalists to be the 2015 participants of “Hard Knocks” reportedly is down to three.
According to multiple reports, the Houston Texans, Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins are the three finalists to be featured on NFL Films’ behind-the-scenes series documenting an NFL team during training camp and the preseason. ESPN.com’s Tania Ganguli reported Friday morning that the Texans are actually the favorites to land the spot.
The Cleveland Browns reportedly were believed to be the front-runner at one point, but they requested to be withdrawn from consideration. According to ESPN Cleveland, the Browns made the request in large part due to quarterback Johnny Manziel’s offseason rehab stint.
The NFL reportedly will honor that request, which leaves the other three “finalists.”
There’s a case to be made for all three of those teams to be featured on the program. The Texans are in the midst of a rebuild, and defensive end J.J. Watt is one of the NFL’s most popular players. The Bills would be a good choice if for no other reason than new head coach Rex Ryan, who stole the show when his New York Jets were featured on the show in 2010. With the Redskins, everything they do brings drama, so that’s not a bad choice, either.
Thumbnail photo via Dale Zanine/USA TODAY Sports Images
