0 of 32

Steven Senne/Associated Press

This summer, a shadow will begin to spread across NFL training camps. A cold, dark wind will blow through locker rooms from Miami to Seattle. Fear will soon wrap its bony fingers around the hearts of players all over the league.

The specter of the grim reaper known as "The Turk" will stalk the land.

For those of you who haven't seen Hard Knocks, The Turk is football vernacular for the assistant coach who gets the unenviable task of fetching players so that they can walk the green mile to the meeting where they will be informed they're no longer on the team.

Usually, those players are late-round rookies and veteran journeymen who spend their football lives on the fringes of rosters. They come to expect that every knock at the door is the one that will send them packing.

Sometimes, however, The Turk catches players off guard. Maybe it's a high-priced veteran nearing the end of the line. Or a Day 2 pick who has disappointed in a big way.

Whatever the case, the players listed here had best keep their guard up. There's not much margin for error.

Or else they might just hear a knock at the door one night.