"Hard Knocks" episode 4 recap: Roster drama anticlimactic

Yes, but: For fans, the storylines are a week behind.

• Case in point: The Bears made their roster cuts on Tuesday, which will be what is featured in next week's episode.
• Storylines with bubble players are not as riveting when you already know whether they made the team.

Zoom out: But the episode still delivers the good stuff, showing the full coaching staff sitting around a conference room talking about players.

• The show slyly used references to "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" as three players visit the top of the Willis (Sears) Tower. Nice nod.
• A peculiar segment showed rookie Caleb Williams practicing spiking the football to kill the clock rather than montages of Williams throwing the football.
• Tyson Bagent's arm wrestling father Travis is getting a lot of screen time. Again, more football please.
• Veterans sent rookies to a nearby supermarket to buy a bunch of snacks, which worked because Rome Odunze is a player we want to watch on and off the field.
• Running back Ian Wheeler's quest to make the team was cut short when he tore an ACL in the preseason game against the Chiefs. The show did a great job showing the anguish of the player, the family and even the coaches.
• So far, the star of the series is a new face to Chicago — new running backs coach Chad Morton is stealing the show with his wit, humor and straight-ahead coaching style.

State of play: In the early minutes of the episode, a copy of the book "Smart Brevity" by the Axios co-founders is on general manager Ryan Poles' desk.

The bottom line: It would be great to see more practice footage and coaches huddled behind closed doors, but the show is still building suspense and storylines that could play out in the regular season.

What's next: The final episode will air Sept. 3.