One of the hardest days of the year for NFL front office members, coaches, and players is cut day. NFL teams must trim their rosters down from 90 to 53 players on Aug. 29, at 4 p.m. ET. Unlike in previous years, where there were multiple cut days, the entire roster purge will occur on one day.
Every year, there are surprising roster cuts, and numerous big-name and talented players will be squeezed off of the roster. Here is the best player on every team's roster bubble that is at risk of being let go on cut day.
Arizona Cardinals: Rashard Lawrence, DL
After showing signs of potential early in his career, Rashard Lawrence has fallen down the depth chart and may be on his way out as the Cardinals look to get younger in their rebuild.
Atlanta Falcons: Cordarrelle Patterson, RB
Patterson's positional versatility makes him an unlikely NFL cut candidate, but he really came into his own when he was moved to a full-time running back role. With Bijan Robinson paired with Tyler Allgeier in Atlanta's rushing attack, there won't be a lot of carries to go around, and Patterson is 32 years old. Patterson has also been injured for a couple of weeks and has lost valuable time to show his worth.
Baltimore Ravens: Ben Cleveland, OL
A recent third-round pick in 2021, Cleveland hasn't done enough to warrant being a lock to make the Ravens roster.
Buffalo Bills: Shaq Lawson, EDGE
Shaq Lawson is still a productive pass rusher, but there isn't enough room for everyone on the Bills deep depth chart at edge rusher. With players like Von Miller, Leonard Floyd, A.J. Epenesa, and Greg Rousseau needing snaps, there may not be enough room on the roster for Lawson.
Carolina Panthers: Eric Rowe, DB
Eric Rowe has had a nice NFL career, but father time is catching up to the 30-year-old. The safety has had struggles against faster pass catchers all preseason long.
Chicago Bears: Equanimeous St. Brown, WR
The Bears have brought in a lot of bodies into the wide receiver room in the last year, signaling someone has to go. One surprising name that is on the roster bubble is Equanimeous St. Brown.
Cincinnati Bengals: La'el Collins, OL
The once prized free agent acquisition, La'el Collins, has slid down the depth chart at tackle, and the Bengals can free up $7.7 million in cap space if they were to let him go.
Cleveland Browns: Anthony Schwartz, WR
The Browns have needed more depth at wide receiver for years, and now that they finally have that, they may look to end the experiment with Anthony Schwartz. The 2021 third-round pick hasn't lived up to expectations of being a premier deep threat.
Dallas Cowboys: Jourdan Lewis, CB
The Cowboys have a lot of players worthy of a roster spot on the defensive side of the ball, so they have no need to keep players with injury question marks. While Lewis has always produced when he has been on the field during his Cowboys tenure, his lisfranc injury is a major red flag that may put him on the outside looking in of the Cowboys final 53-man roster.
Denver Broncos: Tony Jones Jr., RB
The emergence of Jaleel McLaughlin this preseason has made Tony Jones Jr. expendable. The Broncos are likely to keep 3-4 running backs, and Jones Jr. seems like the odd man out.
Detroit Lions: Julian Okwara, EDGE
What was recently one of the weakest position groups on the roster, the Lions have had a lot of players emerge as pass rushers, potentially pushing Okwara off of the roster.
Green Bay Packers: Patrick Taylor, RB
Last year, the Packers took an interesting approach to cut day, only carrying two running backs on the 53-man roster and instead using practice squad call-ups to add depth to the position group. The Packers may take a similar approach this season, with Taylor being a guy destined for the practice squad.
Houston Texans: Jerry Hughes, DE
Aging veterans are always at risk of getting the axe from young and rebuilding teams, and the 35-year-old Hughes is no exception.
Indianapolis Colts: Mo Alie-Cox, TE
Mo Alie-Cox's role was reduced last year, and while the tight end room around him has gotten younger, Alie-Cox appears to have regressed. He is surely on the roster bubble and seems like a likely cut candidate.
Jacksonville Jaguars: K'Lavon Chaisson, EDGE
The former NFL first-round pick is nearing bust territory and has been a major disappointment in Jacksonville for years. It is very possible this is finally the year the Jaguars cut their losses and move on.
Kansas City Chiefs: Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB
While I think the Chiefs give Edwards-Helaire one last shot, the former first-rounder is most definitely on the roster bubble. He has flashed at times, but the LSU product hasn't lived up to expectations and has been outplayed by cheaper options.
Las Vegas Raiders: Amik Robertson, CB
Amik Robertson looks like the odd man out in a deep Raiders defensive backfield. While Robertson does have talent, his skills are best suited for the nickel, a spot that Las Vegas has too many options to choose from.
Los Angeles Chargers: Dustin Hopkins, K
The Chargers are in the midst of a battle for the starting kicker competition. Cameron Dicker came onto the scene strong late last year in Los Angeles, and while he is listed behind Dustin Hopkins on the depth chart right now, he is the younger and cheaper option, making Hopkins a potential cut candidate.
Los Angeles Rams: Demarcus Robinson, WR
The Rams went all in for a Super Bowl victory, trading away NFL draft picks and absorbing bad contracts in the process. While it was worth it for the Super Bowl, it has left the team depleted of young talent, meaning it is possible the team will give shots to the few young players they do have. That means an older veteran like Demarcus Robinson is likely on the roster bubble.
Miami Dolphins: Malik Reed, EDGE
Miami has a stacked roster filled with talent. They will have some tough decisions on cut day, and Malik Reed may be one of those tough decisions. The linebacker depth may be too significant for Reed to overcome.
Minnesota Vikings: Jalen Reagor, WR
The Vikings have given second chances to multiple first-round disappointments at the wide receiver spot. N'Keal Harry was already released by the team; it is very possible Reagor is next.
New England Patriots: Lawrence Guy, DE
Lawrence Guy has been a mainstay on the Patriots roster for years, but at 33 years old, the defensive lineman's time in New England may be running out.
New Orleans Saints: Tre'Quan Smith, WR
Michael Thomas has finally returned to health, meaning Smith, who has had his own injury issues through training camp and preseason, is a player on the roster bubble.
New York Giants: Sterling Shepard, WR
The Giants have made numerous moves to surround Daniel Jones with more weapons, meaning the longest-tenured Giant, Sterling Shepard, could have a hard time making the roster.
New York Jets: Michael Carter, RB
The signing of Dalvin Cook created a numbers crunch in the Jets backfield. Michael Carter and Bam Knight are likely fighting for one roster spot. Carter would be a surprise cut, but he is definitely on the roster bubble.
Philadelphia Eagles: Marcus Mariota, QB
Jalen Hurts does a lot of running for an NFL quarterback, putting the Eagles franchise player at risk of injury. Therefore, the Eagles have to get the backup quarterback position decision correct after letting Gardner Minshew walk in free agency. Marcus Mariota had a bad year for the Atlanta Falcons last year, and he has been underwhelming in preseason, meaning Philadelphia may go with Tanner McKee as Hurt's backup instead of Mariota.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Kendrick Green, OL
Kendrick Green has been a disappointment in Pittsburgh. His time with the Steelers will most likely be coming to a close sooner rather than later.
San Francisco 49ers: Javon Kinlaw, DT
Javon Kinlaw's career has been ravaged by injury, and the 49ers coaching staff may be running out of patience. There isn't much financial incentive to cut bait with the former first-rounder, but the Niners may prioritize more reliable depth.
Seattle Seahawks: Dee Eskridge, WR
Dee Eskridge was a second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, but the Seahawks have seemingly already moved on from the receiver.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: John Wolford, QB
While Wolford is a competent backup quarterback, the Buccaneers handed the keys to Baker Mayfield to run the offense. That means Kyle Trask will be the backup, and it is possible the team only rosters two quarterbacks.
Tennessee Titans: Jordan Roos, OL
The Titans have already prioritized getting younger on the offensive line, moving on from longtime tackle Taylor Lewan and drafting Peter Skoronski in the first round. They may take a similar approach by moving on from Jordan Roos.
Washington Commanders: Logan Thomas, TE
The 32-year-old Logan Thomas is on a downward trajectory for his career. He has had some injury problems in recent years, and the Commanders could create cap space by releasing him.
Follow Us
Subscribe