- The NFL’s deadline for teams to set their initial 53-man rosters is Aug. 26.
- Several starters from 2024, including Commanders RB Brian Robinson Jr. and Patriots OLB Anfernee Jennings, could be sent packing.
- New England could be cutting both of its wide receiver draft picks from 2024 as part of a larger shake-up.
For front offices and coaches, the cuts can entail a handful of difficult decisions. By and large, however, the process largely entails formalizing moves that had been clear for some number of weeks, with time finally up for hordes of undrafted rookies and other long shots who filled out the 90-man groups through preseason.
But even though franchises more often split from their marquee and high-investment players much closer to free agency and the draft than the start of the season, cutdown day still can spark some consequential action. And the process of paring down for Week 1 can force teams to render verdicts on players whom they once envisioned serving as key contributors in short order.
Here are 12 notable players who could be on the chopping block as the NFL’s 53-man roster deadline looms next Tuesday:
New England Patriots wide receivers Ja’Lynn Polk, Javon Baker and Kendrick Bourne
Few units were as maligned in 2024 as the Patriots’ receiving corps, which scarcely provided Drake Maye anything beyond the magic the No. 3 overall pick could create on his own. With Stefon Diggs signed to be the new go-to target and third-round pick Kyle Williams providing a field-stretching complement to slot DeMario Douglas, the top of the depth chart found resolution relatively quickly over the spring and summer. But the back end has seen several shifts, with the latest seemingly putting several big names on the outside looking in heading into the final exhibition contest.
With Mike Vrabel putting his imprint on the roster right away, draft capital might not be enough to save either Polk, a second-round pick just last year, or Baker, a fourth-round pick from the same class. Both wideouts have seemingly been lapped by Efton Chism III, an undrafted rookie who earned Maye’s seal of approval in organized team activities and caught all six of his targets for 71 yards and a touchdown last week against the Minnesota Vikings. Leaving open the possibility for the Eastern Washington product to be scooped up by another team might be a non-starter for New England at this point given how much value he has shown. With Kayshon Boutte and Mack Hollins entrenched as backups, it’s hard to see a path forward for either of the second-year pass catchers or the reliable Bourne, who signed a three-year, $19.5 million contract with the Patriots last March.
Patriots safety Kyle Dugger and outside linebacker Anfernee Jennings
For all of the focus on the offseason improvements to the Patriots’ moribund offense, the defense has been treated to plenty of upheaval itself in recent months – and more could be on the way.
Dugger, who has started 65 games for New England in the last five years and signed a four-year, $58 million deal to remain with the team last spring, has been relegated to second-string work. That might have been dismissed as merely part of his recovery from the tightrope ankle surgery he underwent after last season, but his usage in the last preseason game – a team-high 45 snaps, including the final play, all of which came after the starters came out – indicates something more meaningful afoot. Executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said Monday he still believes there’s a place for Dugger, but it’s difficult to envision where that is. The combination of a dead cap hit of $14.25 million and savings of just over $1 million might dissuade the Patriots from making a move, but a clean break might be in order.
Jennings, a full-time starter for the last two years, also proved to be a poor schematic fit for the new coaching staff. Yet his extended action in the preseason might have paid off, as he recorded three sacks last week. The sixth-year veteran can’t be counted on to provide much of a spark as a pass rusher for a defense that ranked last in sacks in 2024, but New England would benefit from a little reliability on the edge given how volatile the team’s other options are.
Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Beanie Bishop Jr. and edge rusher DeMarvin Leal
An undrafted free agent out of West Virginia, Bishop emerged from relative anonymity to string together some notable moments while stepping in as the Steelers’ nickel corner last season, notching four interceptions, seven passes defensed and the October award for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month. But Pittsburgh’s trade for Jalen Ramsey and signing of Brandin Echols would seem to leave the slot-only defender without much of a home, and defensive coordinator Teryl Austin confirmed Monday that the odds are stacked against Bishop sticking around.
“(Bishop) really has to fight and work to get some splash to put himself in the picture,” Austin said.
The same could be said of Leal, though perhaps it might already be too late for the 2022 third-round pick. Long considered a tweener, the 6-4, 290-pounder struggled to find a true position in the pros but eventually settled in at outside linebacker. Yet translating his impressive athleticism into any semblance of production still hasn’t come easy. With super sub Nick Herbig and third-round rookie Jack Sawyer providing depth behind the standout pass rushing tandem of T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, Leal looks superfluous heading into the final year of his deal.
Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr.
What began Monday as trade speculation surrounding the Commanders’ lead back ended the night as a tacit admission of the team’s plans. Robinson sat out Washington’s preseason contest against the Cincinnati Bengals, and coach Dan Quinn’s comments afterward appeared to cement a changing of the guard in the backfield. Robinson has been a steady ball carrier throughout his first three years, eclipsing 700 yards rushing in each campaign. But there might not be many takers for a ball carrier who lacks an explosive element to his game and is set to earn $3.4 million in base salary for the final year of his contract, leaving a release as the more reasonable resolution.
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Skyy Moore
Never mind the two drops he was responsible for in last week’s preseason loss to the Seattle Seahawks, as coach Andy Reid brushed those aside as uncharacteristic mistakes. The real problem for Moore: He hasn’t caught a pass since December 2023 after a core muscle injury limited him to just six games last season, and the 2022 second-round pick doesn’t appear to be on the precipice of a long-awaited breakout. The 5-10, 195-pound wideout remains primarily an intermediate threat on a team that, pending a suspension for Rashee Rice, has a glut of players capable of owning that area of the field. An 88-yard punt return touchdown against the Seahawks served as a reminder of the tantalizing ability that drew Kansas City to Moore in the first place. But with Tyquan Thornton emerging as a potential downfield weapon for Patrick Mahomes and Nikko Remigio not loosening his grip on the kickoff and punt returner roles, Moore might need to head elsewhere before he can resume trying to make good on his potential.
Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker David Ojabo
With fellow edge rusher Adisa Isaac estimated to be sidelined until midseason with a dislocated elbow that included ligament damage, Ojabo’s spot might be safe – at least for now. But the 2022 second-round pick from Michigan entered camp as one of the few players on the Ravens’ roster who seemed to be on uncertain ground. Ojabo’s development has lagged behind that of his peers for some time after the Nigeria native spent much of his youth in Scotland before moving to New Jersey, but the gap only widened after he suffered a torn Achilles during his pro day at Michigan. After playing in just five games his first two years in the NFL, Ojabo appeared in 13 games last year but notched just two sacks. Baltimore appeared prepared to look elsewhere to jolt its pass rush, with second-round rookie outside linebacker Mike Green starring in early work. But Ojabo, who crushed Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. on a sack in the preseason opener, said earlier in August he feels rejuvenated by not having to worry about health for the first time in his NFL career, and Baltimore might have enough of a need at the position to keep him around.
New York Jets wide receiver Malachi Corley
Beware the danger of NFL draft comparisons. Dubbed the ‘YAC King’ during his prolific career at Western Kentucky, Corley was widely likened to Deebo Samuel Sr. thanks to his burly build (5-11, 215 pounds) and knack for turning quick hits into long gains. Yet the lasting memory of the third-round pick’s rookie campaign, which featured just three catches for 16 yards, was his Halloween blunder against the Houston Texans in which he willfully dropped the ball before crossing the goal line, negating what would have been his first career NFL touchdown. New Jets coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey have zero buy-in for keeping a pick from a previous regime, and Corley hasn’t helped his cause with a dearth of positive plays throughout the offseason and training camp.
New Orleans Saints defensive end Isaiah Foskey
Things haven’t exactly panned out along the defensive line the way New Orleans might have envisioned in recent years, with the likes of Marcus Davenport and Payton Turner not living up to their first-round billing. The problem has continued with Foskey, who appeared on just 5% of the Saints’ defensive snaps in 2024. The No. 40 overall pick in 2023 once might have been seen as a potential successor to Cameron Jordan, but New Orleans in March re-upped Chase Young on a three-year, $51 million contract to hold down the starting spot opposite Carl Granderson. With Chris Rumph II and seventh-round rookie Fadil Diggs each flashing some upside, Foskey might not stick around with Kellen Moore and the new coaching staff.