The Best Player Who Could Be Cut from Every NFL Roster This OffseasonBy Nick Kostos May 29 2014
While the majority of player transactions this offseason have already occurred, there are always a number of twists and turns thrown our way throughout the summer in the form of surprising player cuts. It's time to project the best player who could be released from every NFL roster over the remainder of the offseason.Players made this list for a number of reasons. Some carry a high salary-cup number that is likely too rich for a backup. Others are coming off poor performances in 2013. And many will face a roster crunch at their particular position, where an influx of young (and cheaper) players provides teams with an alternative to overpriced veterans.If released, the vast majority of players on this list would find work elsewhere, so they are worth keeping an eye on as the calendar moves toward training camp.Here is a list of the best players who could be cut from every NFL roster this offseason.
Arizona Cardinals: TE Rob HouslerWhen discussing the current plight of Arizona Cardinals tight end Rob Housler, the following must be taken into account: Housler is primarily a pass-catcher, and Cardinals coach Bruce Arians prefers his tight ends to be of the blocking variety.So it should come as no surprise that Housler could find himself on the chopping block at some point this offseason.The Cardinals drafted former Notre Dame tight end Troy Niklas in the second round, re-signed Jake Ballard and inked John Carlson, and all three are adept blockers. That could leave Housler on the outside looking in.Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com agrees, writing that Housler will have to "work hard to stay up on the depth chart."Expect the Cardinals to try and deal Housler during training camp, and if they don't find any suitors, they could offer him his outright release.
Atlanta Falcons: RB Steven JacksonLast season, Atlanta Falcons running back Steven Jackson had his worst year since 2004, only rushing for 543 yards in 12 games. And with Jackson set to turn 31 in July, it's fair to wonder how much he has left in the tank, and if he'll be a Falcon come September.The Falcons drafted former Florida State running back Devonta Freeman in the fourth round, and general manager Thomas Dimitroff lavished him with praise, saying via ESPN.com's Vaughn McClure:He's a versatile back. He has the ability to tote the rock as a lead back. He's a strong guy. He runs with some authority and some anger to his running style. He can catch the ball well. And for us, we thought he was just a real versatile addition to our running back group
Baltimore Ravens: C Gino Gradkowski2013 was not a good year for Baltimore Ravens center Gino Gradkowski.He finished the season rated as Pro Football Focus' (subscription required) 35th-best center, and only 35 were ranked. For the mathematically challenged, that means PFF graded Gradkowski as the worst center in football.The Ravens have already upgraded the position this offseason, trading for former Tampa Bay Buccaneers interior lineman Jeremy Zuttah. And with center A.Q. Shipley also on the roster, Gradkowski is expendable.
Buffalo Bills: K Dan Carpenter In last year's NFL draft, the Buffalo Bills spent a sixth-round pick on kicker Dustin Hopkins. But a groin injury forced him to miss the entire 2013 season, and Dan Carpenter filled in ably in his stead, converting 33 of 36 field-goal attempts.Given that the club drafted Hopkins, it's safe to assume that he'll be given every opportunity to win the job. Plus, Carpenter is set to make $2.48 million in 2014, as compared to Hopkins, who will make $568,000.Unless Hopkins gets hurt or can't hit the broadside of a barn, expect him to be the Bills' kicker come September.
Carolina Panthers: RB Kenjon Barner The Carolina Panthers have a crowded backfield that includes running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart and fullback Mike Tolbert, and there are only so many carries to go around. That could mean last year's sixth-round draft pick, running back Kenjon Barner, might not make the final 53-man roster.The Panthers also selected Stanford running back Tyler Gaffney in the sixth round of this year's draft, and it wouldn't be a surprise if Gaffney took Barner's roster spot.That's an opinion shared by B/R's Charles Edwards, who projects Barner to not make the club's Week 1 roster.
Chicago Bears: C Roberto GarzaChicago Bears center Roberto Garza has been extremely durable since signing with the club prior to the 2005 season, starting at least 14 games in each of the nine campaigns.But that streak could soon come to an end, as the Bears signed former New Orleans Saints center Brian de la Puente this offseason. While Garza is believed to currently be atop the depth chart, it's entirely possible that de la Puente, who is six years younger than Garza (de la Puente is 29, Garza is 35), will beat him out for the starting gig.If that happens, Garza could be a candidate for release. Even though he's set to earn only $1.5 million this season, the Bears could decide to jettison a 35-year-old backup center if it means keeping a younger player with more upside
Cincinnati Bengals: RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis The writing appears to be on the wall for Cincinnati Bengals running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis.Green-Ellis, the club's leading rusher in each of the last two seasons, is currently listed as third on the depth chart behind fellow running backs Gio Bernard and second-round draft pick Jeremy Hill. At the club's recent OTAs, both Bernard and Hill took snaps before Green-Ellis, per Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com (h/t Brent Sobleski of USA Today).Green-Ellis only averaged 3.4 yards per carry in 2013 and looked to have lost a step, so this doesn't come as a surprise. Bernard is on the cusp of breaking out, and Hill is a powerful young runner. Expect Green-Ellis to be in a different uniform by the time Week 1 rolls around.
Cleveland Browns: FB Chris OgbonnayaLast season, Cleveland Browns fullback Chris Ogbonnaya was the team's most effective rusher, averaging 4.9 yards per carry. Of course, that speaks more to the futility of the Browns' rushing attack than it does to Ogbonnaya's brilliance.The Browns brought in former Houston Texans rusher Ben Tate in free agency and drafted Towson's Terrance West in the fourth round. Former Philadelphia Eagles back Dion Lewis is also on the roster. And with the team adding Southern Illinois fullback Ray Agnew after the draft, it's possible that 2013 was Ogbonnaya's swan song in the Dawg Pound.
Dallas Cowboys: S Jeff Heath Dallas Cowboys safety Jeff Heath was thrust into action as a rookie in 2013, and he didn't play all that well, finishing the year ranked as Pro Football Focus' 62nd-best safety.With J.J. Wilcox expected to take over as starting strong safety, Heath will shift into a backup role and might have to continue to excel on special teams in order to make the final 53-man roster.He will battle with Matt Johnson, rookies Ahmad Dixon and Ryan Smith and second-year player Jakar Hamilton for reps at backup safety and is no lock to make the team.
Denver Broncos: TE Joel DreessenThe Denver Broncos possess an embarrassment of riches at the skill positions, including tight end, where Julius Thomas is the clear-cut No. 1 option and Jacob Tamme and Virgil Green serve as backups.While tight end Joel Dreessen has been an adequate player throughout his career, it probably won't be enough to save his roster spot.Dreessen is due to make $3.1 million in 2014, which is more than both Thomas and Green will earn. Plus, he only caught seven passes last year.Look for Dreessen to be the odd man out in the Broncos tight end corps.
Detroit Lions: RB Mikel LeshoureSince being selected in the second round of the 2011 NFL draft, Detroit Lions running back Mikel Leshoure has failed to impress. He is entering the final year of his rookie deal, meaning it's now or never for him in Motown, and he's in a crowded backfield that includes Reggie Bush, Joique Bell and Theo Riddick.To his credit, Leshoure has been pleased with the opportunity he's received under new coach Jim Caldwell, saying via Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com:Right now coach is giving me the opportunity to get more carries. Theo (Riddick) is getting a few more reps, too (with Joique Bell rehabbing his knee injury), and we’re here to take full advantage of it. We weren’t out there a lot last year, so to get our opportunities, whether it’s OTAs or minicamp, training camp or whatever it is, you have to take advantage of it.That's a nice quote to read in May, but it doesn't necessarily translate to on-field success. If Leshoure doesn't dazzle throughout the summer, he could find himself playing elsewhere this season.
Green Bay Packers: OT Derek Sherrod The inclusion of Green Bay Packers tackle Derek Sherrod on this list shouldn't surprise anyone, as the team declined to pick up his fifth-year option for 2015.Sherrod has never started a game in Green Bay after being selected in the first round of the 2011 draft, and he carries a cap charge of $2.1 million this season.With the club already possessing a number of talented tackles in David Bakhtiari, Bryan Bulaga and Don Barclay, it's feasible that the team could choose to cut ties with the injury-prone Sherrod before the season even begins.
Houston Texans: QB T.J. Yates 2011 seems like a lifetime ago for Houston Texans quarterback T.J. Yates.That season, Yates came on in relief of injured signal-callers Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart and guided the team to its first playoff victory in franchise history. And in doing so, he looked like he'd be a part of the organization for years to come.But Yates has only attempted 32 passes over the past two seasons, throwing zero touchdown passes against three interceptions. Now the team has a new head coach in Bill O'Brien, and he's currently carrying four quarterbacks: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Case Keenum, fourth-round draft pick Tom Savage and Yates.Fitzpatrick is the likely starter; he isn't going anywhere. Keenum might not be starting material, but he proved last season that he can hold down the fort in case of injury. And Savage could be the team's passer of the future.All of this means that Yates is likely finished in Houston.But hey, he'll always have 2011.
Indianapolis Colts: WR Da'Rick RogersThe Indianapolis Colts are loaded at the receiver position, which means at least one player currently on the roster won't make the final cut.Reggie Wayne, T.Y. Hilton and Hakeem Nicks are locks, while Da'Rick Rogers, LaVon Brazill, Griff Whalen and third-round pick Donte Moncrief will battle for the other two-three spots.Rogers possesses outstanding physical attributes, but it's worth noting that he had character issues at the collegiate level at Tennessee, and while he's been squeaky clean in Indianapolis, it's something that could potentially work against him if problems creep up.One would assume Moncrief would make the roster, and then it'll be up to Rogers to beat out Brazill and Whalen. If he doesn't, there's no question that another NFL club would take a chance on him.
Jacksonville Jaguars: WR Justin Blackmon It's been a major fall from grace for Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Justin Blackmon, who was the fifth overall pick of the 2012 draft.Blackmon is serving his indefinite suspension for violating the league's substance-abuse policy, and the club has given away his locker, per Mark Long of The Associated Press. That move comes after general manager David Caldwell told Long that he isn't "counting on" Blackmon being with the team in 2014.The Jaguars also selected a pair of receivers in the second round of the draft: USC's Marqise Lee and Penn State's Allen Robinson.It's quite possible that the team won't wait until after the season to cut bait with the talented yet mercurial Blackmon. He'll likely have to attempt to resurrect his career somewhere other than Duval.
Kansas City Chiefs: CB Brandon FlowersKansas City Chiefs cornerback Brandon Flowers is perhaps the most surprising name on this entire list given how well he's played over the course of his six-year career.But it's worth noting that B/R's Dan Pompei reported before the draft that the club was interested in potentially dealing Flowers for picks. A trade didn't materialize, but the Chiefs did select a cornerback, Rice's Philip Gaines, in the third round.Flowers fell off in 2013, finishing the year ranked as Pro Football Focus' 87th-best cornerback, and cutting him would save the Chiefs $3.5 million. He would be a hot commodity if he were to hit the market, and as of right now, that looks like a possibility.
Miami Dolphins: RB Daniel ThomasMiami Dolphins running back Daniel Thomas hasn't sparkled since being selected in the second round of the 2011 draft, only averaging 3.6 yards per carry in his three-year career.And he was shifted down the depth chart when the Dolphins signed free-agent running back Knowshon Moreno, who will form a committee with fellow rusher Lamar Miller. The Dolphins also have Mike Gillislee on the roster.Given that Thomas has failed to impress coach Joe Philbin, it's possible that he's played his last down of competitive football in South Beach.
Minnesota Vikings: QB Christian Ponder Three years after the fact, it's hard to believe that quarterback Christian Ponder was selected by the Minnesota Vikings with the 12th pick of the 2011 draft. To say that Ponder has underwhelmed would be like saying Mila Kunis is average looking. He's 14-20-1 as the team's starter and has thrown 38 touchdown passes against 34 interceptions.Earlier this month, the Vikings clearly moved on from Ponder by trading up to select former Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater in the bottom of the first round. The club also re-signed signal-caller Matt Cassel.Ponder is set to earn $1.76 million in base salary this year, which is a pretty penny to pay for a third-string quarterback. If the team is unable to find a trade partner, he could definitely be a candidate for release.
New England Patriots: RB Brandon BoldenLast season, the New England Patriots used a variety of running backs, including Brandon Bolden, who rushed for 271 yards and three touchdowns. But with the team possessing a glut of players at the position, Bolden could be on the roster bubble.The Patriots have Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen, and both men are already ahead of Bolden on the depth chart. And with their fourth-round selection in this month's draft, the Pats drafted Wisconsin running back James White.If White impresses this summer, Bolden could be the victim of the team's numbers game in the backfield.
New Orleans Saints: WR Robert Meachem Wide receiver Robert Meachem began his second tour with the New Orleans Saints last year, catching 16 passes for 324 yards and two touchdowns. Unfortunately, 2013 could have been the end of his second Saints tenure, as the club is stacked at the position.Joining incumbents Marques Colston, Kenny Stills, Nick Toon and Joseph Morgan is rookie first-round pick Brandin Cooks. Meachem will have significant competition at the end of the depth chart, and that generally doesn't bode well for a soon-to-be 30-year-old receiver.One thing working in Meachem's favor his his rapport with quarterback Drew Brees, but that won't be enough to save his roster spot if he's outperformed in camp.
New York Giants: RB Peyton HillisRunning back Peyton Hillis proved to be a godsend for the New York Giants last year, coming in and toting the rock when the team's rushing corps turned into a veritable MASH unit. But even though the Giants re-signed him this offseason, he's not guaranteed a roster spot. The Giants also signed former Oakland Raiders running back Rashad Jennings and drafted Boston College rusher Andre Williams in the fourth round; both men are locks to make the roster. Plus, while the future of 2012 first-round pick David Wilson is up in the air after he underwent neck surgery, he can't be counted out.