NFL Analysis
8/22/24
7 min read
6 NFL Players Who Could Be Surprise Cuts Before 2024 Season
The end of NFL training camp and preseason games means cutdown day is near. Many players will see their dreams put on hold until further notice as every team has to reduce its roster to 53 individuals. While the bulk of transactions won't be notable for most fans, there will be surprising cuts across the league based on name recognition.
After breaking down training camp musings, injury reports, salary information, and recent snap counts and usage, we've identified six possible surprise NFL training camp cut candidates. Each of these players had real value at some point, but their careers have gone sideways recently.
Let's examine six NFL veterans who haven't quite done enough to lock in their roster spot with their current team.
>> READ MORE: Preseason Winners, Losers
6 Surprise NFL Training Camp Cut Candidates
Miles Sanders: Ready to move on from last year and prove himself. pic.twitter.com/vkdyyJjWxI
— Joe Person (@josephperson) August 4, 2024
Miles Sanders, RB, Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers hurriedly signed Miles Sanders to a $25.4 million deal after he produced a breakout season in Philadelphia during the 2022 season. Their reckless decision to invest in a back who, while he has good quickness and brings some value as a receiver, benefitted from the NFL's best offensive line and an elite rushing scheme backfired. Sanders averaged only 3.3 yards per carry in 2023 and started five games.
Carolina is dealing with injuries at running back, but Chuba Hubbard avoided a major knee injury in its last preseason game. Mike Boone brings special teams value, and Raheem Blackshear has been serviceable throughout the preseason. We should see second-round rookie Jonathon Brooks activated by Week 4, so that seems to be the latest Sanders will be on the roster.
It's possible the Panthers could shop Sanders for a trade. Several teams could use an upgrade at running back, including Dallas. While Sanders lacks the vision and power to create much on his own, he can execute what's in front of him well enough to be on an NFL roster in 2024. The problem is the money owed this season.
Carolina would only free $200,000 of his $7.695 million cap space hit by cutting Sanders. An acquiring team would take on his $4 million base salary, which still seems too high for anything to get done.
Considering Carolina would clear $6.22 million in a trade, and Sanders might recoup a little more money on a completely reconstructed new deal, the Panthers and Sanders could work together to find him a new home.
Dameon Pierce, RB, Houston Texans
If you don't think that scheme matters, then simply look at how Dameon Pierce went from an Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate in 2022 to possibly not making the Houston Texans' roster.
The bulldozing back was tremendous in Houston's old gap-based scheme, totaling 939 yards on the ground and adding another 30 receptions for 165 yards on a terrible offense. But Houston's shift to a more one-cut, zone-based run game under offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik has been a rough transition for Pierce.
This scheme prioritizes a totally different skill set than what Pierce can accomplish. His production plummeted in 2023, reaching only 416 yards on a 2.9-yard average. It didn't take long for Devin Singletary to supplant Pierce in the rotation.
Houston aggressively added several other running backs this offseason after Singletary bolted to the Giants. Joe Mixon, Cam Akers, Dare Ogunbowale, and Jawhar Jordan are now all ahead of Pierce on the depth chart. It's all but certain Pierce will hit the waiver market soon.
#Eagles James Bradberry on switching positions: pic.twitter.com/h1096X3zDI
— The Swoop Scoops (@TheSwoopScoops) July 27, 2024
James Bradberry, SAF, Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles did well to maintain depth throughout the offseason and training camp in case injury struck. The decision to move James Bradberry from cornerback to safety could justify keeping the 31-year-old for one more year. However, it was more likely a mechanism to delay his release until they knew where their roster stood entering the regular season.
After all, with Sydney Brown still on the PUP list and the cornerback room filled with younger players, having Bradberry around as an insurance policy isn't the worst idea. Still, when it comes to cutting down a roster, it'll be a tougher sell to keep Bradberry over more natural safeties with an advantage in experience and athleticism.
Bradberry agreed to a revised contract, so his cap number is only $4.3 million in 2024. Philadelphia wouldn't save a dime of that by cutting him but would see cap savings in 2025 and 2026. Most importantly, the door would be open for one of Caden Sterns, Josh Jobe, or another young defensive back to make the 53-man roster.
Payton Turner, EDGE, New Orleans Saints
With only three sacks through three seasons, Payton Turner has been a long-forgotten edge defender in New Orleans. He was taken as a project out of Houston at the end of the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, and most draft analysts had him valued as a Day 2 talent.
Despite his impressive 6-foot-6, 270-pound frame, Turner hasn't made much of an impact.
The Saints have already declined Turner's fifth-year option and added Chase Young in free agency. The writing is on the wall that Turner's time is nearly up, and had another solid option emerged, he'd surely be on the outs.
With the Saints now able to save almost $2.4 million by releasing Turner, it'd take a concerning injury to justify keeping a player with 29 tackles in 15 games over three years.
Kadarius Toney, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
Maybe the most vilified on-field talent in the league, Kadarius Toney, would've been long gone from Kansas City if fans had input on the roster. Despite having a first-round pedigree and contributing a key touchdown in Super Bowl 57, Toney has dealt with a constant stream of ugly drops that seem to cost the Chiefs offense chunk plays every time. Andy Reid deserves credit for his patience in dealing with seemingly easy mistakes.
Kansas City proactively added Marquise Brown and Xavier Worthy this offseason as it revamped its receiver corps. Brown is dealing with an injury that will cause him to miss a few weeks, but the door is still closing on Toney becoming the gadget star he was supposed to be. Skyy Moore's emergence as a solid special teamer is the difference.
Speed is always valuable, but Toney's inability to consistently contribute how Kansas City wants him to can't be ignored. The Chiefs would be better off poaching another player off the waiver wire and relying on Worthy and Brown for explosive plays. Through three years, Toney has only 115 receptions for 760 yards and three scores.
Damar Hamlin, SAF, Buffalo Bills
Seeing Damar Hamlin potentially out of Buffalo would sting, given what he, the Bills organization, and the fan base endured. However, his usage in 2023, despite the team's desperate need after injuries ravaged the unit, was concerning.
Then, the Bills added second-round pick Cole Bishop, Mike Edwards, Kareem Jackson, and Terrell Burgess to the safety unit this offseason.
Considering Hamlin earned only 17 defensive snaps before the playoffs, one year after totaling 91 tackles across 15 games and 13 starts, it is telling where the team feels Hamlin is. A core special teamer isn't overly difficult to replace, and Hamlin is in the final year of his rookie deal. The Bills seem prepared to move on with a more versatile option.
