This is a day that even some of the NFL’s most unemotional coaches call “the hardest day of the year’’. That’s because rosters had to be cut to 53 players.
That means that hundreds of players around the league, who labored through offseason programs, training camp practices and preseason games, were released. As usual, there were no stunning moves. But there were some recognizable names, such as veterans at the end of their careers and former high draft picks that didn’t pan out, who were released.
Here’s a look at the 16 biggest names that were cut.
16. Jachai Polite, LB, New York Jets
Cutting an early third-round pick (68th overall) before his first season is almost unheard of. But the Jets have done this. Consider it validation of reports that new coach Adam Gase and former general manager Mike Maccagnan had major disagreements about some of their draft picks. Maccagnan was fired less than a month later. This is an obvious sign that Gase never wanted Polite in the first place.
15. Shane Ray, OLB, Baltimore Ravens
After being a first-round pick by Denver in 2015, Ray got off to a decent start. He produced 12 sacks in his first two seasons. But, in his final two seasons with the Broncos, Ray produced only two sacks. But the Ravens signed Ray this offseason after losing Terrell Suggs and ZaDarius Smith. They thought the fresh start might spark Ray. But that didn’t happen. He was a non-factor in the preseason, producing only two tackles.
14. Martinas Rankin, OT, Houston Texans
When a third-round pick is released after only one season, it doesn’t reflect well on the front office and scouting department. But that’s what has happened with Rankin and the Texans. Even though he started four games last year, the Texans gave up on him. Rankin is young enough that another team may remember the potential he had coming out of college and give him another shot, but that may come on a practice squad.
13. Malik Jefferson, LB, Cincinnati Bengals
Jefferson’s release is mildly surprising because he was a third-round draft pick last year and had nine tackles in three preseason games this year. But it’s important to remember the Bengals have a new coaching staff that had no allegiance to Jefferson. He’s young enough and has enough potential that he’s likely to get another shot somewhere else.
12. DeShone Kizer, QB, Green Bay Packers
Although Kizer was a second-round pick in Cleveland in 2017, two NFL teams already have given up on the former Notre Dame quarterback. The latest is the Packers. Although he served as backup to Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay last year, the new coaching staff obviously wasn’t impressed. The Packers elected to go with Tim Boyle over Kizer.
11. Captain Munnerlyn, CB, Buffalo Bills
Munnerlyn has been a solid player through most of his 10-year career with two stints in Carolina sandwiched around three seasons in Minnesota. He was signed by the Bills mainly because of his connections to Buffalo coach Sean McDermott, who previously was defensive coordinator in Carolina, and general manager Brandon Beane, who spent years in Carolina’s front office. But he’s 31, didn’t show a lot in the preseason and the Bills decided to stick with younger players.
10. Tommylee Lewis, WR, Detroit Lions
Lewis didn’t do all that much statistically in the previous three seasons with New Orleans. But he is a “name’’. He will be forever known as the receiver who was blatantly interfered with late in New Orleans’ loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game. What makes the play so infamous is that no penalty was called. That prompted the NFL to make a rule change to allow potential interference calls to be reviewable.
9. Ziggy Hood, DT, New Orleans Saints
A first-round pick by Pittsburgh in 2009, Hood never really played up to the hype that he had coming out of college. But he did enough to keep bouncing around the league for 10 seasons. But New Orleans may have been his last stop. Hood is 32 and not many teams are going to be willing to pay him even the veteran minimum of just over $1 million a year.
8. Paxton Lynch, QB, Seattle Seahawks
Remember when the Broncos drafted Lynch in 2016 to be the successor to Peyton Manning? That already was looking like a terrible move. After he got cut by Seattle, it makes the Broncos look even worse. Lynch is now looking like one of the biggest first-round flops in NFL history. In 2016 and ’17, Lynch played sparingly for the Broncos. And, when he did play, he wasn’t very good. In 2018, he couldn’t even earn the backup job, losing out to Chad Kelly. Lynch wasn’t able to get signed anywhere else and sat out all of last season. But the Seahawks gave Lynch one more chance this year and it didn’t work out. Lynch couldn’t beat out Geno Smith for the backup job behind Russell Wilson. He still could end up on someone’s practice squad. But it’s probably just as likely his next stop will be in the XFL.
7. Teez Tabor, CB, Detroit Lions
In Detroit, Tabor will be remembered more as “Tease’’ than Teez. The guy was a very good player in college at Florida, making first-team All-SEC twice and the Lions totally bought into his game film. At the same time, they overlooked his 4.62-second time in the 40-yard dash at the scouting combine and drafted him in the second round in 2017. That was a mistake. Tabor simply didn’t have the speed and athleticism to be a good NFL cornerback. He struggled in his two seasons with the Lions and wasn’t even able to make the roster this year.
6. Josh Doctson, WR, Washington Redskins
The Redskins desperately tried to trade the first-round pick from 2016 before the deadline for reaching the roster limit. But they weren’t able to find a taker. Doctson was a big disappointment in Washington, catching 81 passes over three seasons.
5. Brandon Marshall, LB, Oakland Raiders
Marshall was never great, but was a pretty solid player for the Broncos the last six seasons, starting 63 games. So, when the Raiders brought him in this offseason, it appeared he would have a chance to start or at least be a backup. But coach Jon Gruden, who has been known to make some unusual personnel moves, didn’t see it that way after watching Marshall through the preseason.
4. Demaryius Thomas, WR, New England Patriots
Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY SportsThomas is a five-time Pro Bowl selection and had some great years in Denver. But this one isn’t a huge surprise. Thomas is 31 and his production has dropped off in recent years. He also was trying to come back from an Achilles tendon injury and the Patriots are well stocked at receiver.
3. Datone Jones, DE, Jacksonville Jaguars
Jones was a first-round pick by Green Bay in 2013. He never lived up to his hype as he failed to earn a full-time starting job in Green Bay. But he was decent as a rotational backup. He then bounced from Detroit to San Francisco to Dallas. But he seemed to be redeeming himself in Jacksonville. He looked very good in the preseason and most media and fans thought he would earn a backup spot and be part of the rotation. But the Jacksonville coaching staff, which has plenty of depth, didn’t agree and turned Jones loose. But his preseason performance might be enough to get him another shot elsewhere.
2. Brian Hoyer, QB, New England Patriots
Hoyer is probably the one closest to being a true surprise on this list. In a lot of ways, he’s the perfect backup quarterback, mainly because of his experience. He came into training camp with what appeared to be a firm grab on the backup job behind Tom Brady. And it’s not like Hoyer played his way out of a job. It’s just that fourth-round pick Jarrett Stidham came along faster than the Patriots ever expected. Stidham has shown the Patriots he might be the guy to be Brady’s eventual successor. Don’t feel too badly for Hoyer. He’s better than what a lot of teams have as their current backups. Someone will scoop him up quickly.
1. LeSean McCoy, RB, Buffalo Bills
McCoy is easily the biggest name on the list, but his release isn’t all that surprising. Even though the Bills went through the preseason making it sound like McCoy was in their plans, that just wasn’t very reasonable. McCoy is 31 and coming off the worst statistical season of his career. Plus, the Bills have veteran Frank Gore and rookie Devin Singletary at running back. But the most important factor might have been McCoy’s salary. He would have counted more than $9 million against the cap if he had stayed on the team. That’s simply way too much for a running back in steep decline. By letting McCoy go, the Bills freed up more than $6 million in cap space.
Pat Yasinskas has covered the NFL since 1993. He has worked for The Tampa Tribune, The Charlotte Observer and ESPN.com and writes for numerous national magazines and websites. He also has served as a voter for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
