Tracking the 2019 Roster Cut Casualties
The sad day of final cuts is upon us once again, as NFL teams around the league trim their rosters to get down to the 53 players allowed for the regular season. This is a day when teams make the hard decisions that will ultimately decide whether a player lives out his dream, or has to start thinking about life after football. For many, this may be the last chance at a career in the NFL. For a few, this day marks vindication for a lifetime of hard work and struggle to reach this pinnacle of athletic achievement.
For fantasy owners, final cut day tells a different story. As teams finalize rosters, fans and fantasy owners are treated to a flurry of activity that could make or break a fantasy team. Did you draft the right handcuff? Did your veteran quarterback win the job? Is your kicker still employed? Add to that the excitement of the impending NFL regular season, and it’s a good time to be a football fan.
To keep track of all these moves, 4for4.com has you covered! This article will be updated throughout the final cut weekend, including updates as players are scooped up off waivers, so check in before your fantasy drafts for any potentially impactful transactions. The below team-by-team brief analysis is not meant to be comprehensive, but will highlight any fantasy-relevant moves. Cuts will filter in over the next few days, with the final cut to 53 players due this Saturday, August 31st.
Additionally, players placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list and placed on injured reserve (IR) during final cuts will be noted. The IR designation typically means a player's season is done—although, in some cases, a team may bring one player back after six weeks. Meanwhile, landing on the PUP list makes a player ineligible to play for the first six weeks of the season. Likewise, the Non-Football Injury (NFI) list allows teams to reserve a player for a non-football injury for the first six weeks of the season.
Arizona Cardinals
Chad Williams, WR; Pharoh Cooper, WR; Ricky Seals-Jones, TE
Williams couldn't make it in a crowded WR room. Cooper was redundant with Damiere Byrd on the roster (for now). Seals-Jones is a surprise, but that has to mean good things for Charles Clay and Maxx Williams.
Atlanta Falcons
Giorgio Tavecchio, K; Blair Walsh, K
The Falcons signed veteran Matt Bryant to take the kicking job for the year. In the Falcons high-powered offense, Bryant should be considered a valuable option for kicker-needy fantasy teams.
Baltimore Ravens
Elliott Fry, K; Kenneth Dixon, RB (IR)
Unsurprisingly, Justin Tucker will remain the kicker in Baltimore after the release of Fry. Dixon was fighting for a roster spot anyway, but now his season is over.
Buffalo Bills
LeSean McCoy, RB
With McCoy out of the way, rookie Devin Singletary should get a considerable amount of touches, with Frank Gore continuing to get change-of-pace carries.
Carolina Panthers
Jaydon Mickens, WR; Taylor Heinicke, QB; Cameron Artis-Payne, RB; Graham Gano, K (IR); Terry Godwin, WR; Torrey Smith, WR
With Mickens and Godwin off the roster, RB Reggie Bonnafon will likely play a role in the return game, along with D.J. Moore and Curtis Samuel. Heinicke's release means Kyle Allen will be the backup to Cam Newton, at least until rookie Will Grier is ready to take the job. Artis-Payne is a surprise, but with rookie Jordan Scarlett drafted in the fifth round, Elijah Holyfield looking like a quality player and Reggie Bonnafon contributing on special teams, there wasn't enough room for him. Gano was designated IR before the final 53 released, so he can't return. The kicking job belongs to Joey Slye, at least for now. Torrey Smith was let go after waivers in order to sign Brandon Zylstra, who has some return experience.
Chicago Bears
No significant roster cuts at this time.
Cincinnati Bengals
Jeff Driskel, QB (IR); Rodney Anderson, RB (IR); Cody Core, WR
With Driskel on IR, rookie Ryan Findley looks like the backup to Andy Dalton. If Dalton struggles, Bengals fans are going to get restless in a hurry. Anderson tore his ACL in the final preseason game, which means Giovani Bernard should again be the primary backup and change-of-pace option behind Joe Mixon. Core's release means speedy John Ross gets another chance to show he's not a huge first-round bust.
Cleveland Browns
Greg Joseph, K
Joseph lost out to rookie Austin Seibert, who the Browns spent a fifth-round pick on.
Dallas Cowboys
Mike White, QB
White was competing with Cooper Rush for the backup job behind Dak Prescott. Rush should be the primary backup now.
Denver Broncos
Kevin Hogan, QB
Hogan was likely going to be the backup with Drew Lock injured, so his release came as a surprise. Expect the Broncos to be active on waivers over the next couple of days to find a backup.
Detroit Lions
Zach Zenner, RB
Zenner has been a mainstay in Detroit over the past several years, but his release likely means C.J. Anderson will be the primary short-yardage back in the event Kerryon Johnson suffers an injury.
Green Bay Packers
DeShone Kizer, QB; Equanimeous St. Brown, IR
With Kizer off the roster, Tim Boyle looks like he'll be the backup to Aaron Rodgers. St. Brown was expected to miss time, but now his season will be over. That's good news for Marques Valdez-Scantling and Geronimo Allison, who now have a little less competition.
Houston Texans
No significant roster cuts at this time.
Indianapolis Colts
No significant roster cuts at this time.
Addition: Brian Hoyer, QB
The Colts were looking for some QB depth and insurance, and found it in the veteran Hoyer. He'll back up Jacoby Brissett.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Terrelle Pryor, WR; Thomas Rawls, RB; Alfred Blue, RB (IR)
Pryor wasn't likely to make the roster, but it's a far fall for the veteran after his 2016 breakout year with the Browns. Rawls' release and Alfred Blue going on IR means rookie Ryquell Armstead is in line to be the primary backup for Leonard Fournette. Expect the Jags to be active on waivers.
Kansas City Chiefs
No significant roster cuts at this time.
Addition: LeSean McCoy, RB
It's too early to know for sure what McCoy's role will be, but his addition certainly doesn't mean anything good for Damien Williams.
Los Angeles Chargers
No significant roster cuts at this time.
Los Angeles Rams
No significant roster cuts at this time.
Miami Dolphins
Brice Butler, WR
With a murky WR situation in Miami, many thought Butler would carve out a role. His departure might mean good things for undrafted rookie and preseason darling Preston Williams.
Minnesota Vikings
Kaare Vedvik, K; Laquon Treadwell, WR; Kyle Sloter, QB
After acquiring Vedvik via trade, a tough final preseason game led to the Vikings sticking with veteran Dan Bailey as their kicker. Treadwell has been a huge bust after arriving as a first round pick, but he'll get a chance with another team now as the Vikings chose to release him. Watch him if he lands on a WR-needy team like the Giants. Sloter also could land somewhere else after losing out to Sean Mannion for the right to back up Kirk Cousins.
Addition: Josh Doctson, WR
The Vikings traded one disappointing first-round WR for another in Doctson, who will be re-united with QB Kirk Cousins. He's unlikely to make a huge fantasy impact, with fourth on the depth chart a realistic expectation.
New England Patriots
Braxton Berrios, WR; Brian Hoyer, QB; N'Keal Harry, WR (IR)
The WR depth chart was too crowded to keep Berrios, despite his potential role on special teams. Rookie Jared Stidham was impressive enough in the preseason to warrant the release of Hoyer. The Patriots dropped Demaryius Thomas and then re-signed him after placing Harry on IR. Because Harry made the initial 53, he'll be eligible to return from IR later in the season if his health progresses.
New Orleans Saints
No significant roster cuts at this time.
New York Giants
Kyle Lauletta, QB; T.J. Jones, WR
Keep an eye on where Lauletta lands. With Daniel Jones, there was no room for him in New York, but teams looking for backups might still like his upside. Jones played well in August, so it's surprising to see him go. His release likely means Cody Latimer or Jabrill Peppers will return punts.
New York Jets
Elijah McGuire, RB; Davis Webb, QB
With how good Ty Montgomery has looked in the backup role, the Jets found McGuire to be expendable. Webb's release means Trevor Siemian should be the backup to Sam Darnold.
Oakland Raiders
Nathan Peterman, QB (IR)
The Peterman IR designation made room for adding Kizer.
Addition: DeShone Kizer, QB
Kizer will still need to beat out Mike Glennon for the backup role.
Philadelphia Eagles
Donnell Pumphrey, RB; Wendell Smallwood, RB
Pumphrey might have played a role on special teams, but with a logjam at the RB position, there wasn't enough room for him. His release, along with Smallwood, likely mean Corey Clement will remain the primary reserve behind Miles Sanders and Jordan Howard.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Eli Rogers, WR; Matthew Wright, K
The release of Rogers likely means rookie Diontae Johnson has the edge on the slot role, with Ryan Switzer being the primary return specialist again. Chris Boswell will be the kicker again after a tough 2018 season with the release of Wright.
San Francisco 49ers
Jordan Matthews, WR; Jerick McKinnon, RB (IR)
Matthews lost the numbers game on a depth chart with a lot of young talent. Another lost year for McKinnon, who will spend the season on IR.
Seattle Seahawks
Paxton Lynch, QB; Jaron Brown, WR
With Lynch out and Geno Smith let go and then re-signed, the Seahawks will be counting on Smith to back up Russell Wilson this year. Brown's release could mean D.K. Metcalf's knee is doing well.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
No significant roster cuts at this time.
Tennesse Titans
No significant roster cuts at this time.
Washington Redskins
Samaje Perine, RB; Josh Doctson, WR
The running back room has gotten crowded with Adrian Peterson back and Derrius Guice healthy. Perine's skill-set was redundant with those two around. It'll be interesting to see if Doctson gets a chance elsewhere, and whether rookies Terry McLaurin or Kelvin Harmon can earn a starting job early.
