All 32 NFL franchises are tasked with finalizing their initial 53-man rosters by Tuesday's mid-afternoon deadline. The final weekend of the preseason has arrived and those difficult decisions will start being made this weekend. Football is a young man's game and several veterans are at risk of being released from their contracts.
We've identified five potentially surprising cut candidates.
Darrell Taylor, EDGE, Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks edge defender Darrell Taylor is losing his spot on the defense. A 2020 second-round pick, the Seahawks have since drafted Derick Hall and Boye Mafe with top 40 selections. General manager John Schneider also paid Uchenna Nwosu $15 million per season.
Taylor has recorded an effective 21.5 sacks over the previous three campaigns, but he's also been benched for inconsistent performances as a run defender. New head coach Mike Macdonald is a defensive-minded leader who prefers versatile edge talents that defend the run and drop in coverage, and those have never been particularly strong areas of Taylor's skill set.
Taylor is battling for a roster spot with undrafted free agents Jamie Sheriff and Nelson Ceaser.
Desmond Ridder, QB, Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals acquired quarterback Desmond Ridder from the Atlanta Falcons earlier this offseason in exchange for wide receiver Rondale Moore. Ridder immediately found himself in a battle with Clayton Tune to back up Kyler Murray. Indications are he may be losing that battle.
News broke on Thursday that Tune will start Arizona's preseason finale on Sunday. Tune has completed 23-of-34 passing attempts through two exhibition contests for 242 yards and one touchdown. Ridder has fared significantly worse, going 10-of-19 with 114 yards and zero touchdowns. The Cardinals could consider keeping three quarterbacks given the emergency QB rule, but that roster spot is better utilized elsewhere.
Caleb Farley, CB, Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans appear ready to cut ties with first-round bust cornerback Caleb Farley. The 22nd selection in the 2021 draft, recurring injuries and inconsistencies have limited him to 12 regular-season appearances in three seasons. Another recent injury has hampered his training camp involvement, and he just returned to practice on Wednesday.
The Titans are deep at cornerback with L'Jarius Sneed, Chido Awuzie, and Roger McCreary as their starters. Rookie Jarvis Brownlee Jr. is their fourth corner, and the fifth spot could be reserved for an impressive UDFA like Gabe Jeudy-Lally, or a special teams ace like Anthony Kendall.
Kelvin Beachum, OT, Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals have spent the two previous offseasons pushing Kelvin Beachum out of a starting spot at offensive tackle. Paris Johnson Jr. and Jonah Williams are the new starting bookends. The Cardinals also drafted former Texas tackle Christian Jones in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
The aging 35-year-old Beachum may be disinterested in being such a deep reserve in Arizona this season. Could a tackle-needy team consider trading for him before Tuesday's deadline? Beachum would bring experience and stability to any NFL offensive line.
Dameon Pierce, RB, Houston Texans
Dameon Pierce proved to be an awful fit in Bobby Slowik's zone-based running scheme last season. Pierce averaged 3.8 yards per carry or less in every single appearance and finished with a season-long average of 2.9 while failing to produce a single 100-yard rushing performance. Slowik is still the OC and the Houston Texans have made changes at running back.
General manager Nick Caserio acquired veteran running back Joe Mixon in a trade with the Cincinnati Bengals. The Texans also added Cam Akers, who is far more familiar with Slowik's zone scheme after executing a variation of it with the Los Angeles Rams. Elsewhere, a sixth-round pick was used on Jawhar Jordan.
Pierce has rushed for nine yards via eight carries in two preseason showings. Outright releasing Pierce may be a difficult pill to swallow after his near-1,000-yard rushing rookie campaign in 2022. Perhaps the Texans will force Pierce onto their initial 53-man roster, or wait for a trade offer to arrive.