With the regular season around the corner, every team across the NFL decided to go into the barber shop and get a haircut.
While most of the usual suspects on various teams remain unchanged, there were naturally some surprises that had occurred leading up to Tuesday’s deadline.
With that in mind, there were a number of levers that general managers pulled throughout the day.
Let’s roll out some winners and losers from cutdown day in the NFL.
Beathard for the backup job in Jacksonville behind Trevor Lawrence.
Jones was sturdy this preseason, completing 73% of his passes for 421 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions in three preseason contests.
Winner: Samajie Perine It’s rare to lose your job and somehow still turn out a winner, but that’s what I see here with Perine.
A reunion with the Bengals or joining the Chiefs or Packers make a lot of sense for the still-productive pass-catching back.
Winner: Hendon Hooker In what has been a rough couple of years for Hooker, the Tennessee product finally gets a win.
With the Detroit Lions releasing Nate Sudfeld, the backup job behind Jared Goff in the Motor City belongs to Hooker, who put together a solid preseason.
Every NFL team made the decision to visit the barbershop and get a haircut as the regular season approached. From the ninety-man rosters they had in the offseason to the opening fifty-three players, they chopped off the sides and a little of the top.
There have been a few surprises in the run-up to Tuesday’s deadline, of course, but the majority of the usual suspects on the different teams are still there. It should be noted that teams are not limited to keeping or cutting players; they can also consider making trades and placing some of their stars on the physically unable to perform list, which could sideline them for the first month or the entire season. Throughout the day, general managers used a variety of levers to accomplish this.
Now that we’ve established who won and lost on NFL cutdown day, let’s see who made it through.
Mac Jones emerged victorious.
Although Jones isn’t as established as he was in New England one season ago, the former first-round pick emerged victorious this summer after defeating C. A. J. Beathard for Trevor Lawrence’s backup position in Jacksonville. Throughout the three preseason games, Jones completed 73 percent of his passes for 421 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. He was impressive this year. He’s not currently competing for a starting position, but he has shown that he can step in effectively as a backup in the event that Lawrence is sidelined.
Take that, Kadarius Toney.
The defending Super Bowl champions of the Kansas City Chiefs decided to cut loose wide receiver Toney on Tuesday, ending his tenure with the team. For Toney there are two major reasons why this is a bad blow. First off, you are no longer in the situation—possibly the best one for a young receiver—where your quarterback is Patrick Mahomes and your head coach is Andy Reid. Teams may become skeptical that Toney can function in their system if you are unable to make it work in that one.
Medallist: Samajie Perine.
Losing your job and still succeeding is not common, but Perine seems to be one of those people. As of yesterday, he was a member of a crowded backfield led by Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin on a Denver Broncos team that is not anticipated to make a playoff run. Perine can write his own ticket now that he’s been freed by the team. The seasoned running back can search for a new position in the NFL where he can compete for a Super Bowl and get more touches out of the backfield. For the still-productive pass-catching back, a reunion with the Bengals or a move to the Chiefs or Packers makes a lot of sense.
Desmond Ridder and the Cardinals are the losers.
The Arizona Cardinals’ decision to cut Desmond Ridder was among the more unexpected moves of the summer. Following a trade with the Falcons for wide receiver Rondale Moore, a former second-round pick, he was released by the team. The franchise chose to give Clayton Tune, who completed 55% of his passes in his lone start of the previous season, the QB2 position rather than seeing that investment through. Even though Ridder failed to establish himself as the Falcons’ true starter, he is still a reliable backup who finished 6-7 as a starter with an 83.4% passer rating the previous season. Personally, I think he gave Atlanta the advantage over Tune at center in case Kyler Murray is sidelined.
Hendon Hooker emerged victorious.
After a difficult couple of years, Hooker, a Tennessee native, finally wins. After Nate Sudfeld was cut by the Detroit Lions, Hooker—who had a strong preseason—became Jared Goff’s backup in the Motor City. After receiving a longer look, Hooker completed 12 of his 20 pass attempts for 114 yards, a touchdown, and an interception in the preseason finale against the Steelers. On ten attempts, he also gained 93 yards through rushes. Although there’s always a chance the Lions sign a different quarterback (perhaps even Sudfeld), Hooker’s performance appears to be giving the team confidence that he can keep playing backup quarterback moving forward.
AJ Dillon lost the game.
