The final roster cuts. The time when each NFL team must reduce their squad to 53 men ahead of the new campaign. The agonising time for each head coach and his staff as they decide who to keep and chop. These vital decisions can make or break a player's career in the league. The lucky percentage of those, who are cut from their team, are claimed by others through the waiver process. However, for the rest, they must cross their fingers and pray that they will be offered a place on a practice squad.
Some players may have looked guaranteed to earn a place on their organisation's 53-man squad but, instead left empty-handed as they were sent to find a new home.
Here are the five most surprising cuts from the process.
1. Terrace Marshall JR - Wide Receiver
Many people thought Terrace Marshall Jr was nailed on for a place in the Carolina Panthers' 53-man squad for the upcoming term.
However, the 2021 second-round pick was handed his marching orders by head coach Dave Canales, despite having a reportedly promising camp.
Marshall Jr had a strong college career as an LSU Tiger, racking up 1594 total receiving yards from 106 receptions. This resulted in an average of 15.2 yards and 10 touchdowns.
The former LSU receiver has shown signs that there is a top NFL player within him, however, he had struggled to find any consistency in the Carolinas, which ultimately led to his dismissal.
Moreover, the 24-year-old has seen minimal production when he has been on the field in a Panthers jersey.
Over the past three years, he has collated 64 successful receptions for a total of 767 yards. This has resulted in just one touchdown.
After failing to secure his spot in the Panthers’ 53-man squad, Marshall Jr was signed to the San Francisco 49ers’ practice squad.
Although he doesn’t have a place yet in the 53-man squad, he has the opportunity to impress head coach Kyle Shanahan and his staff members, for a chance to earn a spot in the future.
2. Kadarius Toney - Wide Receiver
2021 first-round pick Kadarius Toney was handed a second chance by Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs after his tenure at his original team, the New York Giants, did not work out.
Toney only played 12 games for the Giants before they traded him to Kansas City for a third and sixth-round pick.
However, life as a Chief did not pan out much better for the receiver as, like Marhsall Jr, he struggled to find any real consistency playing in the league.
Toney featured in 20 games over two years in Reid's side, winning two rings in the process.
The receiver's Chiefs career has been filled with a lot of ups and downs as he tallied 340 receiving yards, 90 rushing yards and four total touchdowns.
One of his worst games came agaisnt the Detroit Lions, as he dropped three simple passes from quarterback Patrick Mahomes. One was deflected into the path of an opposing player who took the ball to the house for a touchdown.
However, he also etched his name into the league's history books with his 65-yard punt return being the longest in Super Bowl history.
However, his cons have outweighed his pros throughout his time in Kansas City as the organisation decided that his performances have not warranted a place on the 53-man roster for the upcoming campaign.
The 25-year-old is still searching for a new team after clearing waivers. Will anybody be willing to throw a lifeline for Toney's career by taking a chance on him?
3. Desmond Ridder - Quarterback
It has been a summer to forget for quarterback Desmond Ridder. This time last year, he was named the starter for the Atlanta Falcons, having the chance to prove he was worthy of keeping his spot.
Last term, Ridder threw as many interceptions as he did passing touchdowns, which saw him tumble down the pecking order in Atlanta.
After a lack of success following his two-year tenure as a Falcon, the organisation traded him to the Arizona Cardinals, in exchange for 24-year-old receiver Rondale Moore.
He wasn't expected to fight with Kyler Murray for the starting spot, but many thought he could land the backup role.
However, after the summer camp and pre-season games, the Cardinals' coaching staff opted for 2023 fifth-round pick Clayton Tune as their QB2, which resulted in Ridder being waived in the final roster cuts.
Ridder cleared waivers and was signed to the Cardinals' practice squad. Therefore, he still has the chance to redeem himself in Arizona, but he will face a challenging uphill battle.
4. Noah Brown - Wide Receiver
Veteran wide receiver Noah Brown was one of the most surprising victims of the final roster cuts. The Houston Texans were dealt with a huge dilemma as they had an extensive list of receivers to try and accommodate in their 53-man squad.
Their seven-man receiver list includes the likes of Stefon Diggs, Tank Dell and John Metchie III.
This meant that Noah Brown was the unfortunate one who was slashed as he struggled with injuries last season.
In addition to missing games due to his struggle to remain healthy, Brown was placed on the Injury Reserve list after picking up a blow to his shoulder in the Texans' wild-card victory over the Cleveland Browns.
Again, like the others on this list, Brown struggled to find a consistent period of decent performances, only showing a glimpse of his peak ability.
In two weeks in November, Brown racked up a staggering total of 325 receiving yards as he stepped up to help his team pick up two huge wins against the Cincinnati Bengals and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Despite not having a place in the Texans' squad, Brown's career is far from over, as he was snapped up by the Washington Commanders.
Commanders head coach Dan Quinn was buzzing to add the veteran to his list of offensive weapons, commenting on how the receiver's excellent personality and physical traits will help him fit into the boss' side.
"He is a really physical player. He's got a great background both as a receiver and on special teams. He's a fantastic teammate. And so, when we had the ability to add him to this group, it was a very easy decision from the coaching side," Quinn stated.
5. D'Onta Foreman- Running Back
Foreman's most productive season came in 2022 as a Carolina Panther under former head coach Steve Wilks when he put up 914 rushing yards and five touchdowns.
However, the campaign after, he only managed to rack up 425 rushing yards.
In fairness, the power back only played around half of the number of matches in a Bears uniform than he did in a Panthers jersey.
His contract expired at the end of the season, but the Bears had no intention of bringing him back to Soldier Field.
Therefore, the 28-year-old was picked up by the Cleveland Browns as a depth piece.
However, when the time arrived to submit the final roster cuts, Foreman was one of those that were on the firing line as he was waived.
At the time, the cut did not make any sense, especially as star running back Nick Chubb was designated to the Physically Unable to Perform list, as he continues his road to recovery from a season-ending knee injury.
Moreover, Foreman spent his summer training in Cleveland’s summer camp.
However, the move turned out to be a typical chess move from the front office as they resigned him shortly after to the 53-man roster.
The power back could be a fantastic weapon for head coach Kevin Stefanski to have stashed away in his offensive Arsenal, especially if they need to exploit short-yardage plays
