We're weeks away from NFL teams reporting to training camp and getting things ready to start the 2024 NFL season. With camp comes the opportunity to make a roster spot, but it also comes with the possibility that teams will be clearing some space for new players to take on bigger roles. That means there's going to be some surprise cuts taking place. 

Today we're going to do our best to get you ready for those surprises. Our entire writing staff has come together to predict every team's surprise cut before, during and after training camp. Here's who could be on the open market soon:

49ers: RB Elijah Mitchell

It wasn’t that long ago that Mitchell was bursting onto the scene as a rookie sixth-round pick in 2021, a season he ended as the 49ers’ leading rusher, falling narrowly shy of 1,000 yards despite playing only 11 games due to injury. Unfortunately for Mitchell, injuries have continued to be a problem throughout his career and, with Christian McCaffrey now the undisputed workhorse of the backfield, he has been left fighting for very minimal carries. 

When healthy, Mitchell has served as a nice complement to McCaffrey and scored the decisive touchdown in the 49ers' NFC Championship Game comeback against the Lions. However, with no guaranteed money remaining on the final year of his contract and San Francisco adding three running backs this offseason — including trading two fifth-round picks to move up for Isaac Guerendo in the fourth round of the draft — Mitchell could find himself in huge trouble if the new boys impress. –49ers beat writer Nicholas McGee

Bears: RB Khalil Herbert

Khalil Herbert seems to be the odd man out in the Bears backfield following the addition of D’Andre Swift. The dynamic free agent pickup took the majority of snaps with the first team during OTAs and minicamp with second-year back Roschon Johnson behind him in the pecking order. With a new pass-oriented scheme coming to Chicago, Herbert’s days might be numbered heading into training camp and he might be playing in another uniform in 2024. -Bears beat writer Kole Noble

Bengals: Edge Jospeh Ossai

A year ago, I expected Ossai to be the Bengals’ most promising breakout player. His disappointing 2023 campaign led to the opposite outcome, and now he’s much closer to the roster bubble than being a franchise cornerstone. If sixth-round pick Cedric Johnson shines bright in preseason action, Ossai becomes expendable as a high-upside pass rusher who never achieved his potential in Cincinnati. –Bengals beat writer John Sheeran

Bills: WR Mack Hollins

The Bills signed Hollins to a one-year deal worth $2.6 million this offseason, but only $1.1 million is guaranteed. With all the other moves they’ve made such as signing Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Curtis Samuel, as well as drafting Keon Coleman, where does Hollins fall in the depth chart? Buffalo also signed Chase Claypool, who has a higher ceiling and is much more versatile if used properly. The Bills can actually save close to $2 million against the cap this season if they cut Hollins, who had just 18 catches a season ago. –Bills writer Jarrett Bailey

Broncos: WR Phillip Dorsett

The Denver Broncos may not have the best wide receiver room in the league, or even the AFC West, but the room is a bit crowded with the recent additions they have made. Phillip Dorsett could find himself as a surprise cut candidate during training camp, as there are plenty of guys above him that are much better, and he doesn’t offer much in terms of special teams. He’s a guy I’d be surprised makes it to Week 1 on the 53 man roster. –Broncos contributor Justin Churchil 

Browns: DL Siaki Ika

Cleveland was terrible at stopping the run in 2022 so they went out and refined the interior of the defensive line in 2023. It paid off for them but one guy that was supposed to come in and be an eventual run plugger was Ika, who was just unable to do that. Ika was a healthy scratch for most of the season until Maurice Hurst went down with an injury, then was not very good in limited playing time. Ika played 100 defensive snaps and did not record a single statistic for Cleveland. He was very heavy coming into the NFL and tested poorly athletically at the combine. If Ika is being blown off the ball during training camp like he was last season, Cleveland could move on after a year. –Browns beat writer Brandon Little 

Buccaneers: QB Kyle Trask

Real quick: I believe the Bucs are going to ride it out with Trask through the final year of his deal, unless he’s truly awful during training camp/the preseason. That also adds to the point of the surprise, right?

There's certainly a world in which John Wolford outperforms Trask and the team simply needs a roster spot somewhere else that's of higher priority. Think triage, essentially, but much less graphic.

Regardless, it would pretty much come down to whether or not the Bucs think Trask would pass through waivers and if he's getting cut because he didn't perform up to standards, there's a good chance of that happening considering his career up to this point. We'll see what happens. – Bucs beat writer Evan Winter

Cardinals: RB Michael Carter

Arizona claimed Carter off waivers last November, but he could find himself a cut candidate in a crowded backfield. A combination of James Conner, Trey Benson, and DeeJay Dallas could push Carter off the 53-man roster if they only carry three running backs. Should they keep four backs, he also might not be safe considering the $3.1 million in salary cap space the team would add should they release him. –Cardinals contributor Charles Goldman 

Chargers: RB Isaiah Spiller

There’s a new regime in Los Angeles, and even with that regime favoring the run game, Spiller might have a target on his back. The former fourth-round draft pick in 2022 has 55 carries over the past two seasons and is averaging just 2.5 yards per rushing attempt. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman brought in two players they’re familiar (J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards) with and the team drafted Kimani Vidal. Releasing Spiller would also save over 800K against the salary cap. –Chargers contributor Charles Goldman

Chiefs: WR Mecole Hardman

A short-lived reunion with the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LVIII hero? It could happen. Chiefs assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Dave Toub recently revealed that offseason standout Nikko Remigio is currently the team’s top option at kick returner. If that development persists through training camp and the preseason, it could be enough to push Hardman off the 53-man roster come roster cuts. Hardman’s contract is a veteran salary benefit, so there is no guaranteed money attached to his deal. –Chiefs beat writer Charles Goldman

Colts: TE Mo Alie-Cox

The Colts TE room has five players who have played roles on the teams offense over the past few seasons, Kylen Granson, Jelani Woods, Andrew Ogletree, Will Mallory and the vet in the room Mo Alie-Cox. Seeing how they cut down the room after Training Camp is going to be something everyone’s eyes are glued too. Fans have been wondering when veteran Mo Alie-Cox’s time would end but it’s seemed like he has nine lives. With the youth in the TE room having signatory more inside where they choose to keep three or four TEs I think this is the end or the road for the veteran TE. –Colts beat writer Destin Adams

Commanders: WR Olamide Zaccheaus

It seems like it's Zaccheaus' job to lose when talking about a depth role on the Commanders offense, but wilder things have happened in the NFL.



The Commanders receiver room has nine guys, excluding Zaccheaus, fighting for jobs behind Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, and Luke McCaffrey. Any one of them could surpass the former Falcon and Eagle on the depth chart with a stronger camp than what he provides.

There's also the fact Austin Ekeler, Brian Robinson, Zach Ertz, and Ben Sinnott are all very good at catching the ball. In other words: the Commanders have plenty of pass-catchers. A down camp from Zaccheaus could easily put him on the outs. – Commanders writer Evan Winter

Cowboys: RB Deuce Vaughn

I have Vaughn making the team in latest 53-man roster projection but the second-year running back that put on a show during last year’s preseason is far from a lock. His struggles in pass pro were a major concern last year and that led to him being a healthy scratch for the majority of the season. Now, he’s spending some time with the wide receivers and while that’s exciting, it raises a tough question: Do the Cowboys think he provides enough value as just a No. 3 running back? Keep in mind, Vaughn’s size limits him to returning duties only on special teams and the Cowboys already have KaVontae Turpin). He needs to step it up in training camp and will be fighting for his job this summer. –Cowboys Beat writer Mauricio Rodriguez

Dolphins: RB Jeff Wilson

The Dolphins have a strong depth at running back, with De’Von Achane, Raheem Mostert, and this year’s fourth-round pick Jaylen Wright at the top.So even though Wilson is an efficient runner and relatively cheap, with a $2.357 million cap hit, there might not be enough room on the roster for him. And by trading or releasing him, the Dolphins would save more than $1.5 million in cap space.

Injuries have prevented Wilson from being a reliable piece, and now he can turn into an afterthought with so many pieces competing for touches. –Dolphins contributor Wendell Ferreira

Eagles: CB James Bradberry

The Eagles didn’t hesitate to draft back to back corners in the 2024 NFL Draft in Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. Now they have 15 of them heading into July training camp. That’s an obvious sign that the Eagles have little to no faith in Bradberry, who struggle last year. If he doesn’t have an eye-popping training camp and beat out these rookies, then don’t be surprised if the Eagles might let him go, even if if means eating some money. –Eagles beat writer Kelsey Kramer

Falcons: S Richie Grant

Richie Grant has had more downs than ups on his roller coaster journey in the NFL. He was off to decent start last season before DeMarcco Hellams swooped in and took his starting job. One could put the blame on Arthur Smith and his coaching staff, and then say that there’s a chance he could excel under Raheem Morris, who is very fond of him by the way. But if we’re being honest, he’s just not good enough to pass on saving a chunk of cap space. –Falcons writer Kelsey Kramer

Giants: WR Isaiah Hodgins

Hodgins might look like a roster lock at first sight but the Giants have beefed up at wide receiver and the battle for that last WR spot will be fun to monitor. The Giants signed Allen Robinson after the NFL Draft and assuming they like him, Hodgins might find himself on the outside looking in. Keep in mind, Hodgins has only six career special teams snaps, which means WR6 could go to a specialist like Gunner Olszewski or Isaiah McKenzie. –Giants contributor Mauricio Rodriguez  

Jaguars: S Andrew Wingard

Andrew Wingard has been with the Jaguars since 2019 and has started 26 of the 78 games he’s appeared in. Outside of 2021 when he started 15 games for the team he has mainly been a special teams contributor. And this years safety group is arguably deeper than any room Wingard has been apart of. The team is likely going to start Andre Cisco and Antonio Johnson, but they also signed veteran Terrell Edmonds. And don’t forget about Darnell Savage who the team could play at slot CB or safety depending on the defensive package. If Wingard doesn’t impress in training camp this could variably be the end of the road for this Jaguars veteran.-Jags contributor Destin Adams

Jets: RB Israel Abanikanda

The Jets made their thoughts on former fifth-round pick, and one of the darlings of last season of HBO’s Hard Knocks known when they took not one, but two running backs in the 2024 NFL Draft. Reports out of Jets’ OTAs are that fourth-round rookie out of Wisconsin, Braelon Allen looks natural as a receiver, and it is likely his RB2 job to lose. South Dakota State running back Isaiah Davis, who was selected by the Jets towards the end of the fifth round, has also been turning some heads.

That leaves Izzy is plummeting down the depth chart. In OTAs he got zero reps with the first team or with the second team. When he did get on the field, struggled. Izzy had nagging injuries last season and the Jets offense didn’t stay on the field long enough to get him many reps during the season. When he finally did get on the field after the Jets traded Cook and made a shift to playing the young guys, he failed to impress.Izzy is the kind of back that could go 90 yards on a single play. The problem is, he never did. Nothing that would ensure a spot on the team and now it appears, it might be headed that way. –Jets beat writer Mike Antoniou

Lions: Edge John Cominsky

Cominsky was a big part of the Lions roster in 2022. He came out of nowhere and had a career season. Good enough to where the Lions signed him to a multiyear deal. Unfortunately he struggled to recapture that in 2023 and with the addition of Marcus Davenport, James Houston being health, Mitchell Agude surprising this spring and the Lions trying Mehki Wingo and Levi Onwuzurike on the outside, Cominsky could find himself being a free agent soon. -Lions beat writer Mike Payton

Packers: RB AJ Dillon

The Packers didn’t plan to keep Dillon this year in free agency, but his market was so slow that it allowed the team to bring him back on a four-year qualifying offer, an unusual CBA tool to get a player slightly above the minimum salary, when only counting the minimum against the cap. However, the Packers also signed Josh Jacobs in free agency and drafted MarShawn Lloyd in the third round. If the Packers get early indications that Lloyd can be fairly impactful right away, it might get difficult to find a roster spot for Dillon. – Packers beat writer Wendell Ferreira

Panthers: RB Miles Sanders

After a disappointing 2023 season, the Carolina Panthers may just cut its losses with the 27-year-old running back. If Sanders is cut, the panthers have to be willing to eat the substantial $7.49 million in dead cap space spread over the next two seasons. In 2024, the team could save around $200,000. What makes Sanders a surprising cut is if the Panthers wait until 2025, the team may save $5.225 million. But sometimes saying goodbye quickly is better than saving money. –Panthers beat writer Ian Kayanja

Patriots: WR JuJu Smith-Schuster

The veteran receiver did not impress in his first year in New England during the 2023 season. While he has claimed that he is fully healthy and ready to go, the Patriots’ wide receiver room is very competitive which a lot of young guys starting to show themselves. I’ve had Smith-Schuster as a trade candidate because of his contract, but if it comes down to it, the team isn’t going to keep him if he can’t bring what they need. –Patriots beat writer Sophie Weller

Raiders: DT Matthew Butler

Las Vegas Raiders Defensive tackle Matthew Butler is only entering his third season after being drafted by the former regime, and things haven’t been the best for him in his NFL career. With the signing of Christian Wilkins, he is being pushed even further down the depth chart than he already was, and is currently looking at being the sixth DT. I think cutting him only makes sense. Raiders beat writer Justin Churchil

Rams: T Joe Noteboom

The Rams gave Noteboom a three-year contract in 2022 trying to replace Andrew Whitworth, but the idea never came close to fruition. Last year, even though Noteboom played 59% of the offensive snaps, he lost the starting job to Alaric Jackson. If the Rams decide to cut Noteboom before the last year of his deal, the team would open up $5.6 million in cap space in 2024. There will still be $6 million in dead money now and $10 million next year as a post-June 1st release, but at least the team can move on from a relatively expensive player who has underperformed. -Staff writer Wendell Ferreira

Ravens: WR Tylan Wallace

Wallace was a middle-round pick for the Ravens a few years ago and has been nothing more than a special teams player to this point. Despite being an intriguing player that the Ravens were high on, the Oklahoma State product has seven catches for 67 yards in 37 career games. With the additions of Tez Walker and Deonte Harty, the Ravens moving on from Wallace is very possible and maybe even likely. If the young guys can contribute to special teams positively, it could very well happen. –Ravens contributor Brandon Little 

Saints: Edge Isaiah Foskey

Foskey is just 23 years old and was a second-round pick during last year’s draft. There’s no way he should have to worry about his roster spot, right? That’s not the case. The Saints added Chase Young off the edge during free agency. The second-year edge rusher missed a chunk of 2023 due to injury and played mostly on special teams when healthy. He’s proven little at the NFL level. It’s possible that one of Foskey or former first-rounder Payton Turner don’t make the cut by the time the season rolls around for New Orleans. –Saints writer Adam Holt

Seahawks: Edge Darrell Taylor

Tyler Lockett would be the perfect piece for this exercise until he agreed to restructure his deal earlier this offseason. Now, a reasonable option is edge defender Darrell Taylor. He’s been a solid player, but regressed to a 5.5-sack season in 2023. With Boye Mafe progressing and with the expensive addition of Dre’Mont Jones becoming more expensive cap-wise in year 2, cutting Taylor could be a viable, yet not likely, outcome for Seattle. The move can make sense especially because there’s basically no dead money left, and the Seahawks would save $3.1 million. –Seahawks contributor Wendell Ferreira

Steelers: OT Dan Moore

Up until this week, it was almost a lock that Dan Moore Jr. would be on the roster in 2024. But following a report that Broderick Jones will start at LT and Moore will battle with rookie Troy Fautanu at RT in training camp, his departure becomes possible. Moore is a pure LT. Asking him to play RT might as well be writing with your non dominant hand. And while he’s been criticized at LT, he’s sturdy enough and will be a serviceable starter or high-end swing tackle for the majority of the league. –Steelers beat writer Rob Gregson

Texans: WR Robert Woods

Woods may be an established veteran and a presence needed in a youthful WR corps, but following the acquisition of Stefon Diggs, his role may be obsolete. The team is obviously headlined by the trio of Diggs, Tank Dell, and Nico Collins, but they also have great depth with John Metchie III, Noah Brown and Ben Skowronek, all looking to take Woods’ spot. –Texans contributor Rob Gregson

Titans: WR Kyle Phillips

Philips has been buried on the depth chart by free agent addition Tyler Boyd and sixth-round pick Jha’Quan Jackson. The competition for snaps in the slot will be highly competitive with Treylon Burks potentially getting some action there in 2024. Philips has looked good when healthy, but injuries have made this an uphill climb to make the 53-man roster for the third year player out of UCLA. –Titans writer Jack Gentry

Vikings: TE Nick Muse

Vikings head coach deemed Muse the "best TE3 in the league" when the team re-signed him back in March, but he's in an awfully crowded tight end room. Even with T.J. Hockenson on the mend.



The staff has talked Robert Tonyan up and obviously Josh Oliver is in the picture. Then, there's the wildcard that is the N'Keal Harry experiment. No one is expecting him to become the next Travis Kelce or Jim Kleinsasser, even. But at the same time, he could potentially be used as a weapon in certain packages and in certain situations, which equals a roster spot. Trey Knox may be an undrafted rookie, but he produced at South Carolina and has the traits to play in the big leagues.



In all, Muse has to be on his game throughout camp. – Vikings writer Evan Winter

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