Arguably the cruelest day on the NFL calendar awaits next Tuesday.
The league’s annual cutdown day will force all 32 teams to shear their rosters down to 53 players in advance on the regular season. While those configurations are hardly final – franchises will scour the waiver wires in an attempt to keep adding talent – the moves will certainly mark either a significant setback or the full end of the road for many of those who receive that unwanted call.
And while the majority of those who will be sent packing will be undrafted free agents and other unproven hopefuls, several players who once figured prominently into their respective teams’ plans could also be headed out.
QB Zach Wilson, Denver Broncos
Bo Nix is officially the starter. Jarrett Stidham at least appears to have the edge for the backup job. Where does that leave Wilson? Denver acquired him in March for merely a late-round pick swap, so there’s little buy-in regarding the No. 2 overall selection in 2021. But Sean Payton has talked up Wilson’s play, lauding not only his strong arm but decision-making and timing – two elements that proved plenty problematic throughout his time with the New York Jets. Keeping a third quarterback seems like a luxury for one of the league’s most lackluster collections of talent, so Wilson might need to leapfrog Stidham for the second-string role to ensure he sticks around.
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QB Bailey Zappe, New England Patriots
Zappe has been the lone holdover in what likely soon will be a fully overhauled Patriots quarterback room. Executive vice president Eliot Wolf brought in three passers this offseason: Jacoby Brissett as the veteran and potential bridge starter, Drake Maye as the big investment near the top of the draft and Joe Milton as the late-round developmental option. After starting eight games in the last two years, Zappe might spark some interest from a team looking to reshuffle its backup options. But after the 2022 fourth-round pick made his way back on to New England’s roster after being a surprise cut last August, don’t expect a similar return this time around.
WR Dee Eskridge, Seattle Seahawks
Between injuries and a six-game personal conduct suspension last season, Eskridge has seldom seen the field since the Seahawks selected him in the second round of the 2021 draft. Needing to prove himself to first-year coach Mike Macdonald and staff, the Western Michigan product still is struggling to make any substantive statement, missing all of last week due to injury. The 5-9, 190-pounder could still be an asset to offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb on jet sweeps, but Laviska Shenault Jr.’s recent rise both as a returner and an after-the-catch threat would seem to shut the door on Eskridge’s time in Seattle.
