Surprise NFL roster cuts: Notable players released. Include Kadarius Toney, Desmond Ridder, D’Onta Foreman, Noah Brown, and Carl Lawson.
Detroit Lions | Quarterback Nate Sudfeld
“Let’s start with Hendon Hooker. You want to know, straight and easy, it’s difficult for me to simply step in and say, ‘Man, he’s, you feel fantastic at No. 2.’ I think of him as “Is he growing?”
This is what Lions head coach Dan Campbell said about Hooker following his team’s preseason finale.
Nonetheless, Detroit is using the 2023 third-round pick as Jared Goff’s backup after releasing Sudfeld on Tuesday. While Hooker impressed throughout the exhibition season, the Lions might still look into QB2 prospects this week.
Notable NFL roster cuts include Arizona Cardinals’ quarterback Desmond Ridder.
This offseason’s Ridder-Rondale Moore transaction did not benefit either the Cardinals or the Falcons. Moore is gone for the year due to a knee injury sustained during training camp, and Arizona released Ridder on Tuesday.
Ridder, a third-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, started 13 games for the Falcons last season but struggled with interceptions and turnovers. In 2023, he placed sixth among quarterbacks with 19 total turnovers, although taking only 439 dropbacks (23rd among QBs). His six turnovers in the red zone lead the NFL.
According to TruMedia, Ridder had the league’s third-worst EPA off turnovers and the second-worst per-snap rate.
Clayton Tune, a 2023 fifth-round draft pick, is now Kyler Murray’s backup in Arizona. Tune only one start in his rookie season, and his 18.5% passing success percentage was the NFL’s fourth-lowest single-game mark last year.
CB Natrone Brooks, a 2023 rookie undrafted free agency from Southern Mississippi, nearly made the Falcons’ 53-man roster. After spending last year on Atlanta’s practice squad, Brooks had another outstanding training camp and preseason, but he was still released. The Falcons only maintained five cornerbacks on their initial roster.
Russell Gage, a three-week veteran of the Baltimore Ravens, was the most prominent player to be released this week.
Gage, at 28, has 700+ yards with the Atlanta Falcons in 2020 and 2021. He spent the season on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ injured reserve list after sustaining a ruptured patellar tendon during training camp.
Buffalo Bills WR Tyrell Shavers shined during training camp, receiving accolades from head coach Sean McDermott and quarterback Josh Allen. Shavers, a 2023 UDFA out of San Diego State, started his rookie season on Buffalo’s practice squad.
Despite only four receptions for 28 yards in the preseason, Shavers appeared to be a top contender for a roster spot with the Bills, particularly with experienced pass catchers Curtis Samuel and Marquez Valdes-Scantling injured. If Shavers clears waivers, he’ll most likely return to Buffalo.
Carolina Panthers | WR Terrace Marshall Jr.
While Marshall has failed since joining the Panthers as a 2021 second-round choice (just 767 receiving yards in three seasons), there was some hope he might remain as a depth piece under new head coach/offensive play-caller Dave Canales.
Instead, Carolina attempted to trade Marshall, but when that failed, they released the LSU player on Tuesday.
The 6’2″, 200-pounder had a strong training camp and is expected to land in the NFL as a Big Slot.
