All 32 NFL teams had to be down to their initial 53-man rosters for the 2024 season by 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
That meant there were going to be a lot of roster moves coming throughout the day, so let’s look at 10 takeaways from everything that happened.
1. There are wide receivers available
There are several teams in the NFL in need of additional wide receiver depth (Pittsburgh, Washington and Buffalo specifically), and they should have plenty of options to pick over following cutdown day. Tim Patrick (Denver), Kadarius Toney (Kansas City), Noah Brown (Houston) and Terrace Marshall Jr. (Carolina) were among the more notable cuts at the position on Tuesday, and all should have no problem finding a new team in the coming days.
2. The Browns keep four quarterbacks (for now)
The Browns are still counting on Deshaun Watson to be an impact starter, but for now they are keeping three backups behind him as Jameis Winston, Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Tyler Huntley all made the initial 53-man roster. Head coach Kevin Stefanski justified it by saying they simply have four good quarterbacks, but it is possible they could be working on a trade involving one.
3. The 2022 quarterback class was a dud
Speaking of quarterbacks, Tuesday was another rough day for the 2022 draft class as Bailey Zappe (New England) and Desmond Ridder (Arizona) were among the cuts around the league. Ridder had already been traded by the team that drafted him (Atlanta) and is now in search of his third team since entering the league. Only two quarterbacks (Skyler Thompson and Brock Purdy) remain with the teams that drafted them in 2022.
4. The Packers need another running back
Even after signing free agent Josh Jacobs, the Packers still decided to bring back A.J. Dillon in the hopes he could form a strong 1-2 punch in their backfield. But they are going to have to find a plan B for that position after Dillon was placed on season-ending injured reserve on Tuesday due to a neck injury. Dillon rushed for 613 yards a year ago while adding another 223 through the air. Jacobs will still get the bulk of the playing time, but they will definitely need more depth behind him.
5. Frank Gore Jr. should get a look from somebody
The son of former NFL running back Frank Gore, Gore Jr. was one of the most productive running backs in the preseason rushing for 163 yards (second most in the preseason) and averaging 4.9 yards per carry for the Buffalo Bills. He was outstanding in the team’s preseason finale and seemed to make a big statement for a roster spot. It just did not work in Buffalo. One of the teams dealing with injuries at the position (Green Bay, San Francisco) should look into him.
6. The 49ers still have some work to do
Cutdown day has come and gone, and the 49ers are still well over the salary cap and have yet to solve the Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams contract negotiations. They have a lot of work to do over the next week-and-a-half before they open their season.
