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NFL Players on the Roster Bubble Entering 2024 Training Camps
We asked our Sports Illustrated NFL team reporters to pick a veteran player on the roster bubble entering 2024 training camps. All of the reporters explained why the player they chose could be in danger of not making the roster. The cut candidates covered a variety of positions on offense, defense and special teams.
Here are the players you should keep an eye on in all 32 training camps.
Arizona Cardinals: Zach Pascal. Arizona’s massive youth movement doesn’t leave much room for surprise veteran cuts, though a slew of newer (and more dynamic) pass catchers could very well push the former Colts and Eagles wideout off the roster. But Pascal is a big body that might make the roster thanks to his special teams acumen and track record with coach Jonathan Gannon. —Donnie Druin, Cardinals on SI
Atlanta Falcons: Richie Grant. The former second-round pick has been a disappointment in his Falcons career. Despite the dreaded vote of confidence from head coach Raheem Morris, Grant saw his playing time cut at the end of 2023 by rookie DeMarcco Hellams. With a $3.96 million cap hit and $843,000 dead cap, Grant’s roster spot is in jeopardy. —Scott Kennedy, Falcons On SI
Baltimore Ravens: Tylan Wallace. Now entering his fourth year, Wallace hasn’t made much of an impact in the Ravens’ offense. He had a highlight-reel play on special teams with an overtime punt return touchdown to beat the Los Angeles Rams last season, but with former All-Pro returner Deonte Harty now in the fold, Wallace could find himself on the wrong side of the bubble. —Jon Alfano, Ravens On SI
Buffalo Bills: Damar Hamlin. It’d be heartbreaking to see Buffalo move on from Hamlin for several (obvious) reasons, but he enters training camp firmly on the roster bubble, even after an offseason in which he earned praise from head coach Sean McDermott for his consistent “high-level” play. The fact that he played at all during the 2023 season was miraculous and should be celebrated; he did, however, only appear in five regular-season games, logging only 17 defensive snaps in non-playoff contests. There are snaps to be earned in a revamped safety corps without Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer, but with Taylor Rapp seemingly already penciled into a starting spot, Hamlin will have to usurp either Mike Edwards, rookie Cole Bishop or Cam Lewis on the depth chart. If he can’t, he may see himself on the outside looking in come roster cutdown day. —Kyle Silagyi, Bills On SI
Carolina Panthers: Terrace Marshall Jr. The Panthers were intentional about re-shaping the wide receiver room this offseason, trading for Diontae Johnson and moving up into the first round of the draft to select Xavier Legette. Marshall, a former second-round pick, has failed to come anywhere close to being a reliable option and could be in serious danger of losing his spot on the roster if he fails to have a productive preseason. —Schuyler Callihan, Panthers On SI
Chicago Bears: Velus Jones Jr. Jones has consistently produced as one of the game’s better kick returners but also has muffed punts, committed terrible penalties in punt coverage and dropped wide-open passes. The signing of return man DeAndre Carter could signify Jones’s departure, unless he shows he can play a bigger role on offense in Year 3. —Gene Chamberlain, Bears On SI
Cincinnati Bengals: Jackson Carman. Carman has underachieved in each of his first three seasons and is firmly on the roster bubble. The Bengals also increased their tackle depth by adding Amarius Mims and Trent Brown this offseason. Carman needs to take a step forward in training camp if he’s going to make the 53-man roster. —James Rapien, Bengals On SI
Cleveland Browns: Jack Conklin. Once he returns from a season-ending knee injury, he’ll be in an open competition with Dawand Jones for Cleveland’s starting right tackle spot and could wind up as a trade asset. Wide receiver Elijah Moore represents another potential bubble player considering the Browns could save more than $3 million by releasing him. If some of the team’s younger wideouts flash during training camp, Moore could end up on the outside looking in. —Spencer German, Browns On SI
Dallas Cowboys: Peyton Hendershot. Hendershot joined the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2022 and played in all 17 games. Unfortunately, injuries forced Hendershot to miss nine games in ’23. While he missed time, Hendershot saw Jake Ferguson have a breakout year, and he also fell behind ’23 second-round pick Luke Schoonmaker on the depth chart. Hendershot will compete with John Stephens Jr., who is returning from a torn ACL, and undrafted rookie Brevyn Spann-Ford for a spot on the 53-man roster. Tight end is one of the Cowboys’ deepest positions, and someone will have to be a roster casualty from the crowded tight end room. —Josh Sanchez, Cowboys On SI
Denver Broncos: Javonte Williams. Entering a contract year on the heels of a lackluster 2023 campaign, Williams is feeling the heat. After a promising rookie year, he suffered a multi-ligament knee injury in ’22, and although he returned quickly and in time for the ’23 season, he was a shell of his former self. Meanwhile, the Broncos drafted a Williams clone in Notre Dame’s Audric Estimé and signed Blake Watson as a priority free agent. Message sent, loud and clear. —Chad Jensen, Broncos on SI
Detroit Lions: Levi Onwuzurike. The Lions got deeper on the defensive line, so there will be battles for the final spots. Onwuzurike has battled injuries throughout his career and must show consistency in order to remain on the roster. While he did have a productive spring, the former second-round pick is looking to get his career back on track. —John Maakaron, Lions On SI
Green Bay Packers: Royce Newman. A fourth-round pick in 2021, Newman has made 24 starts with 1,700 offensive snaps. However, after starting 16 games as a rookie, his career has gone backward rather than forward. Sean Rhyan passed Newman on the depth chart last year, and the Packers drafted three linemen this year. Given his experience, he could fetch a late-round pick in an end-of-camp trade. —Bill Huber, Packers On SI
Houston Texans: Robert Woods. Woods had a subpar season in 2023. He was initially signed to be a safety net for then-rookie-quarterback C.J. Stroud. But by the end of the season, Woods ended up being ineffective. Entering training camp, he now finds himself playing behind John Metchie III and Xavier Hutchinson. —Coty M. Davis, Texans on SI
Indianapolis Colts: Moe Ali-Cox. The big tight end might be in trouble if either Jelani Woods or Drew Ogletree take a big step in camp. The Colts already have six receivers who seem safe, so four tight ends should be their max. Ogletree had a somewhat similar role to Alie-Cox last year and is younger with a higher ceiling. —Jake Arthur, Colts On SI
Jacksonville Jaguars: Montaric Brown. A former Day 3 pick who was thrust into a starting role last year, Brown had his moments in six starts but looked more like a reliable backup as opposed to a potential developmental star. With two cornerbacks added in the draft in Jarrian Jones and Deantre Prince, the room got a lot tighter. —John Shipley, Jaguars On SI
Kansas City Chiefs: WR Kadarius Toney. The Chiefs don’t have a stereotypically surprising veteran on the roster bubble, as they don’t have any large cuttable contracts or clear youth-vs.-veteran roster battles. Ultimately, most of Kansas City’s true roster uncertainty comes at the wide receiver position, with recently re-signed Mecole Hardman as the longest-tenured Chiefs receiver. Toney, entering his second full offseason with the Chiefs (and after a disastrous 2023), needs to prove that he belongs on the field ahead of Hardman and the Chiefs' other on-the-bubble pass-catchers. —Joshua Brisco, Chiefs On SI
Los Angeles Chargers: Simi Fehoko. Fehoko might have been a good depth piece for the Chargers heading into the 2024 season, but his abilities could be immediately overshadowed by the arrivals of DJ Chark Jr., Ladd McConkey and Brenden Rice, who could push Fehoko to the bottom of the roster. —James Brizuela, Chargers On SI
Los Angeles Rams: Tyler Johnson. Johnson will enter the 2024 season looking to carve out a substantial role on a packed wide receiver depth chart. With Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, Demarcus Robinson and Tutu Atwell all being more productive, it could be hard for Johnson to retain his depth piece status. He only registered two catches for eight yards and a touchdown in ’23, which may not be enough to warrant his roster spot moving forward. —Matt Levine, Rams On SI
Las Vegas Raiders: Matthew Butler. The defensive tackle enters his third season with the Silver & Black and is in danger of not making the roster if he doesn’t have an impressive training camp. He has underwhelmed in Las Vegas, and his third camp will determine his future with the team. —Hondo S. Carpenter Sr., Raiders On SI
Miami Dolphins: Braxton Berrios. The Dolphins re-signed Berrios as an unrestricted free agent in the offseason and his role as a punt and kickoff returner normally would make him safe. But Miami then selected two wide receivers (Malik Washington and Tahj Washington) in the 2024 NFL draft and signed veteran Odell Beckham Jr. So Berrios no longer looks like a lock to make the roster. —Alain Poupart, Dolphins On SI
Minnesota Vikings: N’Keal Harry. The 26-year-old is five years removed from being the last pick in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft by the New England Patriots, and now his opportunity in Minnesota has transitioned from wide receiver to tight end. Considering the Vikings lack depth at wide receiver, the move at this point in his career speaks volumes. Making the team will be a challenge with T.J. Hockenson, Robert Tonyan, Josh Oliver and Johnny Mundt ahead of him. —Joe Nelson, Vikings On SI
New England Patriots: JuJu Smith-Schuster. After a bumpy first season in New England, Smith-Schuster potentially finds himself on the outside looking in for this Patriots roster just one year later. By drafting two receivers in Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker, getting Kendrick Bourne back to full health, having second-year wideout Pop Douglas, and signing free agent K.J. Osborn, it may be a steep climb for Smith-Schuster to make the roster. —Jared Koch, Patriots On SI
New Orleans Saints: Payton Turner. It’s a pivotal year for New Orleans’s 2021 first-round pick. Due to several injuries, he’s played 15 games in three seasons and hasn’t recorded a sack since ’22. The team also declined his fifth-year option, so Turner must produce and stay healthy during training camp. He’ll have to stave off challenges from Isaiah Foskey, Trajan Jeffcoat and Niko Lalos to remain with the Saints. If things look shaky, New Orleans could seek a trade instead of releasing him. —Kyle T. Mosley, Saints On SI
New York Giants: Aaron Robinson. The Giants have questions regarding their cornerback depth, specifically about who will start opposite of second-year man Deonte Banks. At one point, it was hoped that Robinson would be that guy. However, he’s trending toward being the latest in a growing line of Giants’ third-round draft picks who have not worked out. Injuries in each of his first three seasons have stunted his development to the point where his hold on a roster spot is far from being a sure thing. —Patricia Traina, Giants On SI
New York Jets: Allen Lazard. Lazard has been on the roster bubble for what feels like a year now. He’s good friends with Aaron Rodgers which provides some job security, but his lack of production has been indefensible. He doesn’t offer the special teams versatility that other bubble wideouts such as Jason Brownlee or Xavier Gipson do. Mike Williams makes Lazard's red zone role obsolete. —Dylan Sanders, Jets On SI
Philadelphia Eagles: James Bradberry. The veteran cornerback was a second-team All-Pro during the Eagles’ run to Super Bowl LVII before falling off badly last season. Meanwhile, the Eagles added two rookies who were top-40 picks in the 2024 draft, Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, and are getting the ascending Isaiah Rodgers back from a gambling suspension. It’s an upset Bradberry even made it to this point but GM Howie Roseman seems headstrong on getting something back for the capable veteran. —John McMullen, Eagles On SI
Pittsburgh Steelers: DeMarvin Leal. Leal had pretty high expectations after he was selected in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft. But after taking a step backward last season, the third-year veteran is a roster bubble candidate. He’ll need to beat out either Isaiahh Loudermilk or Montravius Adams for a spot on the 53-man roster, which will be determined by whether he can find a role within the defensive line as a pass rusher. —Noah Strackbein, Steelers On SI
San Francisco 49ers: Ambry Thomas. The 49ers drafted Thomas in the third round of the 2021 draft, thinking he could become a starter at some point, but he hasn’t panned out. When he’s on the field, he’s a liability. So last season, he got benched from the nickel defense in favor of Logan Ryan, who had been retired. Now the 49ers drafted cornerback Renardo Green in the second round and there may not be any more space on the roster for Thomas. —Grant Cohn, 49ers On SI
Seattle Seahawks: Darrell Taylor. With 21.5 sacks over the past three seasons, Taylor has flashed brilliance at times as a pass-rushing threat. Despite his excellent athletic traits and ability to rocket past blockers as a speed rusher, he has lost his starting job during the season two consecutive years due to poor play as a run defender. With Dre’Mont Jones expected to play more off the edge—if he can’t show improvement as an all-around player—his spot could be in jeopardy. —Corbin Smith, Seahawks On SI
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Randy Gregory. Gregory was a depth signing this offseason, but missed all of minicamp. With his drop in production over the past few seasons and his off-field concerns, he could be the top vet not to make the 53-man roster. —Caleb Skinner, Buccaneers On SI
Tennessee Titans: Treylon Burks. The 2022 first-round pick still has potential, but the team signed Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd this offseason. If he doesn’t perform up to standards in training camp, the team may look to shop him on the trade market. —Jeremy Brener, Titans On SI
Washington Commanders: Efe Obada. Obada signed a one-year deal to return to the team under Dan Quinn. However, the Commanders also brought in three free agents, have two draft picks from 2023, and another from this April. —David Harrison, Commanders On SI
ON SI CONTRIBUTORS