NFL teams had to trim their rosters on Saturday to the final 53, releasing around 700 players in the process. Many of the players will sign on with a different team at some point during the season or join a practice squad but, for now, they are all currently out of a job.
NFL roster cuts: Tim Tebow, Vince Young among notable releases
NFL teams cut quite a few players on Saturday, but a few names were much more recognizable than the rest.
John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports
A number of notable players were among Saturday’s cuts. Some of those roster decisions were shocking, but others seemed inevitable. Here’s a quick recap of some of the biggest names who didn’t make their team’s roster.
The New England Patriots decided to keep two quarterbacks on the roster, releasing Tim Tebow. Tebow was squarely on the bubble in New England, but Greg Knopping of Pats Pulpit said that move was easy to see coming:
The Patriots prefer to keep two quarterbacks on their roster. And with Ryan Mallett firmly entrenched as the number two, Tim Tebow simply did not show enough to be kept around as a developmental third string option.
Tebow hopes to still catch on with a different team and keeping a low-profile with the Patriots may have improved his stock.
Another college star did not make his team's roster when the Green Bay Packers released Vince Young. Acme Packing Company predicted that Green Bay would keep Young, but the team opted to keep B.J. Coleman as the backup to Aaron Rodgers instead.
Young announced the decision on Twitter, thanking the Packers for giving him a shot during the preaseason:
Thanks to the @packers for the opportunity great organization great team wonderful fans good luck this season.
— Vince Young (@VinceYoung) August 31, 2013
The New Orleans Saints made an unexpected roster decision, waiving receiver and special teams captain Courtney Roby. Roby has been a fixture with the Saints special teams since joining the team in 2008, impressing with his ability as a "gunner" in punt formation and his coverage ability during kickoffs.
Roby, however, brought little value to the Saints as a receiver. New Orleans' decision to keep Andy Tanner likely made Roby expendable because Tanner can fill-in for the veteran on special teams while taking some snaps on offense.
Dave Cariello of Canal Street Chronicles called the decision “surprising” and “possibly the most disappointing” of all the Saints roster cuts. Roby’s special teams prowess makes it unlikely that he will be without a job for long.
The Pittsburgh Steelers parted ways with their leading rusher from 2012, releasing Jonathan Dwyer. Dwyer received a lot of playing time during the preseason, but Pittsburgh opted to keep Isaac Redman and Felix Jones instead.
Neal Coolong of Behind the Steel Curtain described Dwyer as a “hot-and-cold runner,” noting that he had a tendency to report to camp out of shape. Dwyer was also due $1.3 million this season, a likely factor in the running back’s release.
Dwyer seems likely to find a home relatively quickly, given the turnover at running back. Coolong speculates that Dwyer would be a good fit for a pair of Steelers' NFC North rivals, the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens.
Veteran cornerback Antoine Winfield opted to retire after he did not make the Seattle Seahawks final roster. Seattle signed Winfield to a one-year, $3 million contract during the offseason, but the corner did not see much playing time during the preseason.
Few people expected Winfield to be cut, but the Seahawks have impressive depth in the secondary. Winfield would have likely served as the backup to Walter Thurmond even if he made the roster, according to Jared Stanger of Field Gulls.
Winfield played 14 seasons in the NFL, recording 1,054 tackles, 27 interceptions and 14 forced fumbles. He made three straight Pro Bowls for the Minnesota Vikings between 2008-2010 and was named All-Pro in '08.
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