With the 2024 season fast approaching, teams will soon have to make hard decisions. Here's a look at trade candidates and players who could be released before clubs solidify their rosters on Aug. 27.
Since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2021, Kadarius Toney has been a disappointment for the New York Giants and Kansas City Chiefs. He's failed to eclipse 180 receiving yards since his rookie campaign and averaged just 6.3 yards per reception last season.
Toney was inactive for the Chiefs' final seven contests in 2023 and will face an uphill battle to make the roster. Head coach Andy Reid has experimented with Toney at running back in training camp, per PJ Green of Fox4KC. The club also has the 25-year-old listed as the No. 9 wideout on the team's first depth chart.
After earning second-team All-Pro honors in 2022, James Bradberry fell off a cliff last season. The 31-year-old allowed 689 yards and nine touchdowns in coverage, per PFF.
Bradberry signed a three-year, $38-million extension with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023 and has void years on his contract until the 2029 campaign. Philadelphia invested heavily in the cornerback room this offseason, selecting Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean in April's draft. The club also has Kelee Ringo and Isaiah Rodgers competing for a starting job. The Eagles' depth at the position has forced Bradberry to see safety snaps in camp, and he's a prime trade candidate for any team that loses a cornerback due to injury this summer.
The four-year, $44-million contract the New York Jets signed Allen Lazard to in 2023 is off to a disastrous start. He caught only 23 passes for 311 yards and one touchdown and was a healthy scratch for two contests last campaign.
New York reportedly made Lazard available in trade discussions this offseason. The Jets added veteran wideout Mike Williams in free agency and drafted Malachi Corley in the third round in April, pushing Lazard down the depth chart. Lazard's contract makes it challenging for New York to move on, as it'll have to eat a $12-million dead-cap charge if it releases him. However, the Jets would save money in future years.
Damar Hamlin returned last season after suffering cardiac arrest during a Buffalo Bills contest late in the 2022 campaign. He suited up for five games and played only 17 defensive snaps during the 2023 regular season.
The 26-year-old has a path to playing time at safety with the Bills moving on from Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde. But Hamlin still has to beat out an emerging Cam Lewis and 2024 second-rounder Cole Bishop, who's also competing for the second starting safety role next to Taylor Rapp.
Jack Conklin was once regarded as one of the best offensive tackles in the league but has struggled to stay healthy in recent years. He suited up in only 22 games over the last three seasons and is coming off a torn ACL and MCL suffered in Week 1 last year.
The two-time All-Pro tackle is on the PUP list and hasn't practiced with the Cleveland Browns this offseason. Dawand Jones, a 2023 fourth-round pick, started nine games at tackle last season and is getting first-team reps with Conklin sidelined. Cleveland inked Conklin to a four-year, $60-million extension in 2023, and he carries $19-million-plus cap hits in 2025 and 2026.
The Chicago Bears made a splash in free agency when they signed D'Andre Swift to a three-year, $24-million deal, securing him as their starting running back. With the Bears selecting Roschon Johnson in last year's draft, Khalil Herbert's future in Chicago is in question.
The 26-year-old has seen extended time in preseason games, which is usually an ominous sign for players on the roster bubble. Herbert led Chicago in carries in its second preseason contest versus the Bills but averaged 3.4 yards per rush. Herbert screams trade candidate for any team looking to add depth to its running back room before the season starts.
After a breakout campaign with the Eagles in 2022, Miles Sanders signed a four-year, $25.4-million contract with the Carolina Panthers. The 27-year-old struggled in his first campaign with the team, averaging only 3.3 yards per carry on 129 attempts in 2023.
Sanders played only 80 snaps in the Panthers' last four games and became Chuba Hubbard's backup as the season progressed. Carolina selected Jonathon Brooks in the second round of the recent draft, and he's projected to lead the team's backfield when he returns from a knee injury. The Dallas Cowboys face questions at running back and have Sanders on their short list of external options, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling was one of the wide receivers the Buffalo Bills added following Stefon Diggs' departure this offseason. After spending the last two campaigns with the Chiefs, the Bills signed him to a one-year deal in May.
Keon Coleman, Khalil Shakir, Curtis Samuel, and Mack Hollins will likely secure roster spots, leaving Valdes-Scantling and his inconsistent hands on the outside looking in. Buffalo guaranteed him $2.25 million on his contract, but the club could eat that money by releasing him if they don't see a fit for him on offense.
Samaje Perine signed a two-year, $7.5-million deal with the Denver Broncos in 2023. The 28-year-old recorded single-digit yards in 10 of 17 contests and compiled only 238 rushing yards last season, his fewest since 2020.
Denver selected Notre Dame's Audric Estime in the fifth round of this year's draft, and Jaleel McLaughlin is projected to make the roster. That leaves Perine and 24-year-old Javonte Williams fighting for a roster spot. The Broncos would save $3 million in cap space if they release Perine, compared to only $1.8 million with Williams.
Injuries have plagued Payton Turner in the early parts of his NFL career. The former first-round pick suffered a shoulder injury that landed him on injured reserve during his rookie season before he missed 15 games in 2023 due to turf toe.
Turner has only three sacks and eight quarterback hits in 15 career contests and has an uphill battle to get playing time with the New Orleans Saints in 2024. The club signed Chase Young to a one-year deal in free agency, and Turner has missed time in training camp because of a toe ailment. The Saints can save $2.3 million against the cap if they release Turner.
The Houston Texans signed Robert Woods to a two-year, $15.2-million contract in 2023. The 32-year-old played in 14 contests last season, totaling 40 catches for 426 yards (fifth-most on the team) and one touchdown.
The Texans made a splash this offseason, acquiring star wideout Diggs from the Bills. And with younger receivers like John Metchie and Xavier Hutchinson emerging, Woods might be the odd man out in Houston's wide receiver room. The USC product has yet to eclipse 575 yards in a season since 2020.
