Early Predictions for This Year's Most Surprising NFL Veteran Roster Cuts

Now that the 2016 NFL draft and the bulk of free-agency action is in the past, it's time to look ahead to the preseason process. NFL teams are going to spend the next few months assimilating their new additions into their rosters and preparing for the 2016 regular season.

The influx of free-agent and rookie additions brings hope for most teams and their respective fanbases. For some of the veteran players around the league, however, these new faces are not welcome.

Free agents and rookies alike come to their new squads with one goal in mind—each wants to claim a roster spot and, ultimately, take someone else's job. This means plenty of veterans are about to find themselves out of work.

We're going to take a look at some veteran players who could become surprise roster cuts by the end of preseason. We will base our predictions on factors like past performance, positional competition, team fit and salary. We'll be examining players with at least two seasons of NFL service on their resumes and—since these are surprise cuts—we won't be considering journeymen who have bounced around the league.

Do you agree with our choices? Be sure to let us know in the comments section.

Brian Hartline, WR, Cleveland Browns

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Could Brian Hartline be done in Cleveland after just one season?

The Cleveland Browns didn't field many quality wideouts during the 2015 season, but veteran Brian Hartline was one of them. Though injuries limited his overall impact, he did appear in 12 games and produced 46 receptions, 523 yards and two touchdowns. Pro Football Focus rated Hartline tops among Cleveland receivers who saw at least 100 offensive snaps.

At 6'2", Hartline was also one of the only tall targets the Browns consistently put on the field last season. He is a savvy veteran with a year remaining on his contract. It makes plenty of sense for the Browns to keep him for another season. 

However, there are also plenty of reasons why Hartline might be a roster casualty. The most significant is that Cleveland selected four wide receivers—Corey Coleman, Ricardo Louis, Jordan Payton and Rashard Higgins—in this year's draft. First-rounder Coleman is a lock to make the roster, and there's a chance all four rookies make the team.

The Browns also have to look at other returning veterans like Andrew Hawkins, Taylor Gabriel, Terrelle Pryor and—if he can get himself reinstated—Josh Gordon.

Hawkins spent time with new head coach Hue Jackson when the two were with the Cincinnati Bengals, and the familiarity could earn him a job. Gabriel and Pryor are developmental players who could be a part of Cleveland's long-term future. Hartline cannot and is likely at the bottom of the big-picture pecking order.

The Browns are trying to build for the future, and Hartline probably won't be part of it. He'll turn 30 during the 2016 season, and his pending salary is not guaranteed. In a way, this could lead to a favorable situation for the veteran wideout.

Hartline will likely end up with a chance to play for a competitive team by the time the regular season rolls around.

Davon House, CB, Jacksonville Jaguars

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Could cornerback Davon House be out of Jacksonville a year after signing a four-year, $24 million deal?

Last offseason, the Jacksonville Jaguars tried to upgrade their cornerback corps by adding Davon House in free agency. The former Green Bay Packers role player was handed a starting job and inked to a four-year, $24.5 million deal.

The move didn't yield the desired results. House proved to be a liability in pass coverage on the outside and, though he snagged four interceptions, he rarely made game-changing plays. Pro Football Focus rated him just 169th overall among cornerbacks for the 2015 season. Only 15 corners surrendered more than the 740 yards House gave up last year.

House could find himself battling for the No. 3 or No. 4 corner spot in Jacksonville this offseason. The Jaguars brought in veteran Prince Amukamara in free agency and drafted Florida State's Jalen Ramsey with the fifth overall pick in this year's draft.

It's a fairly safe bet that either Amukamara or Ramsey will hold a starting spot on the outside this season. There's a good chance that both will be starting when the regular season opens. Also in the mix for a starting job will be 2015 starter Aaron Colvin.

Though House gained most of the attention as one of last season's big additions, Colvin was the better cover man for Jacksonville. Pro Football Focus rated him 47th overall among corners. If the Jaguars really want to put their best players on the field, House could be looking at a limited role.

Since $3.5 million of House's 2016 salary is guaranteed, the Jaguars would save $2.5 million this year by releasing him. However, the team would also save $12 million in base salary in 2017 and 2018. It doesn't make sense to pay this kind of money to a guy who could end up being a dime corner only.

While it would still be surprising, it shouldn't be too surprising to see House released a year after his big deal.

Bishop Sankey, RB, Tennessee Titans

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Two years ago, the Titans made Bishop Sankey the first running back taken in the draft. Soon he could be looking for work.

Former Washington running back Bishop Sankey became the first running back taken in the 2014 draft when the Tennessee Titans selected him with the 54th overall pick. After just two years, however, Sankey's time in Tennessee could be coming to an end.

The problem is that Sankey just hasn't lived up to his draft status. Injuries have played a role, but he hasn't emerged as a reliable back even when healthy. Despite appearing in 29 games to date, Sankey has only produced 762 yards rushing and three touchdowns. He has averaged a mere 3.8 yards per carry.

Pro Football Focus rated Sankey just 140th overall among running backs for the 2015 season.

This offseason, the Titans traded for former NFL rushing leader DeMarco Murray and drafted Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry. Thanks to these two additions, Sankey is likely looking at the No. 3 role at best. However, the Titans also have Dexter McCluster and Antonio Andrews on the roster.

Andrews, who rushed for 520 yards and three scores last season, has shown some promise. McCluster is more of a change-of-pace back and provides value as a returner. Either player would make more sense as the No. 3 back over Sankey.

This is why the former second-round pick is probably on his way out. Another sign that this may be the case could be the fact that rookie safety Kevin Byard was given Sankey's No. 20 jersey, according to Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com.

Per Kuharsky, Byard told The Midday 180 in Nashville that a woman from the Titans organization said No. 20 was available.

"She said, 'Hey, No. 20 is free, so you can have it,'" Byard said, per Kuharsky. "So you know I jumped on it real quick. Hopefully when I get there I'll have No. 20 in my locker."

Tennessee isn't going to have two players wearing No. 20 once the regular season rolls around. There's a good chance Byard, the first pick in this year's third round, will be the one to earn it.

Davante Adams, WR, Green Bay Packers

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Davante Adams has shown some flashes of talent, but he hasn't emerged as a reliable weapon for the Packers.

Two years ago, the Green Bay Packers spent a second-round draft pick on wide receiver Davante Adams. The Fresno State product was expected to develop into a key member of Green Bay's receiving corps, but in two seasons, he has yet to do so.

There have been flashes, of course—Adams has produced 88 receptions and nearly 1,000 yards in his two seasons. However, Adams has failed to emerge as a dynamic playmaker for quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Despite making 23 starts over the past two years, Adams has produced just four scores.

Even worse, Adams has shown a penchant for dropped passes, which is a major no-no for a wide receiver. Pro Football Focus credited him with 10 drops in 2015 and rated him 222nd out of 223 wide receivers for the year.

It's clear Adams should be on the proverbial hot seat entering training camp, and once there, he is going to face quite a bit of competition.

Randall Cobb and the returning Jordy Nelson should own the top two spots on the receiver depth chart. Rookie fifth-round pick Trevor Davis could also earn a roster spot based on his status as a new draft pick, if not based on his talent alone. This likely leaves Adams competing with the likes of Jeff Janis, Jared Abbrederis, Ed Williams and Jamel Johnson for one of two or three roster spots.

According to NFL Media's Gil Brandt, Green Bay also added Utah State's Devonte Robinson and Illinois' Geronimo Allison as undrafted free agents. This makes the competition at receiver even stronger.

Adams is due to earn less than $800,000 in base salary this season, so the Packers won't save a ton by cutting him. However, Adams' salary isn't guaranteed, so it won't cost Green Bay to release him, either.

If Adams isn't one of the five or six top receivers on the roster by the end of preseason, he's going to be gone. His status as a former second-round pick won't be enough to save him.

Manti Te'o, LB, San Diego Chargers

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Manti Te'o has rarely lived up to his status as a high-second-round pick.

Most remember Manti Te'o's collegiate career for the bizarre fake-girlfriend hoax that victimized him. However, we also have to remember that Te'o was an incredibly productive defender at Notre Dame, which is why the San Diego Chargers used the 38th overall pick in the 2013 draft to secure his services.

Unfortunately, Te'o hasn't lived up to his lofty draft status. Injuries have caused him to miss 13 games in his three seasons, and Te'o hasn't been a defensive stud when healthy.

Te'o has produced just one forced fumble and 1.5 sacks in three seasons. For this past campaign, Pro Football Focus rated him 126th among 129 inside linebackers.

Te'o has one year remaining on his rookie contract, but he could find himself looking for work before the regular season because of his history of injuries and poor production. Rookie fourth-round pick Joshua Perry will have every opportunity to earn the inside starting linebacker spot next to Denzel Perryman in San Diego's 3-4 base defense.

The Chargers will only save about $1.1 million in base salary by releasing Te'o, but the bigger issue is his performance on the field. Te'o appears to be more of a liability than an asset, which could leave him looking for a backup role with a different franchise in 2016.

Pierre Garcon, WR, Washington Redskins

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The addition of first-round pick Josh Doctson could make a receiver like Pierre Garcon expendable.

The Washington Redskins turned a lot of heads when they selected former TCU receiver Josh Doctson with the 22nd overall pick in this year's draft. Doctson is a supreme talent and one of the better receiver prospects in this year's class, but Washington already has top-tier receivers like DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon.

Now, there's a good chance Jackson or Garcon is expendable.

This would, of course, contradict what Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan stated shortly after the draft. According to Liz Clarke of the Washington Post, McCloughan made it known that Garcon and Jackson were "not going anywhere." 

Yet, it would make sense for the Redskins to part ways with one of their receivers, especially if the team wants to clear up some cap space before the start of the season. Letting Garcon go would save Washington roughly $7.6 million in base salary alone.

Now that tight end Jordan Reed has emerged as such a weapon in the Washington offense—he racked up 952 yards and 11 touchdowns last season—there will be room for only three wideouts in most packages. The three top spots are likely to belong to some combination of Jackson, Garcon, Doctson and 2015 fourth-round pick Jamison Crowder.

Pro Football Focus rated both Jackson and Crowder higher than Garcon for the 2015 season.

Will Washington really want to spend more than $7 million for this year's third or fourth receiver? We're guessing not, and we're viewing Garcon as a potential surprise cut as a result.

Geno Smith, QB, New York Jets

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Will Geno Smith earn a second chance to be the Jets' quarterback, or will he be sent packing?

For right now, it seems that former second-round draft pick Geno Smith is in line to start for the New York Jets in 2016. At least, that's the word according to Jets head coach Todd Bowles.

“Without [Ryan Fitzpatrick] being on the team right now, Geno’s first-team and then we’ll go from there,” Bowles said, per Eric Allen of the Jets' official website. “Obviously we’re still working on a deal if we can get Fitzpatrick back. So until that’s addressed and we take care of that situation right now, Geno will go into OTAs as a starter.”

Fitzpatrick led the Jets to 10 wins in 2015 and remains unsigned. If New York finds a way to get a deal done with the Harvard product, Smith's situation changes dramatically.

Looking at Smith as a possible starter makes some sense now because he is the only quarterback on the roster with NFL experience. This is why it also makes some sense to keep Smith around as a backup if and when Fitzpatrick returns.

However, the Jets also have to consider rookie second-round pick Christian Hackenberg and second-year quarterback Bryce Petty. Either of them could develop into a significant piece of the Jets' future. On the other hand, the Jets have some idea that what they have in Smith isn't enough to make him part of that future.

Smith started for the Jets in his first two season and yielded disastrous results. Pro Football Focus rated him 68th overall among quarterbacks for the 2014 season and 68th overall for 2013. His career passer rating is 72.3.

The Jets may be throwing their support behind Smith right now. However, if Fitzpatrick returns or the team finds another veteran option, it could quickly pull the plug on what's left of the Smith experiment.

Justin Forsett, RB, Baltimore Ravens

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Incoming competition could force Justin Forsett out of Baltimore's starting lineup.

Veteran running back Justin Forsett has been a major asset for the Baltimore Ravens over the past two seasons. In 2014, he racked up more than 1,500 combined rushing and receiving yards. Despite only appearing in 10 games last season, he produced nearly 800 combined yards.

Unfortunately, the broken arm that cost Forsett six games in 2015 could play a part in his losing his starting role. The 30-year-old rusher will have to prove he is 100 percent back, and there is going to be plenty of stiff competition.

Forsett's biggest obstacle could be rookie fourth-round pick Kenneth Dixon. The former Louisiana Tech standout was one of the most complete backs in this year's draft class and could be a perfect fit for what the Ravens do on offense. Prior to the draft, Bleacher Report's Matt Miller rated Dixon as his second-best back in this year's class and explained why he is such a complete player:

"

At 215 pounds, Dixon packs a punch with the ball in his hands. He's a fighter who looks for yards after contact and seems to never fall backward or lose yards. He's an urgent, instinctive, tough runner who has an aggressive playing style. Dixon is a valuable contributor on third downs, posting 63 catches in the last two seasons.

"

There's a strong chance Dixon is able to steal the starting job by the end of preseason. Even if he is only a significant part of a running back committee, there's no guarantee that Forsett is as well. Other veteran backs the Ravens will bring into camp include Terrance West, Javorius Allen, Lorenzo Taliaferro and Trent Richardson.

Forsett is due to earn $3 million in base salary in each of the next two years. However, his base salary isn't guaranteed, which makes him expendable. If Forsett isn't going to be the team's top option in the backfield, the Ravens may well look into fielding a more affordable committee at the position.

All contract information via Spotrac.com.