NFL Roster Cuts 2017: Predicting Notable Releases After Preseason Week 2

The middle point of the NFL preseason signals the onset of cut season.

Not that it's a hard deadline—notable names such as Ryan Mathews and Roberto Aguayo have already been shown the door. Quality depth, injury issues and performance problems defined both releases and will generally apply to most cuts at this time of year.

But a bigger set of recognizable names will soon join the list as preseason games and training camp force coaches to make the tough decisions by whittling down rosters. Let's predict some of the bigger names about to lose gigs with the preseason about halfway concluded.

Predicting Notable Releases

Jonathan Stewart, RB, Carolina Panthers

Chuck Burton/Associated Press

Carolina Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart has made lists like this since the team waltzed to the podium at this year's draft and selected Christian McCaffrey at No. 8 overall.

The Panthers' selection of the Stanford product registered as predictable given the quest to surround quarterback Cam Newton with better talent. Cutting Stewart feels like an eventuality given the circumstances.

On paper, having Stewart stick around to take some of the load off the rookie makes sense. But it's going to hinge on McCaffrey's performance more than anything else, especially after he showed well in the team's first preseason game by turning seven carries into 33 yards and his well-publicized skills as a receiver.

Stewart has been one of the more underrated runners in the league for years. But the reality is simple: he's 30, hasn't played a full 16-game season since 2011 and last year only mustered 824 yards on a 3.8 yards-per-carry average. Nine touchdowns sounds good, but he also coughed up three fumbles. Feel free to add on the fact he's a total cap hit north of $12 million over the next two seasons.

It's a lock McCaffrey will keep producing, and the Panthers won't have much of a reason to keep him off the field if he helps the team keep pace in the offensive-minded NFC South. Stewart is quite the costly backup and short-yardage player.

Lamarr Houston, Edge, Chicago Bears 

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Briefly, Chicago Bears edge presence Lamarr Houston looked like one of the league's budding defensive stars. 

After tallying 10 sacks over the two seasons before joining the Bears in 2014, he's posted all of nine sacks over three seasons—eight of those coming in one campaign.

Houston missed eight games in 2014, posted the eight sacks in 2015 and missed 14 games last season. Serious lower-body injuries keep derailing his comeback bids, and he's a 30-year-old sporting a $6.9 million cap hit this year that climbs to $8.9 million in 2018.

Meanwhile, the Bears have moved on at the spot. Leonard Floyd is one of the best young edge-rushers in the NFL, and Pernell McPhee will take the field with him if healthy. Willie Young has been consistent over the years and would see most of the rotational rushing snaps when those two come off the field.

This leaves the Bears and Houston in an odd spot. The team isn't hurting for cap space, but Houston's numbers are a bit much given his projected role. More than monetary value, showing him the door means retaining a contributor elsewhere.

Eddie Lacy, RB, Seattle Seahawks 

Stephen Brashear/Associated Press

Remember Eddie Lacy?

Lacy showed up in five games for the Green Bay Packers last year and has since joined the Seattle Seahawks, clearing weight clauses built into his contract as the offseason has progressed.

So far so good, right? Things fall apart when looking at Lacy's performance on the field this preseason, though. In his team's first exhibition, a 48-17 thumping of the Los Angeles Chargers, Lacy mustered just 10 yards on four attempts. Second time out, a 20-13 win against the Minnesota Vikings, he turned six into 20, bumping his average from 2.5 to a whopping 3.3.

Seattle isn't tied to Lacy, not with Thomas Rawls getting healthy and seemingly set to handle the lead-back role. It's not like the Seahawks don't have quality depth, either, with 2016 third-round pick C.J. Prosise capable of major contributions through the air and 2017 seventh-round running back Chris Carson not only earning first-team reps in practice but also rushing for two touchdowns against the Chargers.

Preseason stats aren't a major deal, but one would expect a veteran like Lacy to look better. He hasn't passed the eye test, and the Seahawks could cut their losses here and go with a youth movement behind quarterback Russell Wilson.

Blake Bortles, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars

John Raoux/Associated Press

To say Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles has had a rough preseason would be an understatement.

Numbers aren't the biggest deal here, but let's take a look regardless. In his team's first preseason game, a 31-24 win against the New England Patriots, Bortles went 3-of-5 for 16 yards. In the second, a 12-8 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he managed an 8-of-13 line for 65 yards.

The bigger problem is simple mechanics. Hailed as a project out of UCF when he came off the board at No. 3 back in 2014, coaches have attempted to alter Bortles' motions. Ahead of his fourth season, it's not hard to see that his mechanics have gotten worse as opposed to improving.

A recent reaction by NFL.com's Adam Schein summed up the general consensus:

At the very least, the quarterback job in Jacksonville is "wide open," according to Schein's colleague Tom Pelissero. That means the Jaguars could choose to go with the 32-year-old Chad Henne as a means of stability so the offense has a better chance at helping the improved defense win games.

Granted, executive vice president Tom Coughlin isn't the type to throw in the towel on something. But while there isn't a big monetary incentive to cut Bortles, there is when looking toward the future because he's due $19 million in 2018, which is fully guaranteed if he suffers an injury.

Jacksonville has improved in a variety of ways, drafting running back Leonard Fournette and adding strong talent across the defense over the past few years, from Malik Jackson to Jalen Ramsey and beyond.

Faced with likely starting over from scratch at the most important position of all after the season anyway, the Jaguars could cut ties with Bortles to ensure the cap space is available while signaling to the rest of a roster bustling with talent that the front office is ready to address its biggest problem.

Stats courtesy of NFL.com. Contract information per Spotrac.