NFL Roster Cuts 2022: Predicting Notable Releases After Preseason Week 2

The 2022 NFL season is rapidly approaching, with the second of three preseason weeks nearly complete. This means that, before long, teams will have to be down to their 53-player regular-season rosters.

Last week saw the initial cutdown from 90 to 85 players. Rosters must be further trimmed to 80 players by Tuesday and then 53 by August 30. We haven't seen many notable names cut loose just yet, but that will change in the coming days.

Every preseason, quality players fail to make rosters, while others are soon replaced by free-agent-cut casualties. The Baltimore Ravens, for example, recently added wideout Demarcus Robinson following his release from the Las Vegas Raiders.

Which notable players could be next on the cut block? We'll examine three prime candidates based on factors like past performances, player health, roster depth and any relevant preseason buzz.

Bears WR N'Keal Harry

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INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 18: New England Patriots Wide Receiver N'Keal Harry (1) points across the field during the NFL football game between the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts on December 18, 2021, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

A little over three years ago, N'Keal Harry was a promising first-round pick of the New England Patriots. The Arizona State product was picked to be the true No. 1 receiver New England hadn't had in several years.

However, Harry struggled to get on the field and was largely ineffective when he did get opportunities. In three seasons, he appeared in 33 games and produced 57 catches for 598 yards and four touchdowns.

Harry's numbers would have made for a disappointing season for most first-round receivers. Earlier this offseason he was dealt to the Chicago Bears for a 2024 seventh-round draft pick.

For Chicago, taking a flier on Harry made plenty of sense. The Bears receiving corps, outside of budding star Darnell Mooney, is underwhelming. The untapped potential that made Harry a first-round selection is still intriguing. However, Chicago won't get a look at that potential any time soon.

Harry suffered a high-ankle sprain in camp, underwent surgery and is expected to miss eight weeks, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo.

With Harry out, receivers like Equanimeous St. Brown and rookie Velus Jones Jr. will have opportunities to make an impact in Chicago. The Bears didn't invest much when acquiring Harry, and cutting him would erase his $1.9 million base salary from the books. Expect Chicago to cut ties instead of waiting out Harry's recovery.

Giants WR Darius Slayton

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - JULY 28: Wide receiver Darius Slayton #86 of the New York Giants in action during training camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center on July 28, 2022 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)

New York Giants Wideout Darius Slayton isn't a former first-round pick like Harry. However, he did, at one point, appear to be an offensive building block in New York. The 2019 fifth-round pick caught 48 passes for 740 yards and eight touchdowns as a rookie and again topped 700 yards in 2020.

Last season, however, Slayton saw a diminished role. After playing 87 percent of the offensive snaps the previous year, Slayton played 64 percent in 2021. He finished with only 26 receptions, 339 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

With rookie Wan'Dale Robinson joining a receiver room that already includes Kenny Golladay, Sterling Shepard and 2021 first-round pick Kadarius Toney, Slayton's role will likely continue shrinking. If he manages to make the team.

Slayton got the start in New York's preseason opener last week, though Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post believed that this was an effort to spark trade interest.

"Sales lesson No. 1: Create a market. And it sure seemed as if the Giants were featuring Slayton to drum up potential trade interest," Dunleavy wrote.

Dan Duggan of The Athletic reported back in April that the Giants were "shopping" Slayton. New York could well be doing so again.

The biggest problem with keeping Slayton as a depth piece is his contract. The Auburn product is set to carry a cap hit of $2.6 million in 2022 with only $48,497 of that in dead money. The Giants, meanwhile, have just $4 million in cap space remaining.

If New York can't find a taker on the trade market, expect Slayton to be a cap casualty before Week 1.

49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo

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INGLEWOOD, CA - JANUARY 30: Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the 49ers during the NFC Conference Championship game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams on January 30, 2022, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA. (Photo by Icon Sportswire)

The San Francisco 49ers continue to insist that they're willing to carry Jimmy Garoppolo into the regular season.

"We're happy to keep Jimmy. We're happy to have him on the roster. And if that's the case, then that's the case," 49ers CEO Jed York told Tim Kawakami of The Athletic.

Sorry, but we're not buying it. San Francisco is moving forward with Trey Lance at quarterback and has Nate Sudfeld in a backup role. Keeping Garoppolo and his $27 million cap hit doesn't make financial sense.

The 49ers have less than $1 million in cap space and could save roughly $25 million by releasing Garoppolo. And, even if San Francisco was inclined to pay heavily for quarterback depth, it doesn't sound like Garoppolo would be an asset this season.

"When the other 89 men on the San Francisco roster are practicing outside, Garoppolo is usually inside, or on his way home," Peter King of ProFootballTalk wrote last week. "I heard he does not have a playbook, does not attend quarterback or team meetings and barely knows new quarterbacks coach Brian Griese."

The only value Garoppolo has to the 49ers right now is as a potential trade chip. The problem is that teams won't want to offer trade capital and absorb Garoppolo's contract if they believe he'll be released.

The belief here is that San Francisco won't find a taker before final roster cuts and will part ways during the cut to 53—even if that goes against what the team is saying publicly.

*Advanced statistics from Pro Football Reference. Cap and contract information via Spotrac.