The NFL's Worst Preseason Cuts of the Last 5 Years

NFL preseason roster cuts can be difficult to manage. On August 30, teams will have to be down to the 53-play regular-season threshold, and during the process, some quality players will inevitably be let go.

Over the years, we've seen some all-time blunders during the preseason cut process.

Back in 1982, the Buffalo Bills cut kicker Gary Anderson, who went on to make four Pro Bowls and become the Pittsburgh Steelers' all-time leading scorer. In 1992, the Arizona Cardinals cut rookie center, Jeff Christy. He went on to make two Pro Bowls with the Minnesota Vikings and a third with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to help Tampa win Super Bowl XXXVlI.

While teams are generally better now at scouting future stars, mistakes still happen during cutdowns. Here, we'll examine and rank the five worst preseason cut decisions of the past five years based on factors like roster makeup, player production and results.

Breshad Perriman, WR, 2018

Photo by: 2017 Nick Cammett/Diamond Images/Getty Images

CLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 17, 2017: Wide receiver Breshad Perriman #11 of the Baltimore Ravens walks along the sideline in the first quarter of a game on December 17, 2017 against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. Baltimore won 27-10. (Photo by: 2017 Nick Cammett/Diamond Images/Getty Images)

Wideout Breshad Perriman hasn't gone on to have a stellar career since the Baltimore Ravens cut him ahead of the 2018 season. However, he has shown that he deserves to be in the NFL.

Perriman landed with the Cleveland Browns and flashed the potential that made him a first-round pick in 2015. He caught 16 passes for 340 yards and two touchdowns, proving himself to be a fine complementary deep threat.

The next season, Perriman showed even more with the Buccaneers. He appeared in 14 games, caught 36 passes and tallied 645 yards and six touchdowns. Perriman had 505 yards and three scores with the New York Jets in 2020 before returning to the Buccaneers in 2021.

While Perriman saw limited playing time in Tampa's loaded receiving corps last season, he did catch a walk-off overtime touchdown pass from Tom Brady in Week 14 to beat the Buffalo Bills.

What makes this a bad preseason cut, though, is the fact that Baltimore gave up on Perriman after only two seasons—he spent his rookie year on injured reserve with a PCL injury. The Ravens invested in the 26th overall pick in Perriman then dumped him the same year they drafted quarterback Lamar Jackson.

Jackson has consistently worked with one of the league's most underwhelming wide receiver groups since. Marquise Brown and Rashod Bateman are the only Ravens wideouts to top 500 yards in any season over the past three years. Bateman had 515 receiving yards last year.

It's hard to believe that Perriman—who has logged 1,657 yards and 12 touchdowns in the four years since leaving Baltimore—couldn't have been an asset for the Ravens' franchise quarterback.

Sidney Jones, CB, 2020

Michael Hickey/Getty Images

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - SEPTEMBER 12: Sidney Jones IV #23 of the Seattle Seahawks warms up prior to the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on September 12, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

Like the Ravens, the Philadelphia Eagles gave up on a promising player after only three years. Cornerback Sidney Jones wasn't a former first-round selection like Perriman, but he was a second-round pick. The Eagles took the Washington product 43rd overall in 2017.

Injuries played a role in Jones' early struggles, as he suffered a torn Achilles at Washington's pro day. He dealt with hamstring issues in Year 2 and only ended up playing 10 games over his first two seasons.

Jones appeared in 12 games in 2019 but again missed time with a hamstring injury. The constant health concerns were apparently too much for Philadelphia, who released Jones ahead of the 2020 season.

However, Jones revitalized his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars that season, appearing in nine games with six starts. He was traded to the Seattle Seahawks before the start of the 2021 campaign, and he flourished in Seattle.

This past season, Jones appeared in 16 games with 11 starts and finished with 66 tackles and 10 passes defended. He allowed an opposing passer rating of only 84.3 in coverage. At only 26 years old, Jones may still have a bright career ahead of him.

Jones edges out Perriman for one simple reason. While Perriman has been a dangerous complementary player, Jones appears to be a quality starter that Philadelphia simply gave up on too quickly.

The Eagles, meanwhile, ranked just 20th in yards per pass attempt allowed in 2020 and a good-not-great 13th (tied) in 2021.

Taylor Heinicke, QB, 2019

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CHARLOTTE, NC - NOVEMBER, 21: Washington Football Team quarterback Taylor Heinicke (4) signals towards the bench during a timeout in the third quarter of the game between the Washington Football Team and the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on November 21, 2021 in Charlotte NC. (Photo by John McDonnell/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

The Carolina Panthers are still trying to find a long-term replacement for former franchise quarterback Cam Newton, who was released in 2020. Baker Mayfield, who was recently named as the Week 1 starter, is the latest quarterback to get a chance.

Last season, Carolina suffered through the Sam Darnold experiment, and it was a disaster. Darnold won only four games and posted a 71.9 quarterback rating. The Panthers could have potentially avoided Darnold altogether if only they had kept Taylor Heinicke two years prior.

To be fair, Newton was still serviceable in 2018, and the Panthers had used a third-round pick on Will Grier in the 2019 draft. However, Heinicke has since proven that he can, at worst, be a high-level backup.

After a stint with the St. Louis Battlehawks of the XFL, Heinicke landed with the Washington Commanders and former Panthers head coach Ron Rivera in 2020. While he only appeared in one regular-season game that year, he started against the Buccaneers in the playoffs, threw for 306 yards and battled in a close 31-23 loss.

Heinicke took over for an injured Ryan Fitzpatrick (hip) in Week 1 of the 2021 season and was Washington's starter for the remainder of the year. He finished with a 7-8 starting record, 20 touchdown passes and an 85.9 passer rating. While the results weren't good enough to prevent Washington from trading for Carson Wentz this offseason, they did prove that Heinicke belongs in the NFL.

The Panthers didn't think Heinicke was good enough, and that was a mistake. Quarterback is the most important position in the NFL, and Heinicke has shown that he can carry himself well in a starting role.

Taysom Hill, QB/TE, 2017

Todd Kirkland/Getty Images

ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 09: Taysom Hill #7 of the New Orleans Saints rolls out to pass during the first half against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 9, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

To be perfectly fair, the Green Bay Packers haven't had to worry about quarterback depth often over the last 30 years. Brett Favre simply didn't miss games—he started a record 297 straight contests—and Aaron Rodgers has missed only 17 games (late-season sits included) since taking over in 2008.

Taysom Hill was a project coming out of BYU too, so it wasn't a total shock to see the Packers cut the undrafted rookie ahead of the 2017 season.

Still, Green Bay missed on Hill's athletic upside, and he has since become a quality gadget player for the New Orleans Saints. While not a traditional quarterback like Heinicke, Hill has a 7-2 record in his starts at quarterback and has contributed as a tight end and as a proverbial Swiss Army Knife.

In four seasons with the Saints, Hill has accumulated 1,183 rushing yards, 34 receptions, 388 receiving yards and 23 combined rushing and receiving touchdowns. He's also thrown eight touchdown passes.

Even with Jameis Winston and Andy Dalton leading the quarterback room in 2022, Hill is providing value by moving predominantly to tight end.

"I don't think what I have been doing is going to change, it's just expanding that role," Hill said, per Michael Hull of the team's official website. "They're trying to give me the best opportunity to be successful."

Green Bay has gotten by without Hill, but it could have benefited from his multi-positional value. Just about any team could utilize a guy who runs, catches and provides quarterback insurance. The Saints have been benefiting from Hill's presence for the past four years, and he has become arguably the league's most prolific sub-package player.

Rasul Douglas, CB, 2021

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GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN - NOVEMBER 28: Rasul Douglas #29 of the Green Bay Packers reacts after the Los Angeles Rams turned the ball over after a play on fourth down during the first half at Lambeau Field on November 28, 2021 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

Because of the positional value of quarterbacks, it was tough to put the 2021 release of cornerback Rasul Douglas at the top of the rankings. However, his highs were so high with the Green Bay Packers this past season, that this became the logical choice.

Douglas, who was released by both the Las Vegas Raiders and the Houston Texans nearly a year ago, took time to find the right situation.

A 2017 third-round pick of the Eagles, Douglas also spent time with the Panthers before landing in Las Vegas. The Raiders cut Douglas in late August last year, and the Texans released him after less than a week with the team. He also landed on the Arizona Cardinals practice squad before he was plucked by Green Bay.

After he joined the Packers, though, Douglas shined. He ended up appearing in 12 games with nine starts last season and finished with 57 tackles, 13 passes defended, five interceptions and two defensive touchdowns.

In coverage, Douglas allowed an opposing passer rating of only 44.5. Though his resume with the Packers is limited, Douglas performed at a Pro Bowl level in 2021. This landed him a new three-year, $21 million deal in the offseason, according to Spotrac.

Douglas is now poised to be a defensive centerpiece in Green Bay.

"He's such an instinctual and aware football player. I think you could put 'Sul anywhere in the back end and he'd just find a way," defensive coordinator Joe Barry said, per Mike Spofford of the team's official website.

It's baffling to think that the Raiders or the Texans couldn't have found a home for Douglas last season. Las Vegas finished the year ranked 26th in scoring defense, while Houston finished with the 27th-ranked scoring defense.

This means that two teams who could have used defensive help whiffed on Douglas, who became one of the best breakout stories of 2021.

*Advanced statistics from Pro Football Reference.