NFL Roster Cuts 2012: Most Shocking Players Released as Teams Finalize Rosters

Friday saw NFL teams make another round of mass cut as teams had until 9 p.m. EDT to get rid of unwanted players and trim rosters down to the 53-man maximum.

And, just like in the first round of cuts, there were plenty of notable names released. While some were veteran guys just hanging on for a final shot at glory, others were valuable contributors that came out of nowhere.

Though the rosters are still fluid and many players released will find homes, it's still shocking when household names get dropped.

With that in mind, let's take a look at the most surprising players cut on Friday with just over a week before the 2012 NFL regular season kicks off for most teams on Sept. 9. 

Deion Branch (WR, New England Patriots)

When Bill Belichick and his coaching staff shockingly decided to pull the plug on Jabar Gaffney's second run as a Patriot, it stood to reason that Branch would sail through the 53-man roster cuts with ease.

Well, not so much.

The Patriots released Branch on Friday, ending the franchise's eighth all-time leading receiver's tenure in New England in favor of keeping young guys who can help on special teams. 

Branch's departure leaves Matthew Slater and Julian Edelman, who combined for five total receptions in 2011, as the Patriots' primary backups. 

While it's likely that Branch's time with New England has come to a close, the 33-year-old veteran still has more than enough talent to compete at the NFL level. Serving at the Patriots' second receiver last season, Branch caught 51 passes for 701 yards and five touchdowns, proving there was at least some quickness left in the tank.

A second-round pick in 2002, Branch is known across the league as being a strong locker room leader and could help out a team looking for a veteran voice. 

O.J. Atogwe (S, Philadelphia Eagles)

For the Eagles—a team that needs help at the safety spot—to release Atogwe does not bode well for the 31-year-old's future in the league.

The NFC interceptions leader with eight in 2007, Atogwe was considered one of the premier ball hawking safeties in the league just a couple seasons ago. Prior to each of the past two seasons, Atogwe has signed five-year contracts worth a combined $58 million, only to be cut by the St. Louis Rams and Washington Redskins the year after signing.

With three pink slips in the past two years, Atogwe will struggle to find work at first. Teams will want to look at on-roster talent in game situations before venturing into the free-agent pool.

Nevertheless, a safety will go down with injury or be ineffective and Atogwe will be back on a roster before the quarter mark of the season.

Chris Cooley (TE, Washington Redskins)

While the emergence of Fred Davis during the veteran's 11-game absence in 2011 seemingly made Cooley expendable, the timing of the move seems amiss.

If the writing had been on the wall as so many are saying, it is not unreasonable to think that Mike Shanahan would do Cooley a solid and give him a chance at a starting gig by releasing him earlier in the offseason.

Cooley had been a staple of the Redskins franchise since being selected in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft. A consummate professional and great teammate, Cooley was the longest-tenured player left on Washington's roster.

With Wednesday's cut, the 30-year-old former Utah State star will almost assuredly not be in any team's starting lineup regardless of talent. 

It seemed far more likely that Washington would keep Cooley going into the season and run more two-tight-end sets as a security blanket for rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III.

Unfortunately for Cooley, that won't be the case.