NFL Preseason: 15 Players with the Most on the Line

The NFL preseason is a time for teams to assess their rosters. Players win or lose position battles, and coaches make roster cuts to trim the lineup down to 53 players.

For many players, the preseason offers a unique opportunity—a rare chance at regular playing time. With this inordinate amount of snaps, players can cement their roles, whether they're backups, starters or long-term franchise cornerstones.

Here is a look at 15 players who have a lot on the line this preseason. A strong showing can alter a player's career trajectory, while a few stumbles here and there can significantly set him back. 

Jimmy Garoppolo

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It's a safe bet that Jimmy Garoppolo will be the Patriots' starter in any games that Tom Brady is unavailable this season. In the team's first preseason game, Garoppolo got ample playing time and had an uneven performance.

He completed 20 of his 30 pass attempts but only averaged 5.3 yards per attempt. He threw an interception, had no touchdown passes and took seven sacks.

Garoppolo's status as Brady's Band-Aid is safe, but his long-term future with the New England Patriots can become more secure with a strong showing. The Patriots drafted him in the second round to be more than a stopgap—he's supposed to one day lead the franchise after Brady's career comes to a close.

If Brady's suspension is upheld, Garoppolo will have four regular-season games to make his case. He can get started on the right foot with an impressive preseason performance.

Doug Martin

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Doug Martin seemed poised to take the league by storm after his rookie season. He totaled 1,926 yards from scrimmage in 2012 with 12 touchdowns and appeared to be on his way to superstardom.

Injuries have delayed his ascension, though, as he has played in just 17 games and rushed for 950 yards combined in the past two seasons. What was once a versatile weapon out of the backfield—he caught 49 passes in his rookie season—has been relegated to an ineffective, one-dimensional force, with just 110 receiving yards in the last two years.

Martin asserts that this year will be different, per ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas. He's received the full backing of his head coach, Lovie Smith, as the team's starting running back, and he's made staying healthy a point of emphasis this offseason.

"I’ve spent more time in the training room," Martin told Yasinskas. "Even if I’m not injured, it’s all about injury prevention. That’s something I’ve learned being in the league. I’ve just got to take care of my body."

Martin can give Tampa Bay Buccaneers players, coaches and fans a big confidence boost by staying healthy throughout the preseason and showing some burst reminiscent of his rookie year. If he does that, he just might be back on track to becoming one of the league's most dangerous backs.

EJ Manuel

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EJ Manuel is in a three-way competition for the Buffalo Bills starting quarterback job with Matt Cassel and Tyrod Taylor. All three were listed as co-starters on the team's unofficial depth chart, and Cassel will start the preseason opener on Friday, according to ESPN.com's Mike Rodak.

Manuel, though, is the one with the most on the line in the next four weeks. The Bills chose him with the No. 16 pick in the 2013 draft, and teams are generally not too thrilled with the idea of benching their first-round quarterback in favor of a 33-year-old stopgap or a former sixth-round pick who's been primarily a third-stringer.

Manuel showed promise in his rookie year, posting a 58.8 percent completion rate with 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions. If he is unable to win the job to start the season, it will spell trouble for his long-term future.

Breshad Perriman

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The Baltimore Ravens must replace their No. 2 receiver from last season, Torrey Smith, and the primary candidate for the job is rookie wide receiver Breshad Perriman.

The first-round pick from UCF has been out with a sore knee since the first practice of training camp and missed the Ravens' 33-30 win over the New Orleans Saints in their first preseason game.

The Ravens' second- and third-leading pass-catchers from a season ago—Smith and tight end Owen Daniels—are no longer on the team, and Baltimore's No. 4 receiver, Kamar Aiken, had just 267 yards last season. Leading receiver Steve Smith Sr. has announced that the 2015 season will be his last, and the Ravens will need someone to fill his shoes after this year.

Perriman can be that next No. 1 option, and if he can get on the field and perform during the preseason, he could lay the foundation for a breakout rookie season that would position him to assume the role after Smith moves on.

Brian Hoyer

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Hoyer is no stranger to quarterback competitions after last season's bout with Johnny Manziel, and this year he's dueling with Ryan Mallett for the starting job with the Houston Texans.

The Texans boast one of the league's best defenses and an exciting young receiver in DeAndre Hopkins, which makes the quarterback job a little more desirable than the one Hoyer was fighting for last year with the Cleveland Browns. At 29 years old, this could be Hoyer's last shot to lead an NFL team, let alone a team with legitimate playoff aspirations.

Hoyer is by far the more experienced of the two options, as Mallett has only played in seven career games compared to Hoyer's 32. So far, the competition is neck-and-neck, as both players were listed as co-starters on the team's initial depth chart.

If Hoyer can outplay Mallett during the preseason, he'll cement his opportunity to be one of the faces of a contending NFL franchise.

Sam Bradford

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Sam Bradford has had his share of bad breaks since being the No. 1 overall pick of the 2010 NFL draft. He's suffered a torn ACL in each of the past two seasons, and this year he'll begin a new chapter of his career with a new team in Philadelphia.

Bradford is officially in a competition with Mark Sanchez for the starting job, but all signs indicate that Bradford is comfortably ahead of Sanchez in the pecking order, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Bradford can put to rest the fears of Eagles fans everywhere if he can stay on the field and show off his talent throughout the preseason. The Eagles have playmakers all over the field, and with a healthy Bradford at the centerpiece of Chip Kelly's offense, this is a team that can contend for a title.

Ryan Fitzpatrick

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The news of Geno Smith's broken jaw, which will keep him out for up to 10 weeks, sent shock waves throughout the Jets organization. Smith's hold on the starting quarterback job could not have been too secure after posting a Total Quarterback Rating of 44.3, tied for 25th in the league, per ESPN.com.

Details of the locker-room incident that surrounded Smith's broken jaw have emerged, and they do not reflect well on Smith's leadership and maturity. With Smith on shaky ground at best, the opportunity is there for Ryan Fitzpatrick to take control of the starting job.

With a Total QBR of 56.7 in 2014, Fitzpatrick was superior to Smith last season. He played just one series in the Jets' preseason opener, completing two of three pass attempts for 16 yards. If he can play well in the next three weeks and into the start of the regular season, he could keep the starting job for the remainder of the year.

Johnny Manziel

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Johnny Manziel's rookie season was nothing short of a disaster, with zero passing touchdowns, two interceptions and a 51.4 percent completion rate in five games. After a self-reflective offseason, though, he appears to be on the path to redemption and in a position to save his career.

Browns head coach Mike Pettine has stated that Josh McCown will be the team's starter, per Jared Dubin of CBS Sports, but that doesn't mean that Manziel has nothing to play for this preseason. 

McCown is 36 years old and is not a long-term solution at the position. The other two quarterbacks on the roster—23-year-old Connor Shaw and 27-year-old Thaddeus Lewis—were both undrafted free agents, which means that Manziel's path to franchise quarterback status is still relatively clear.

If he can play well this preseason, as he did in the team's preseason opener (7-of-11 for 42 yards) and cement himself as the backup, he can be on his way to one day reclaiming the starting job.

Robert Griffin III

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Robert Griffin III's career has been in a downward spiral since his sensational rookie season in 2012. He has been unable to match his dual-threat dynamics and struggled to stay healthy in the years since, casting doubts on whether he is still in a position to be a franchise quarterback.

The Washington Redskins picked up his 2016 contract option this offseason, so the team has outwardly put its faith in the former Heisman Trophy winner. He is still only 25 years old, and with a resurgent showing he can regain his superstar status.

Griffin went 4-of-8 in two series during the Redskins' preseason opener. His numbers would have been better if it not for this drop by Pierre Garcon, but Griffin will need to do better overall to instill confidence in Redskins fans.

Matt Kalil

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Matt Kalil's career seems to be at a crossroads heading into the 2015 season. The No. 4 pick in the 2012 draft struggled last season, and he'll need to bounce back from health issues to regain his form.

Tom Pelissero of USA Today reported that Kalil had surgery on both knees in the offseason, which is not a good sign for the franchise left tackle. What makes matters worse is that Kalil was rated as one of the league's worst offensive tackles, which did not sit well with the player, according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

"You can't listen to some people who don't know what they're talking about," Kalil said. "I'm not going against them because they hammer me, but I mean, it's not a credible site."

Kalil can help shed the bad reputation with a strong preseason performance. The Minnesota Vikings allowed the fifth-most sacks in the league in 2014, and a resurgent season from Kalil can help decrease that number.

Brian Quick

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Despite missing the team's final nine games of the season after suffering a torn rotator cuff, St. Louis Rams wide receiver Brian Quick set career highs last year in receptions (25), yards (375) and touchdowns (3), and he appeared to be in the midst of a breakout year before the injury.

Head coach Jeff Fisher said he expects Quick to play in the preseason, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. Quick can alleviate concerns about his shoulder and develop a rapport with new starting quarterback Nick Foles if he can get in as many preseason snaps as possible and rediscover his form from last season.

Ameer Abdullah

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If the Detroit Lions' preseason opener is any indication, Ameer Abdullah should be a key part of the team's offense.

He rushed for 67 yards on seven carries against the New York Jets in a strong start to his career. Starting running back Joique Bell missed the opener with an injury, and the team cut ties with last year's backup Reggie Bush, opening things up for Abdullah to see the field in his rookie year.

Bush caught 40 passes last season, and Abdullah could surpass that number while in the backup role this year. Abdullah had 73 career receptions while at Nebraska, and with more strong performances in the preseason, he'll earn a lot of touches during the regular season.

Michael Oher

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Michael Oher has a chance to re-establish himself as a top offensive lineman and change the trajectory of his career in Carolina, where the Panthers list him as their starter at left tackle. Oher started 11 games in 2014 for the Titans, all at right tackle, before landing on the injured reserve.

He will now be tasked with protecting quarterback Cam Newton's blind side. Newton signed a five-year, $103.8 million extension this offseason, and Oher is now part of the first line of defense for the team's biggest investment.

Keeping Newton healthy is imperative for a team that struggled offensively last season, and Oher will play a crucial role in that objective. He can help instill confidence that he can handle left tackle duties by impressing his coaches during the preseason, especially with games against the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Jarvis Jones

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The Steelers have always been known for their strong defense, but last year was a departure from that long-held tradition. Pittsburgh ranked 18th in the NFL in total defense, just two years after leading the league in that category in 2012.

Kevin Butler is in his first year as defensive coordinator, and he'll be counting on 2013 first-round pick Jarvis Jones to help re-establish the Steel Curtain. Jones has dealt with some injuries during his career and only appeared in seven games last season.

If Jones can stay healthy during the preseason, he'll be in position to anchor the Steelers defense and recapture some of the dominance of years past.

D.J. Hayden

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The Raiders have added some real talent to their roster in recent years—players such as Derek Carr, Amari Cooper, Khalil Mack, Justin Tuck and Curtis Lofton have provided a boost, both for the present and the future of the organization.

A player who needs to step up and become a consistent cornerstone is cornerback D.J. Hayden. He has played in just 18 games in his first two NFL seasons, and his first priority should be finding a way to stay on the field.

The former first-round pick says he's no longer worried about making mistakes, according to Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle. If he can maintain that mindset and impress in the preseason, he'll be on his way to fulfilling his first-round pick status and becoming a lockdown cornerback.