NFL Cuts 2016: Predictions for Veterans in Danger of Being Released

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and a host of others headline the NFL cuts speculation as the preseason winds down. 

Teams have to trim the fat off rosters by Tuesday, getting the count to 75 players before another round of cuts takes depth charts to the traditional 53-man look. NFL.com has provided a nifty cut tracker for fans to follow along.

An example of the extreme turnover at the pro level and the sheer lack of job security, cut days are a widely publicized event, for better or worse. Here's a look at some of the biggest names likely on the edge.

Darren McFadden, RB, Dallas Cowboys

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Darren McFadden signed with the Dallas Cowboys about five years too late.

Once thought to be a perfect fit with the organization, McFadden didn't join until last season and was something of a bright spot during a campaign in which Tony Romo and Dez Bryant fought injury woes.

In fact, McFadden rushed for 1,089 yards and three scores on a 4.6 yard-per-carry average. But it wasn't enough—the Cowboys drafted Ohio State's Ezekiel Elliott in this year's draft, and ESPN's Mike Clay recently relayed rumblings provided by colleague Todd Archer:

Last year isn't enough to keep McFadden in town, especially not with Elliott looking like a traditional workhorse and fellow veteran Alfred Morris a reliable player who hasn't missed a game over four seasons, while McFadden has played in a full 16-game season twice.

McFadden will find work as a backup, but the Dallas backfield is too crowded.

Prediction: Cowboys cut McFadden

C.J. Spiller, RB, New Orleans Saints

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C.J. Spiller looked like an incredible signing by the New Orleans Saints and head coach Sean Payton.

What could go wrong when one of the fastest players in the league with some of the surest hands joined Drew Brees and a high-flying offense?

A lot, apparently.

Spiller only appeared in 13 games with the Saints last year, rushing 36 times for 112 yards and failing to reach the end zone. He did score twice through the air on 34 catches for 239 yards.

Granted, the Saints might not be ready to give up on Spiller yet. But it makes sense with Mark Ingram holding down the starting spot. Tim Hightower has a role as an Ingram backup, and Travaris Cadet offers what Spiller does without a $4.5 million cap hit, per Spotrac.

Prediction: Saints cut Spiller

Mark Sanchez, QB, Denver Broncos

Recent preseason trends have seemed to spell the end for Denver Broncos quarterback Mark Sanchez.

Once the odd heir apparent to the retired Peyton Manning, Sanchez has found himself falling behind an unknown name and a rookie as of late, Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch, respectively.

It's rock bottom for Sanchez, who over six seasons in the league has looked something like a journeyman quarterback at best, having last spent two fruitless seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles.

On one hand, fans should worry for Sanchez's job security because he just took to a preseason game as the No. 3 quarterback, with ESPN's Adam Schefter adding some additional incentive for the Broncos to go ahead and give him the boot:

The counterpoint, though, seems just as potent: The Broncos want to compete for another title.

Denver didn't go out of its way to keep most of the championship roster together—including giving Von Miller $114.5 million over six years—to let $4.5 million and a seventh-round pick get in the way of insurance at the most important position in football.

Sanchez might not be perfect and he might not start, but he can sling high-percentage throws to Demaryius Thomas and others behind the line of scrimmage. He's the most experienced player the Broncos have compared to two unknown elements who might as well both be rookies.

Prediction: Broncos retain Sanchez

Colin Kaepernick, QB, San Francisco 49ers

It's come to this for Kaepernick—losing a roster spot to Blaine Gabbert and Christian Ponder, if not Jeff Driskel.

Kaepernick has spent his entire five-year career with the San Francisco 49ers, but he's facing an "uphill battle" to keep his roster spot by the time final cuts roll around, according to Fox Sports' Jay Glazer (via Rotoworld).

Of course, Kaepernick made waves recently by refusing to stand for the national anthem, citing personal reasons, per NFL Media's Steve Wyche.

Whether his recent actions play into his job security is hard to say, but from a strictly on-field standpoint, the 49ers don't have much incentive to keep Kaepernick around. He only played in nine games last year and will turn 29 in November.

Though he might be a good fit in head coach Chip Kelly's attack, it was Gabbert who showed promise last year, completing 63.1 percent of his passes alongside 10 touchdowns to seven picks over just eight games.

Given his inability to stay healthy and a dead cap number of about $14.3 million, per Spotrac (which San Francisco can get some back if he signs with another team), the 49ers have little incentive to keep Kaepernick on the roster.

Prediction: 49ers cut Kaepernick

Stats are courtesy of NFL.com and accurate as of Monday. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.