NFL Cuts 2016: Analyzing Top Big-Name Releases Who Will Find New Homes

With the 2016 NFL season only a week away, teams around the league are getting closer to shaping their final rosters with cuts and late free-agent additions.

While many young NFL hopefuls saw their first attempt at fulfilling a dream slip away, a few heralded veterans also find themselves without a home after the initial roster cutdown to 75 players on Tuesday. Players like defensive end Paul Kruger and quarterback Zach Mettenberger have already landed elsewhere, and a few other veterans will also not be blowing in the wind for long.

Teams around the league are in need of depth and experience at certain positions, and there are some viable options available. Take a look below at some notable free agents from Tuesday's cuts, as well as a breakdown of some of the bigger names on the list.

Player	Position	Age	Former Team
Brandon Browner	CB	32	Seattle Seahawks
David Cobb	RB	23	Tennessee Titans
Austin Davis	QB	27	Cleveland Browns
Brian Folkerts	C	26	Los Angeles Rams
David Hawthorne	LB	31	Buffalo Bills
Terrance Knighton	DT	30	New England Patriots
Stephen Paea	DT	28	Washington Redskins
Rueben Randle	WR	25	Philadelphia Eagles
Perry Riley	LB	28	Washington Redskins
Geoff Schwartz	G	30	Detroit Lions
John Sullivan	C	31	Minnesota Vikings
Brandon Tate	WR	28	Cincinnati Bengals
Kyle Williams	WR	28	New York Jets
Bjoern Werner	DE	26	Jacksonville Jaguars
Major Wright	S	28	Tampa Bay Buccaneers

A full list of the first round of roster cuts can be found at NFL.com. Teams have until 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 3 to finalize their 53-man squads.

Austin Davis

The writing was on the wall for Austin Davis, given Cleveland's offseason moves. The team brought in Robert Griffin III to be its starting quarterback while also drafting USC's Cody Kessler in the third round of the 2016 NFL draft. This meant Davis would need to beat out veteran Josh McCown to earn the backup spot, which evidently did not happen.

However, the quarterback market drastically changed this week due to several injuries to high-profile starters. With news of Tony Romo's back injury, Dallas is already considering Davis as a backup to rookie Dak Prescott, per Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News:

Davis has started 10 games in his three-year career while appearing in 13. His numbers are fairly decent, as he completed 62.4 percent of his throws for 2,548 yards and 13 touchdowns over that span. His 12 picks and measly 6.7 yards per attempt leave much to be desired, but Davis has shown flashes of being a capable game manager.

Per 105.3 The Fan's Mike Fisher, Dallas could just be bringing Davis in as a tryout for the fourth preseason game. Yet, Davis should at least find another opportunity to prove himself this season, as he would have a favorable matchup against the inexperienced Jameill Showers, the only other quarterback on the Cowboys roster.

Perry Riley

As one of Washington's most productive defenders in recent years, Perry Riley's release was somewhat shocking, but numerous factors made him expendable.

The team brought in the athletic Su'a Cravens through the draft to complement Will Compton and Mason Foster at linebacker, which took away playing time for a player in Riley who is coming off of a season-ending foot injury. Washington also saves $4 million by cutting Riley, per Mike Jones of the Washington Post.

Redskins head coach Jay Gruden acknowledged the circumstances when discussing the release of Riley and Stephen Paea.

“I think we’ve got some guys at linebacker who have played extremely well," Gruden said, per Jones. "I imagine [Paea and Riley will] latch on somewhere else and do well. They have a lot of football left in their career."

Larry French/Getty Images

At only 28 years old, Gruden is accurate about Riley. He started five seasons for Washington, leading the team in tackles in 2012 and 2013. He also contributed in the pass rush with 9.5 career sacks and in coverage with three career picks. 

Riley played in 48 straight regular-season games from 2011 to 2013, but he has missed nine games in the last two years. Even with the recent injury trend, a linebacker who can play all three downs and provide veteran depth in the heart of a defense is valuable. Expect Riley to find a new home and contribute this season.

John Sullivan

After starting 109 games in eight seasons with the Minnesota Vikings while blocking for Adrian Peterson, John Sullivan was finally let go. 

Sullivan became expendable after Joe Berger started every game at center last season and excelled while Sullivan was recovering from back surgery. However, the team still feels the veteran has value, per NFL.com's Ian Rapoport:

The Redskins were among the teams interested, per Jones. The team has tried to upgrade at the center position behind starter Kory Lichtensteiger, but its attempt to bring in Bryan Stork from the New England Patriots fell through due to a failed physical. 

According to Jones, Washington wants to bring in some help at center, and Sullivan appears to be an option. This is a low-risk, high-reward player that can only make the team better. Offensive line depth is critical to the success of any offense over the course of a season, and Sullivan makes a lot of sense in that regard.

Statistics are courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com.