NFL Waiver Wire 2018: Projecting Preseason Cuts Who Will Land with New Teams

NFL roster cuts for players on the bubble loom over the final two weeks of the preseason. 

Transactions leading up to cut days have already started. The most recent prominent example is the San Francisco 49ers shipping Eli Harold to the Detroit Lions for a seventh-round pick in 2020, according to MLive Media Group's Kyle Meink. 

Granted, a seventh-round pick in 2020 doesn't sound like much, but it's better than nothing—which is what the 49ers would have received if they had planned to cut Harold anyway. 

Expect a few more of these transactions in the coming days, though even more will fail to materialize. Some of the biggest names eventually cut won't have a hard time landing with new teams right away, either because of upside or what they bring to the immediate roster. 

Michael Johnson, DE, Cincinnati Bengals

Frank Victores/Associated Press

Age is but a number for Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Michael Johnson. 

Johnson is 31 years old and could be on his way out the door with the Bengals despite starting his NFL career with the team back in 2009. We've seen the Bengals buck their conventional trends when it comes to contracts lately by showing Brandon LaFell and George Iloka the door. 

Johnson is the next obvious cut in an apparent youth movement in Cincinnati. 

While Johnson was effective last year when kicking inside to rush the passer on passing downs, he's still getting phased out on a line that serves as one of the deepest spots on the Bengals roster. This point is emphasized lately by third-round rookie Sam Hubbard doing much of the same thing already: 

The Bengals aren't struggling for money, but it wouldn't hurt to say goodbye to Johnson's $6.1 million cap hit this season either. 

Should they, plenty of teams will have an interest in a veteran leader who can set the edge on running downs and rush the passer from the interior. 

Ameer Abdullah, RB, Detroit Lions

Duane Burleson/Associated Press

For all his faults since joining the Detroit Lions in 2015 via the second round of the draft, Abdullah can still be an electric weapon when healthy. The main problem is he has missed 16 games over the past two seasons and dealt with other nagging issues. 

The false start of sorts has Abdullah sitting on a 3.8 per-carry average for his career with six fumbles. 

And don't be fooled by preseason usage—Adam Levitan of DraftKings made a great point:

The Lions have already seemingly thrown in the towel here. Reliable pass-catching back Theo Riddick is still on the roster. Joining him is battering ram LeGarrette Blount as the perfect complement. Perhaps most notable, second-round rookie Kerryon Johnson does a little bit of everything and has looked solid over a few exhibitions so far. 

While the Lions might look to simply stash Abdullah, at this point it feels like a waste, especially if one of the other end-of-roster backs performs better on special teams. 

That said, Abdullah is still a 25-year-old running back with interesting upside, especially if his body could hold up. While the position is devalued, some team out there will roll the dice in the hopes a change of scenery works wonders. 

Kevin White, WR, Chicago Bears

Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

It's a similar story for Chicago Bears wideout Kevin White, though he's an even bigger bust. 

The No. 7 pick in the 2015 draft has appeared in five games since, catching 21 passes for fewer than 200 yards. When he hasn't battled repeated season-ending issues, confidence problems, drops and sheer consistently have plagued his career to date. 

While the chatter about White hasn't been bad (why ruin trade value?), the Bears have made moves that could mean his days are numbered. Allen Robinson arrived via free agency as a legitimate No. 1 option. Taylor Gabriel did the same and can serve as a consistent deep threat. Second-round pick Anthony Miller has advanced into making big plays faster than most would have predicted given the time it usually takes young wideouts to make the transition. 

Along those same lines, the Bears have expressed plenty of patience with White. But hinging the development of quarterback Mitchell Trubisky on White finally pulling it together in his fourth season is a risk the coaching staff clearly isn't willing to take. 

Other teams might feel differently if White hits the open market, of course. Former first-round picks—busts or not—often get bigger leashes than they probably deserve. White won't be an exception here. 

Honorable Mentions 

• Breshad Perriman, WR, Baltimore Ravens 
• Carl Nassib, DE, Cleveland Browns
• Manti Te'o, LB, New Orleans Saints 
• Kevin Hogan, QB, Washington Redskins
• Paxton Lynch, QB, Denver Broncos