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Now that all teams have gone through their tinkering phase with preseason games wrapped up, all attention turns towards which players will be cut. All teams must cut down their rosters to 53 players by 4 pm EST on Tuesday, August 31.
A lot has happened in the final week of preseason action, some of which was great news for players who took their opportunity to really shine on the field, while some are dealing with unfortunate, season-ending injuries. Here are five observations from the final week of the NFL preseason.
#1 Should starting players be kept on the sidelines more?
Unfortunately for Baltimore Ravens fans worldwide, they have lost their starting running back, J.K. Dobbins, to injury. Dobbins went down in what looked to be hyperextension of his knee, but an MRI later revealed that Dobbins suffered a torn ACL, ending his season.
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The question then becomes: should starting players be kept out of preseason altogether? Injuries are a terrible part of football, but they can be avoided sometimes. The league has cut down its preseason games to three in an attempt to mitigate season-ending injuries. Unfortunately, injuries are just a part of the game.
#2 The Bears should start Justin Fields
Of all the rookie quarterbacks, Fields looks to be the most polished, apart from Trevor Lawrence. It's hard to ignore his natural ability to create plays in open space.
Fields already has a good command of his offense, as evident by the pinpoint delivery of a TD pass to his receiver in the clip above. This level of accuracy doesn't come to everyone in their first action as a pro, especially when on the move.
Andy Dalton is a tested veteran of the league and has proven himself over the years, but Fields should be a day one starter. The rookie has enough raw talent to give the Bears some exciting games, especially with Fields throwing for 276 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.
Fields has made his case during the preseason. Time will tell if the Bears can make a surprising change come week 1.
#3 Reid Sinnet secures his spot on the practice squad
It's hard to imagine which players will make the final 53-man rosters, but there's no denying that Reid Sinnet will remain on the Miami Dolphins practice squad after his wild performance in the final game of the preseason.
The Dolphins and Bengals played with all of their reserves, but that didn't diminish this impressive touchdown throw. Reid Sinnet gunned the ball down the field in a final Hail Mary to Chris Myarick, securing the win for the Dolphins.
Reid Sinnet also threw for 343 yards, the most by any player in the preseason since 2017. Sinnet should be given the right to develop more on the practice squad.
#4 Will the Patriots start Mac Jones?
It's hard to know when a rookie should start. The question lingers when you have a veteran presence that hangs between being good and a tragedy.
Mac Jones fired a quick touchdown pass to Isaiah Zuber in traffic. With three blue jerseys around, Jones showcased the accuracy of a veteran by throwing a bullet at Zuber in the preseason game against the Giants.
It's no secret that Cam Newton has faded over the years as a reliable starter. The New England Patriots, then, have a tough decision to make in the coming weeks. When asked about the final Week 1 starter, Belichick, in typical fashion, had this to say: "No, we have a lot of decisions to make."
#5 Prepare for more surprise cuts
Cuts are part of the process for every team during and after the preseason, and tough decisions have to be made. In that vein, in a surprising move, the Detroit Lions decided to cut Breshad Perriman this week.
The veteran wide receiver will have no trouble finding a new team in the coming weeks, but to see the Lions cut a veteran presence in their locker room is surprising. Even more surprising is the level of talent the Lions currently have in their wide receiver room, which might have benefited from keeping Perriman. It's worth noting that the Lions offered Perriman a $2 million payday to bring him over.
Who else will be cut in the preseason?
There will be more surprising cuts happening in the next 48 hours. This final week of the preseason has left many players' careers hanging in the balance, and a bunch of answered questions at the quarterback position. Every single season has a type of revolving-door aspect to the drama that unfolds. There will be no shortage of new faces on every team by the time Week 1 starts.
