NFL cutdown day can be the best or worst day for the lives of NFL players. Here's a rundown of 25 notable players who received a pink slip this year on cutdown day.
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Amerson was a starting corner as recently as last season with the Raiders, but he wasn't able to crack the rival Chiefs roster after the team made some late trades for secondary help. The former second-round pick has 56 starts over the last five seasons.
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A former Pro Bowl kicker, Bailey struggled due to injury last season, making only 75 percent of his field goal attempts. Dallas opted to keep Brett Maher as their kicker instead.
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An undrafted free agent, Barrett wasn't given much of a shot to make the Saints roster this summer. The former Ohio State star could still be signed to the practice squad.
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Martavis Bryant, WR, Oakland Raiders
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Bryant's release was likely more due to his off-field transgressions than his on-field play. He failed a drug test and has a lengthy suspension ahead, pending appeal. The Raiders wasted a third-round pick to acquire Bryant from Pittsburgh this offseason.
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The 15th overall pick in the 2016 draft by the Browns, Coleman was traded by the team's new front office regime during training camp to Buffalo for a seventh-round pick. Even with wide receiver an area of need for Buffalo, Coleman failed to make his new team.
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Connor Cook, QB, Oakland Raiders
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Once projected to be a first-round pick in the NFL Draft, Cook fell to the fourth round last year after an accomplished career at Michigan State. He struggled during the preseason and was released, with the Raiders trading for A.J. McCarron to backup Derek Carr at quarterback.
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Kony Ealy, DE, Dallas Cowboys
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Ealy had three sacks of Peyton Manning in Super Bowl 50, but the former second-round pick has otherwise struggled to find the field during his career. The Cowboys gave him his pink slip following the preseason.
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Mario Edwards, DE, Oakland Raiders
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Despite trading Khalil Mack, the Raiders decided that they no longer needed Edwards' services following the preseason. Edwards started 14 games for Oakland last season, making 3.5 sacks, but the 2015 second-round pick was released on cut day.
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Michael Floyd, WR, New Orleans Saints
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A 1,000-yard receiver in his second NFL season with Arizona in 2013, Floyd's career has taken a bad turn since then. He appeared in 11 games with the Vikings last season, making only 10 receptions, and was released by the Saints at the end of the preseason.
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Gillislee started last season as New England's primary running back and scored three touchdowns in Week 1. However, he was regularly an inactive after the first two months of the season and failed to beat out former Bengals back Jeremy Hill for a roster spot this preseason.
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The Jets took a flier on Hackenberg as a development prospect in the second round of the 2016 draft, but he was shipped around the league this offseason, ending up in Philly. The Eagles didn't have room for the former Penn State quarterback, even with Carson Wentz set to miss the start of the season.
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A nine-year league veteran with the Bengals and Bucs, Johnson has 44 career sacks, including five last season. He started 15 games last year, but Cincinnati found him expendable following the preseason.
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Formerly a productive defensive lineman, Langford had seven sacks as recently as 2015 with the Colts. He only played one game last season and was cut following the preseason by Miami at age 32.
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The oldest punter in the NFL at age 42, Lechler has been a regular punter in the league since 2000. He was cut following the preseason after five seasons with the Texans.
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E.J. Manuel, QB, Oakland Raiders
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Drafted in the first round of the 2013 draft by the Bills, Manuel struggled in four seasons with Buffalo and spent last year as the Raiders backup quarterback. He failed to make the roster under Jon Gruden this year after the team acquired A.J. McCarron in a trade.
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Braxton Miller, WR, Houston Texans
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Miller was a notable quarterback and wide receiver at Ohio State, but he failed to develop as a wideout after being drafted in the third round in 2016. The Texans cut him after Miller made 34 receptions in two seasons.
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Minter has 44 NFL starts at inside linebacker, including seven with the Bengals last season. The former second-round pick failed to make the Jets roster.
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One of the main stories of this year's Hard Knocks, Orchard has struggled in three seasons with the Browns after being selected 51st overall in the 2015 draft. He failed to make the team as a pass rusher.
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Parker started at safety for the Chiefs over the last four seasons, but failed to make the Falcons roster this preseason. He wasn't a free agent for long, as Parker returned to his old team in Kansas City after being cut.
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Perriman was a first-round pick by the Ravens in 2015 but failed to develop like the team had hoped. After the Ravens brought in Michael Crabtree, John Brown, and Willie Snead this offseason, the writing was on the field for Perriman. He was cut after making only 43 receptions for the team that drafted him.
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Thomas Rawls, RB, New York Jets
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Rawls looked like a breakout star for the Seahawks in 2015, replacing Marshawn Lynch and averging 5.6 yards per carry. He's struggled to stay on the field since then, and faced an uphill battle for a roster spot with the Jets.
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Robinson had 60 sacks in 11 seasons with the Vikings, but served in a situation pass rusher role for the team last season. At age 35, Robinson was cut following the preseason.
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Tom Savage, QB, New Orleans Saints
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Savage started ahead of rookie Deshaun Watson in Week 1 for the Texans last season, and looked like he'd be Drew Brees' backup this year. That didn't come to fruition following a poor preseason, as the team traded for Teddy Bridgewater and released Savage.
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Dallas spent a seventh-round pick on Scarbrough after he showed flashes as a National Champion at Alabama. Unfortunately, he never made his presence felt during the preseason.
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Kendall Wright, WR, Minnesota Vikings
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Wright has been a highly productive wideout at times during his career, including a 1,000 yard season with the Titans in 2013 and 59 receptions for the Bears last year. He looked like potential depth for Minnesota but failed to crack the roster.