NFL Cuts 2015: Notable Predictions for Upcoming Round of Releases

We've already seen a number of notable cuts around the NFL. Fred Jackson, Tim Jennings, Ryan Broyles and Phil Taylor were all sent packing—some surprisingly, others not so much—before the 75-man roster trim down Tuesday.

Unfortunately, that's only the beginning of the carnage. More than 700 players will receive their walking papers by Sept. 5, the deadline for teams to have their rosters at the regular-season maximum of 53. Many of those cuts will come within hours of the conclusion of Thursday's final preseason contests.

A large majority of those cuts neither you nor I will have heard of. It's impossible to keep track of all the camp bodies every team brings in, and a good amount of those players came into camp knowing this was their one shot at glory. 

That said, there are many others on the chopping block anyone with a remote NFL connection will know. Some of those players will be blindsided, others have been hanging on the edge of the roster since camp. With that in mind, here is a look at some of the biggest notables who are likely on the move. 

QB Tim Tebow, Philadelphia Eagles

This should come as no surprise. Tebow's Philadelphian experiment has largely gone bust, with the former Florida star looking mostly lost under center and not bringing much in terms of being a two-point specialist.

Chip Kelly put Tebow on the field twice during Philly's Week 3 win over Green Bay, but the attempts stalled both times. Tebow was stuffed by the Packers defense on a designed keeper during his first try, and he threw an errant pass that was nearly picked off on his second. For the preseason, Tebow has completed 10 of 19 passes for 97 yards while adding 46 on the ground.

Matt Barkley, Tebow's direct competition for the third-string job, has thrown for 306 yards while hitting on 23 of his 43 attempts. Barkley has had the higher highs of the two, particularly in Week 1's win against the Colts.

"You're competing for something, but at the same time, you want to do it the right way," Tebow told reporters. "You want to treat others the way you want to be treated the entire time—no matter what's on the line, no matter what's it stake. Because opportunities and positions are never more important than character."

It'll be interesting to see whether Barkley's skill similarity to Sam Bradford and Mark Sanchez is a positive or a negative. We know Tebow is a vast deviation. He's not a good passer, nor does it appear he'll ever even approach mediocre. Still, Chip Kelly's mind works in mysterious ways. If I had to bet, Barkley stays and Tebow goes. But anything's possible.

RB Christine Michael, Seattle Seahawks

The writing's already on the wall with this one. Fred Jackson's all-but-inevitable signing says all it needs to about the organization's satisfaction with Michael, a 2013 second-round pick viewed by some as the heir apparent to Marshawn Lynch. Instead, Lynch is still one of the NFL's best backs and the Seahawks appear willing to move on from Michael in favor of a back 10 years his senior.

Michael has gained just 79 yards on his 24 preseason carries, good for a 3.3 yards per carry average. That combined with his injury issues and grand total of 52 NFL carries make for a disconcerting resume—one so poor that you could understand Seattle looking for Jackson's reliability.

"It's frustrating because he's such a good player," Seahawks running backs coach Sherman Smith said, per Danny O'Neil of 710 ESPN. "He has such talent, and you want him to get it. Here's what it takes for you to play in this league. You should say to yourself, 'I'm a second-round draft pick, I haven't played in two years, what do I need to do?'"

One saving grace for Michael is an ankle injury to fellow backup Robert Turbin. Pete Carroll told reporters that Turbin will miss the final preseason game and will likely be out for a more extended period. 

“Robert’s got a sprained ankle,” Carroll told reporters. “It’s a significant ankle sprain. We have to see what that means. He feels pretty good about it, but it definitely showed up on the MRI and all that.”

Keeping Michael might be a necessary evil if the Seahawks aren't 100 percent sure Jackson can pick up their system in time for Week 1. Still, Michael remains on thin ice.

G Andy Levitre, Tennessee Titans

The Titans appear to have found their five-man offensive line. Unfortunately, it does not include the man signed a couple years ago to anchor its inside. Levitre has been replaced by Byron Bell since the second week of the preseason, something even the veteran guard knows puts him on thin ice.

“I am on the team, so I’d love to stay,’’ Levitre said Tuesday, per the Jim Wyatt of the team website. “But it’s above my pay grade. (My mindset) is to do the best that I can and see how things shake out from there.”

Levitre is heading into the third year of a six-year, $46.8 million deal he signed with the Titans before the 2012 season. He counts for $8.6 million against the cap and takes home a base salary of $6.5 million, per Spotrac. The Titans would take a $6.3 million cap hit to release Levitre now, but that's probably less frustrating than dishing out $6.5 million to a backup guard.

Other Notables In Danger