The toughest day on the NFL calendar has come and gone.
The 32 teams had until 4:00 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday to trim their rosters down to 53, meaning nearly 1,000 players received some difficult news over the past 24 hours.
Included in those decisions are several surprises. Here are the nine biggest surprises from a busy day in the NFL.
A pair of surprises in Foxborough
The New England Patriots delivered some surprises with their roster decisions on Tuesday, but here are the two biggest. First, after weeks of speculation, Kyle Dugger stuck on the roster, at least for now. The former second-round pick, who signed a big contract extension in April of 2024, spent the bulk of the preseason playing with backups and playing deep into preseason games. In addition, reports from Foxborough indicated that the Patriots were looking to trade him.
But for now, he remains on the roster.
The other surprise is that undrafted rookie free agent Efton Chism III found a spot on the roster. The wide receiver out of Eastern Washington impressed with his play throughout the preseason, including a strong debut against the Washington Commanders, where he caught six passes for 50 yards and a touchdown. He finished the preseason with 12 catches for 121 yards and a pair of scores.
While the production was impressive, his spot on the roster was by no means a lock given the crowded Patriots WR room. But he did enough to earn a spot on the initial 53-man roster.
A final note on New England, while it might seem like a surprise that former first-round pick Cole Strange was let go — especially with concerns lingering about the offensive line — it was clear Strange needed a new start.
Bo Melton makes the Packers
Bo Melton was drafted in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks as a wide receiver out of Rutgers. Over the course of his brief NFL career, he has caught 24 passes for 309 yards and a touchdown, all of which came with the Green Bay Packers over the past two seasons.
So it might not be a surprise that Melton made the Packers roster.
However, what is surprising is the position listed next to his name.
Melton switched to cornerback ahead of this season and impressed the coaching staff throughout training camp with his adaptation to the new position. “He’s done a nice job,” head coach Matt LaFleur said late last month. “When you watch him through the course of drills, the skill set is there—it’s just getting an adequate number of reps to go and get comfortable out there at a very difficult position to play. I’m really pleased with not only how he’s approached it, but how he’s gone out there and executed.”
He’s now executed it well enough to make the team as a defensive back four seasons into his NFL career.
The Seahawks keep a pair of fullbacks
Ahead of the 2023 NFL season, my dear friend JP Acosta and I opined that “big is back” in the NFL. After years of spread-out offenses and sub-package defenses, the cycle was turning.
The latest evidence of this trend? The Seattle Seahawks kept not just one, but two fullbacks on their roster. Both Robbie Ouzts — a fifth-round selection out of Alabama — and Brady Russell made the roster for Mike Macdonald.
Greg Dulcich let go by the Giants
Greg Dulcich was drafted in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos, but the tight end’s time in the Mile High City was marred by a series of hamstring injuries. He was waived by the Broncos in November of last season and claimed by the New York Giants the next day.
He put in a strong showing during training camp this year, and as was pointed out when the Giants let him go, he led all players in touchdowns during the preseason slate. But with the Giants having a crowded tight end room, Dulcich was the odd man out. He is likely to find a home today, perhaps back where his NFL journey began.
Hunter Renfrow’s comeback stalls in Carolina
Hunter Renfrow missed the entire 2024 season following his release from the Las Vegas Raiders, as the wide receiver dealt with ulcerative colitis. The chronic digestive condition led to Renfrow losing over 30 pounds, and he was contemplating retirement before his college coach, Dabo Swinney, convinced him to give football another shot.
Renfrow signed with the Panthers and looked on track to make the roster in Carolina, but in the end, that comeback effort stalled, as Renfrow was one of the team’s cuts on Tuesday.
Still, his return might not end here, as he could be claimed on waivers today or find his way back to the Panthers’ practice squad.
JuJu Brents let go by the Colts
Drafted in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, JuJu Brents started eight games at cornerback as a rookie that year. But the Indianapolis Colts parted ways with their former second-round pick on Tuesday, incurring a dead cap of more than $2.6 million in the process.
Injuries may have played a role in the decision. Despite starting those eight games in 2023, Brents appeared in just 11 games overall for the Colts these past two seasons, as he dealt with leg and knee injuries the past two campaigns. In addition, the arrival of Lou Anarumo may have posed a schematic hurdle, as he might not be the best fit for the new-look Colts defense.
Jalyn Amour-Davis waived by the Ravens
Judging by the reactions from Baltimore-area beat writers Tuesday, the decision to waive Jalyn Amour-Davis came as a surprise.
Drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Amour-Davis dealt with injuries during his time in the Inner Harbour. But a strong run during training camp and in the Ravens’ preseason games — including an interception and two pass breakups in the preseason finale against the Washington Commanders — led many to believe he had secured a roster spot.
Instead, he was let go by the Ravens, despite showing some positional flexibility as well during his time in Baltimore, as he played both cornerback and safety.
His name is already popping up on lists of players who should be claimed today.
Pittsburgh cuts CB Beanie Bishop Jr.
Last year, Beanie Bishop Jr. not only made the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted rookie free agent, but the cornerback recorded four interceptions as he started six games.
Two of those interceptions came against Aaron Rodgers in Week 7, the Steelers’ new starting quarterback.
However, Bishop was cut by the Steelers on Tuesday, likely a victim of a crowded cornerback room. With the Steelers trading for Jalen Ramsey in the offseason and adding Darius Slay Jr., Brandin Echols, and rookie seventh-rounder Donte Kent as well this offseason, the numbers did not work in Bishop’s favor.
