The NFL preseason is in full swing, but tough decisions loom. Soon, rosters will have to be pared down from the exhibition limit of 90 to the regular season standard of 53.

Most of the players released will be of limited notoriety. They'll be pretty good college players who went undrafted or NFL practice squad veterans unable to play more than a minor role on Sundays. But in the midst of these long lists of discarded players will be a handful of recognizable names. A few will be traded from teams that either cannot afford them or who have a glut of talent at their respective positions. But many will be on the unfortunate side of their executives questioning if the juice is, in fact, worth the squeeze when it comes to their paycheck and production.

Let's talk about those guys, ranging across the spectrum of all 32 NFL teams. Some players are set to be, if not already, dangled in trade talks. Others will be quietly let go as their teams hope they slide through waivers and onto the practice squad. But every team has at least one player they'd hoped would be a contributor who is destined to depart before cut down day on August 27. I'll run through them in alphabetical order.

Arizona Cardinals: DT L.J. Collier

Cap savings: $993,382

Potential replacement: Roy Lopez

The Cardinals continue to build up a depleted roster and are in position to surprise, but maybe not contend, in 2024. Collier was a lottery ticket, a former Seattle Seahawks first round reach in 2019 who failed to pan out. He's made just one start (and played 19 total games) over the last two seasons and while that lone start came with Arizona last fall, he could lose his place in the middle of the team's 3-4 to Lopez and Khyiris Tonga.

Atlanta Falcons: S Richie Grant

Cap savings: $3,115,998

Potential replacement: DeMarrco Hellams

Atlanta has the league's least cap space headed into August, which could lead to a tough financial decision. Case in point; Mike Hughes has played some of his best football as a pro in a rotational role for the Falcons, but releasing him would nearly double the team's cap space (to $6.4 million). Taylor Heinicke could be shown the door after a step backward in 2023 and the arrivals of Kirk Cousins and Penix (in slightly baffling, high profile ways). But Grant would be the most disappointing cut; a former second round pick who ceded playing time late in 2023 and may be unable to live up to his potential.

Baltimore Ravens: S Eddie Jackson

Cap savings: $500,000

Potential replacement: Beau Brade

Jackson is a former All-Pro, but his play fell off even as the Bears' defense rose up around him to finish the 2023 season. His coverage was lacking and his 17.8 percent missed tackle rate was the worst of his career. He languished in free agency until July, and while Brade is an undrafted free agent, the former Terrapin's upside could earn him a roster place ahead of a declining veteran.

Buffalo Bills: WR Chase Claypool

Cap savings: $1,060,000

Potential replacement: Mack Hollins

The Bills' wideout depth chart is a mess, leaving room for a handful of former vaunted prospects to battle for a roster spot. While Claypool is most notable among them, this spot could also go to fellow second round picks KJ Hamler or Andy Isabella and even former Packer/Chief Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Of course, the combination of Josh Allen and Buffalo's gaping vacuum of wideout production creates a massive opportunity for someone in this group to reclaim their relevance as well.

Carolina Panthers: RB Miles Sanders

Cap savings: $200,000

Potential replacement: Jonathon Brooks

Take your pick of underwhelming Panthers: Terrace Marshall Jr., Tommy Tremble or Brady Christensen. Sanders would save the team more than $6.2 million if traded, but he's also at the lowest point of his pro career. Cutting him would be admitting the four-year, $25 million deal he signed in 2023 is a sunk cost, but … he averaged 3.3 yards per carry last season and Carolina selected the first running back of the 2024 draft so it's possible the Panthers are eying a write-down.

Chicago Bears: WR Velus Jones

Cap savings: $1,196,448

Potential replacement: Deandre Carter

Jones has been a disaster as a pro. A former high-upside third-rounder buoyed by 4.31-second 40 speed, he's been unable to translate his athleticism into positive outcomes, earning the ire of Bears fans along the way. Carter's special teams skills and the additions of Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze to the wideout corps makes the third-year receiver expendable. The Bears are experimenting with moving him to running back, which generally isn't a great sign for his future (but hey, it worked for Cordarrelle Patterson).

Cincinnati Bengals: OT Jackson Carman

Cap savings: $1,675,904

Potential replacement: Trent Brown

Carman was a second round pick in 2021, but played just 16 offensive snaps the last two seasons as backup tackle and guard. After signing Trent Brown and drafting Amarius Mims, Cincinnati has the depth to cut bait on its underwhelming former prospect.

Cleveland Browns: OT Jack Conklin

Cap savings: $728,824

Potential replacement: Dawand Jones

The Browns need cap relief -- more so in 2025 than 2024, where they're an estimated $60 million over next year's salary cap (per Over the Cap). That makes Conklin, on the hook for cap hits of nearly $19.5 million in 2025 and 2026, a potential casualty. The high-profile free agent signing has played just 22 games over the last three seasons and will turn 30 years old before the season begins. Cleveland could opt for savings while plugging Dawand Jones into his spot at tackle.

Dallas Cowboys: CB Nahshon Wright

Cap savings: $1,055,000

Potential replacement: Eric Scott

Dallas needs to get its financials right in order to address looming extensions for Dak Prescott, Micah Parsons and CeeDee Lamb. Chopping off Wright's modest salary barely makes a dent, but the 2021 third round pick played just seven percent of the team's defensive snaps last season and has likely run out his string with the Cowboys.

Denver Broncos: RBs Samaje Perine or Javonte Williams

Cap savings: up to $3,000,000

Potential replacement: Jaleel McLaughlin/Audric Estime

One of Perine or Williams is going to be let go. Will Denver keep the reliable receiver from the backfield who turns 29 in September? Or will it be the 24-year-old who briefly looked like a building block before a devastating knee injury sapped his explosiveness and left him to average just 3.6 yards per carry last fall? Neither is under contract for 2025 and Perine creates more savings, but the decision will come down to who looks best in training camp.

Detroit Lions: DL Levi Onwuzurike

Cap savings: $1,771,212

Potential replacement: Mekhi Wingo

Wingo slid to the sixth round of the 2024 draft, but he's a penetrating interior pass rusher who could push Onwuzurike out of a roster spot behind Alim McNeill. Onwuzurike was a 2021 second round pick who has yet to make a start in his NFL career and has played only 10 games since 2022.

Green Bay Packers: RB AJ Dillon

Cap savings: $1,125,000

Potential replacement: MarShawn Lloyd

Moving on from Dillon would be a minor surprise, but the Packers have been proactive about cycling through their tailback rotation. Aaron Jones was swapped out for Josh Jacobs and the selection of Lloyd in the third round of this year's draft could spell the end for Wisconsin's Quadzilla. Dillon's yards per carry have declined each season since his pro debut and, despite his powerful build, he's averaged just 1.7 yards after contact per carry each of the last two seasons -- good for 32nd best among 44 qualified running backs.

Houston Texans: WR Robert Woods

Cap savings: $4,955,882

Potential replacement: Noah Brown

Bobby Trees is winding down an 11-year NFL career and is a valued veteran presence. He also averaged just 5.7 yards per target and 1.02 yards per route run -- behind Jalen Tolbert and Nelson Agholor last season. Houston is flush with capable wideouts, making him an easy, cost-effective cut (or the Texans could opt to keep him around, given a comfortable amount of cap space headed into the 2024 season).

Indianapolis Colts: TE Mo Alie-Cox

Cap savings: $5,920,000

Potential replacement: Jelani Woods

The Colts can wipe Alie-Cox's entire salary from the books should they decide a shade under $6 million is too steep for a player with just 13 catches in 17 games last fall. Alie-Cox is a useful blocker and viable safety valve for a young quarterback, but his salary and production aren't balanced.

Jacksonville Jaguars: QB CJ Beathard

Cap savings: $1,920,000

Potential replacement: Mac Jones

Will the Jaguars roster three quarterbacks? They have a pair of useful backup in Jones and Beathard, who you wouldn't trust to start a game but can at least appreciate as short-term emergency options. Beathard has been efficient as a Jaguar while mostly attempting short, low-risk passes… which is pretty much the only way to make Jones viable. There's minor savings to be had by jettisoning the former 49er, though there's likely room for both behind Trevor Lawrence.

Kansas City Chiefs: WR Kadarius Toney

Cap savings: $0

Potential replacement: Marquise Brown

Toney's name is said in exasperation or frustration much more often than it's ever spoken in elation, making it surprising he's managed to last as long as he has in Kansas City. The Chiefs are hoping a move to running back can finally put his top level athleticism to use. It's also a transition that rarely works out.

Las Vegas Raiders: CB Brandon Facyson

Cap savings: $2,606,000

Potential replacement: Decamerion Richardson

Facyson played only three games in his 2023 return to the Raiders and wasn't especially good in those limited snaps. The Raiders were proactive in addressing their secondary, using a pair of Day 3 picks on cornerbacks MJ Devonshire and Decamerion Richardson. If either exceeds expectations in training camp, it could make the $2.6 million in savings created by the soon-to-be 30-year-old Facyson's release too tempting to pass up.

Los Angeles Chargers: EDGEs Bud Dupree or Chris Rumph

Cap savings: up to $1,055,000

Potential replacement: Rumph or Dupree

Dupree had 6.5 sacks last season -- his most since 2020 -- but his eight quarterback hits were more in line with his 2021 and 2022 campaigns, in which he failed to have more than four in a single year. He's now 31 years old and battling with the more expensive and less impressive Rumph for a roster spot. Whomever fails to impress Jim Harbaugh is likely getting cut, and Rumph will have to make the case he needed a new coaching staff to finally break through as a pro.

Los Angeles Rams: WR Tyler Johnson

Cap savings: $1,055,000

Potential replacement: Tutu Atwell

Tyler Higbee's recovery from a torn ACL means tight end Hunter Long, the man the Rams received in exchange for Jalen Ramsey (along with a third round pick) and who only has one catch in three seasons as a pro, may get to stick around a little longer. Johnson, however, is looking up at a receiving corps with a top four mostly set (Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp, Demarcus Robinson, Tutu Atwell). Johnson showed flashes of potential in his first two seasons, but only has three catches in the two years since.

Miami Dolphins: RBs Jeff Wilson, Salvon Ahmed

Cap savings: up to $1,216,177

Potential replacement: Jaylen Wright

Wilson and Ahmed are both familiar faces to fantasy football managers looking for in-season help on the waiver wire. They're also both firmly behind Raheem Mostert and De'Von Achane in the pecking order and will likely be passed by rookie fourth round pick Jaylen Wright. One might stay thanks to injury concerns for the first two guys on this list, but with a bevy of veteran running back help likely to be available after cut-down day, it's possible neither is a priority.

Minnesota Vikings: LB Kamu Grugier-Hill

Cap savings: $1,010,000

Potential replacement: Brian Asamoah

It's possible Pat Jones gets lost in the turnover at edge rusher and falls to the wayside after three uneven seasons after being selected in the third round of the 2021 draft. Grugier-Hill could benefit from a lack of depth at off-ball linebacker in the Twin Cities, but his coverage has never been great and he's coming off a season in which his tackling was a concern -- his 15.2 percent missed tackle rate was a career worst.

New England Patriots: WR Tyquan Thornton

Cap savings: $1,346,260

Potential replacement: Javon Baker, Ja'Lynn Polk

Thornton's legacy will be as the final early round wide receiver Bill Belichick whiffed on. Or perhaps Juju Smith-Schuster will be Belichick's final free agent wideout signing that failed to pan out. Maybe both! Either way, the Patriots have a dense core of iffy wideouts in need of a star to help speed Drake Maye's development. Thornton, with 338 receiving yards in two NFL seasons, probably isn't that guy.

New Orleans Saints: EDGE Payton Turner

Cap savings: $2,367,918

Potential replacement: Chase Young

Turner has played 15 total games and has three career sacks since being a surprise first round pick in 2021. The Saints have already declined his fifth year option, and while giving him another shot isn't out of the question -- though it may come at the expense of fellow disappointing EDGE prospect Isaiah Foskey -- he'd generate moderate savings with little risk of buyer's remorse. Turner has a 3.8 percent pressure rate in his limited field time as a pro.

New York Giants: CB Tre Herndon

Cap savings: $985,000

Potential replacement: Nick McCloud

Herndon put together a six-year run as a key member of the Jaguars secondary. He also allowed a passer rating of 112 or higher in coverage each of his last four seasons and probably isn't cracking the Giants' two-deep at this point.

New York Jets: RB Israel Abanikanda

Cap savings: $915,000

Potential replacement: Braelon Allen, Isaiah Davis

Allen Lazard has been unproductive, but releasing him saves no cap space despite his $10 million base salary (he had 23 catches in 2023). Isaiah Oliver could be jettisoned as well. But Abanikanda's place on the roster was thrown into flux when the Jets took two high profile running backs early on Day 3 of this year's draft. Abanikanda was a beast at Pittsburgh, but an underwhelming rookie year could leave him as the team's fourth running back -- and potentially headed to the practice squad.

Philadelphia Eagles: CB James Bradberry

Cap savings: $0

Potential replacement: Quinyon Mitchell

Bradberry has phased in and out of good seasons as a pro, but his 2023 was his worst yet -- his 114.3 passer rating allowed was fifth worst in the NFL among all players to defend at least 66 targets. He's 31 years old and Philadelphia spent its first two picks in the 2024 draft on defensive backs. There's no financial benefit to releasing him, but if he can't improve on last year's awful showing keeping on the field will be a detriment.

Pittsburgh Steelers: WR Quez Watkins

Cap savings: $985,000

Potential replacement: Scotty Miller

Watkins' future in Pittsburgh may come down to whether or not the Steelers keep six wideouts -- and whether or not they make a big trade for an established receiver (see below). The rangy pass-catcher failed to fulfill his potential in Philadelphia, as his ability to make plays downfield fell off in a big way. Heading west was a solid plan given the Steelers' lack of targets, but even that may not be enough to revive his career.

San Francisco 49ers: WR Brandon Aiyuk

Cap savings: $14,124,200

Potential replacement: Ricky Pearsall

This is an easy one. The 49ers are facing a salary cap crunch and Aiyuk deserves a contract that will pay him more than $30 million annually after last year's leap from good to great. He's requested a trade and reports have flown in the interim. Maybe the Niners keep him and work something out (or antagonize him with a franchise tag). But the prudent decision may be to move the All-Pro wideout.

Seattle Seahawks: WR D'Wayne Eskridge

Cap savings: $1,055,000

Potential replacement: Laviska Shenault

If Seattle rolls with five wideouts or fewer, it could spell the end of Eskridge's disappointing tenure. The Western Michigan star has only 17 catches in 24 games across three pro seasons. His place as "frustrating former second round pick trying to make good" may have been usurped by Shenault.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: EDGE Randy Gregory

Cap savings: -$240,000

Potential replacement: Chris Braswell

Gregory was supposed to fill a Shaq Barrett-type role as the veteran who restores his value in the Tampa Bay pass rush. Instead he was an unexcused absence during minicamp and seems to be daring the Buccaneers to fire him. For a 31-year-old with 5.5 sacks the last two seasons, it's a bold strategy.

Tennessee Titans: OT Geron Christian

Cap savings: $810,000

Potential replacement: Jaelyn Duncan

This is a make or break year for Treylon Burks, but the Titans don't seem to be in position to discard a former first round pick before his third year, even if he's been thoroughly underwhelming and now has to compete with Calvin Ridley for targets. Christian, who started half the season last fall for the Browns, could be squeezed out on a roster flush with younger guys who can play tackle.

Washington Commanders: WR Dyami Brown

Cap savings: $1,334,181

Potential replacement: Luke McCaffrey

Brown was a third round pick in 2021 but has failed to do much of anything as a pro; he has 29 career receptions in 47 games. Washington needs targets for Jayden Daniels, but Brown's inability to turn his athleticism into anything the Commanders could use may sweep him out the door not long after Ron Rivera's departure.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: 1 veteran who could be cut or traded for all 32 NFL teams this preseason, from Jack Conklin to Brandon Aiyuk