32 takeaways include pressure on Trey Lance, Eagles upgrade and more – newsdubai

The 2022 NFL preseason is in the rear view, and now all 32 teams have finalized their rosters for the regular season. “Finalized” is a loose word here, given that lineups will be tweaked from now until the end of the year. But we now have a clear look at what most clubs will look like in Week 1. Here are 32 key takeaways from Tuesday’s deadline for final cuts:

1. The pressure is on Trey Lance. Actions speak louder than words, and the 49ers happily offering Jimmy Garoppolo back to a revised contract suggests Kyle Shanahan can’t quite let go of his oft-injured flame. Yes, quarterback insurance is necessary. But imagine being Lance, now with your predecessor back in the room, as you try to not only win matches, but win over everyone on and around the team.

2. The Eagles have upgraded just about every one of their positions of need after trading Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, the burly ex-Saints slot corner. Gardner-Johnson will slide in as a starting safety in a secondary that also features Darius Slay and James Bradberry. Maybe buying into the Philly hype isn’t wrong.

3. It’s James Cook season in Buffalo, where specialist Duke Johnson has been released. Devin Singletary and Zack Moss will remain the top traditional running backs, but the rookie is now ready for a legitimate role.

4. Dameon Pierce is even more poised to make noise at RB, with former Colts starter Marlon Mack among them. The rookie Florida product should be an easy pick to handle the top job with Rex Burkhead as a complement.

5. Malik Willis’ preseason electricity was not for nothing, with the Titans cutting Logan Woodside as Ryan Tannehill’s top backup. Quietly, this situation bears similarities to the Lance-Garoppolo pairing in 2021. It’s likely only a matter of time before Tennessee is itching for Willis’ athleticism under center.

6. The Cowboys do not value the backup QB position. After cutting all three of Dak Prescott’s backups (Cooper Rush, Will Grier, Ben DiNucci), they reportedly plan to bring at least one back when they can move other veterans to injured reserve. That means they trust they’ll be available, which means everyone else around the NFL thinks very little of them. Which is fine if you think an extended loss of Dak means the season is doomed anyway. Still, legit No. 2s can go a long way.

7. Josh McDaniels doesn’t worry about the investments of the Jon Gruden-Mike Mayock era. Cutting 2021 first-rounder Alex Leatherwood is an admission of a bad bet at right tackle, but trading Trayvon Mullen, a 24-year-old starting cornerback, is an endorsement of a rebuilt secondary headlined by Rock Ya-Sin.

8. The Jaguars really do have a deeper receiving corps, as evidenced by the release of Laquon Treadwell, who emerged as a favorite target for Trevor Lawrence down the stretch in 2021.

9. The Dolphins will need an extra effort from former first baseman Noah Igbinoghene with starting corner Byron Jones out at least four games with an Achilles injury. Or just more big plays from Xavien Howard and Jevon Holland.

10. Speaking of major CB injuries in the AFC East, it’s time for Kaiir Elam to make an early impact in Buffalo, where All-Pro Tre’Davious White is guaranteed to miss at least four games while he recovers an ACL tear.

11. Brian Robinson Jr.’s inclusion on the Commanders’ active roster, just days after he was shot in an attempted carjacking, confirms he is headed for a major role in their offense. The rookie seemingly overtook Antonio Gibson as Washington’s primary ball carrier as the summer progressed.

12. The Panthers are built to play some tough, lean and dunk football. They already had Christian McCaffrey and DJ Moore, and now Laviska Shenault has been freed from Jacksonville via trade as a spicy outlet for Baker Mayfield.

13. Taking cues from their NFC East brethren in Dallas, the Giants roll the dice on QB health and depth, cutting the cord on Davis Webb’s second trip to town to leave only a faltering Tyrod Taylor behind Daniel Jones. Then again, Webb could very well return to the practice squad.

14. Josh Gordon’s NFL career may be over after his release from the Chiefs, who were eager for WR help this offseason after trading Tyreek Hill. Now 31, he has caught all 12 passes in 17 games over the past three seasons.

15. Tyler Johnson’s career may be just getting started after the former fifth-round pick was a surprise cut from a crowded Buccaneers WR room. A big threat coming out of Minnesota, he figures to be a hot target as a developmental prospect after two relatively quiet years in Tampa Bay.

16. It’s safe to expect decent workloads for both Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostert in Miami, where the Dolphins said goodbye to Sony Michel before the ex-Patriots and Rams starter took a single snap in the regular season. Edmonds was paid good money to leave Arizona back in the spring, and Mostert has a history of working under Mike McDaniel.

17. While RBs are as interchangeable as ever (see: Michel, Sony), the veteran market has a new plug-and-play option in Phillip Lindsay, who couldn’t crack the Colts behind Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines. At RB2 or RB3 you can do a lot worse.

18. Justin Fields still has a nasty corps of WRs beyond Darnell Mooney, and Chicago keeping seven on the 53-man roster just proves that, with Velus Jones Jr., Byron Pringle and N’Keal Harry — none of whom are everything too encouraging alone – – all pitched up and candidates to hit IR.

19. The Jets weren’t satisfied with the trade offers they may have received for Denzel Mims, the former second-rounder who struck out in the preseason finale. But there’s still time for them to dangle him ahead of — or early in — the 2022 season.

20. Pittsburgh is a little better at the margin after trading draft picks for a pair of low-floor veterans: Jesse Davis at guard and Malik Reed off the edge. The former started every O-line spot except center during a four-year run with the Dolphins, and Reed quietly put up 13 total sacks in his final two seasons with the Broncos.

21. Shaquille Leonard, formerly known as Darius, is on track to miss minimal time after avoiding a physically unable to perform designation. He had back surgery this summer. A trip to IR is not out of the question, but it seems further out.

22. The Vikings really weren’t happy with Kellen Mond’s development, cutting the former third baseman just a year into his career and handing the No. 2 job behind Kirk Cousins ​​to newly acquired Nick Mullens.

23. The Broncos still see something in Brett Rypien, who will be Russell Wilson’s backup after Josh Johnson’s release. Or they plan to make an extra move at the position in the wake of other teams’ cuts.

24. The Lions, like their rivals in Minnesota, weren’t happy with whatever happened at the backup QB spot, cutting ex-Packers backup Tim Boyle and temporarily turning to David Blough as Jared Goff insurance. Gulp?

25. Jalen Reagor may very well have a future in Philadelphia. The 2020 first-rounder, relegated to an almost non-existent role with AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith giving the WR room some real juice, survived final cuts and could be better off without the pressure of performing at the top of the depth chart, a la Nelson Agholor years ago.

26. Buccaneers center Ryan Jensen might be a safer bet than expected to return this season, despite his serious knee injury during camp. That’s because Tampa Bay is reportedly cutting veteran safety Logan Ryan with the intention of moving Jensen to IR soon, re-signing Ryan and hoping to designate Jensen for a regular-season return down the road.

27. OJ Howard just might not have been the pass-catching weapon everyone envisioned coming out of Alabama. If it wasn’t evident during his Buccaneers run, it might be now after the Bills cut him loose after a single summer.

28. Mike McDaniel believes in Skylar Thompson’s potential. The rookie seventh-rounder dominated the preseason, earning a 53-man spot behind Tua Tagovailoa and Teddy Bridgewater instead of being cleared for a potential practice squad.

29. Chargers corner JC Jackson may be ready sooner rather than later, avoiding the PUP despite recently undergoing ankle surgery that was expected to sideline him for up to a month. He remains an official possibility to suit up for Week 1.

30. Lance McCutcheon’s preseason wasn’t a fluke, at least in the eyes of Sean McVay, who is keeping the undrafted Montana State product in his WR room while Van Jefferson recovers from knee surgery.

31. The Chiefs’ RB room is as unpredictable as ever, with former Bucs starter Ronald Jones securing a job despite a slow start to camp and the preseason. He could share time with Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Jerick McKinnon and Isiah Pacheco.

32. It’s finally OK to be pumped for real football. Let’s go!