This year's NFL roster cuts deadline falls on 5 p.m. CT on Sunday, Aug. 30, giving all 32 teams a quick turnaround between their final preseason game and dozens of tough visits to the office. Like each of their rivals, the New Orleans Saints must cut their rosters down from 90 players to just 53 of them. It's one of the harshest days on the league's calendar.
Some decisions are more difficult than others. Guys have competed hard all summer, fighting through injuries and pushing against competition from other pros who want to make the cut just as badly as they do. But the reality is that just 53 players can make the team. Here were our toughest decisions in trying to predict how the Saints will approach roster cuts.
QB Zach Wilson
Wilson flashed the same potential
that made him the No. 2 overall draft pick at times this summer, but those flashes were too few and far between for him to be our QB2 (at least so long as Spencer Rattler is around). Even if he can dress out on game days with the emergency QB3 rule, it's not worth burning a roster spot on him. It wasn't worth doing that for Jake Haener, either.
RB Devin Neal
This isn't exactly another Boston Scott situation, but it's not far off from that, either. Neal just hasn't been able to stay healthy. He missed long stretches of his rookie year with hamstring issues and those same injuries have plagued him this summer. He may be a reliable third-down back with real chops in pass protection, but he simply hasn't been available enough to win a roster spot with those skills. Hopefully he can catch on with the practice squad or just heal up for a month or two on injured reserve.
WR Kevin Austin Jr.
Austin had one more target in team drills (22) than Means did (21) this summer, and his team-first attitude has won over some fans. But the additions the Saints have made in the receiving corps are pushing guys like him onto the practice squad. That's not a bad thing, in the big picture, but it's a setback for Austin as he tries to get his own career off the ground.
WR Ronnie Bell
Bell has also been targeted 21 times throughout training camp, but he hasn't been quite as productive or consistent (six of those passes went his way in a single session). He's another good option for the practice squad as an experienced pro who knows the playbook well.
TE Treyton Welch
It's been another solid summer for Welch, who consistently drew targets in team drills throughout training camp and showcased soft hands in the preseason games, but he hasn't made enough strides as a blocker to make the cut. There's potential here if he could put everything together.
OL Torricelli Simpkins III
Simpkins was a fan-favorite last summer as a rookie free agent, and it looked like he could have taken a larger role on offense as Erik McCoy's backup after switching to center full-time. Instead, he's been bumped down the depth chart before losing the last week of practice while in concussion protocol. You'd like to get him back on the practice squad but this has still been a rough preseason for Simpkins.
K Charlie Smyth
Neither Smyth nor Tanner Brown were able to win the kicker competition this summer, but Smyth's status as an International Pathway Player means he can hang around on the practice squad without taking a roster spot. He has obvious talent, he just needs more experience. Another season of development could be good for him.
DL Khristian Boyd
Two different coaching staffs have had plenty of time to evaluate Boyd at practice and chosen to play others ahead of him, even while he's graded out well in the preseason. For whatever reason the moments we've seen haven't carried over day-to-day, and this could be the end of the line for him in New Orleans despite a thin depth chart on the interior defensive line.
EDGE Michael Heldman
Heldman quickly built up a fanbase after notching a couple of sacks in the first preseason game; he just couldn't keep that momentum going. He spent most of the summer on the third-team defense and projects well as a fit for the practice squad. He did leave the Cowboys game late with an injury, so look out for an update on his status.
LB Chris Rumph II
Rumph was a very important player in Brandon Staley's defense last season and it says a lot that he was brought back and cross-trained at off-ball linebacker after rushing off the edge. He's lost a lot of time to an ankle injury but likely would have made the team if healthy.
S Elliott Davison
The numbers game just wasn't in Davison's favor. He's done everything asked of him on defense and special teams, but it hasn't been enough to separate himself from more-accomplished pros. He's another practice squad candidate if he clear waivers.
CB TJ Hall Jr.
It's always disappointing to see a draft pick not make the team, even if he's a seventh rounder. There are just different expectations for guys who hear their name called during the event. Hall is a safe pick to return on the practice squad unless another team claims him off of waivers.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: 12 toughest cuts from our final Saints 53-man roster predictions
