The Tennessee Titans pared their roster down to the league-mandated 53-player limit on Sunday afternoon, and as is the case every year, there were some surprises both with who made the cut and who didn’t.
The Titans have one of the youngest rosters in the league, and predicting the final 53-man roster proved to be a bit of a challenge, with the true injury status of some players unknown. But that is in the past, and now the focus can turn to some of the surprises from the annual cut-down day.
Here are the five biggest surprises of the day.
QB Will Levis
The Titans parted ways with their former starting quarterback, and for some, this move came as a bit of a surprise. Tennessee decided to only carry two quarterbacks, Cam Ward and Mitch Trubisky, on the initial
roster, leaving Levis the odd man out. A report surfaced stating that Levis requested his release to get a fresh start with another organization, and general manager Mike Borgonzi granted his wish. Now, Levis is free to find another opportunity to prove he is one of the best 32 quarterbacks in the game, but at least for today, he is on the waiver wire.
WR Xavier Restrepo
Entering the offseason, Restrepo appeared buried on the depth chart and a long shot to make the roster. But after grinding all summer and producing in camp, he overcame all of those challenges and earned his spot on the final 53.
WR Bryce Oliver
Many people had Oliver firmly on the 53-man roster due to his special-teams value. Unfortunately, even with his abilities as a gunner, he could not jump Restrepo for a final spot in the receiver room. There is a chance Tennessee signs him back to the practice squad if he clears waivers, but it was still a surprise he was released.
OT Austin Deculus
Deculus making the final 53-man roster may be the biggest surprise of the day. While he does bring NFL experience to the room, he didn’t set the world on fire in the preseason. Maybe his performance in the joint practices was better than his preseason film.
DT Khalen Saunders
Saunders looked solid throughout camp and appeared to consistently make plays. A veteran defender, he looked like a potential rotational piece for Robert Saleh’s defense, and it was a bit of a surprise he failed to make the cut.
This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: 5 biggest surprises from Titans' initial 53-man roster
