5 most surprising cuts made by NFL teams following 53-man roster announcement ft. Marlon Mack and Logan Ryan

NFL teams are allowed to have 80 players on their rosters during the preseason schedule. The regular season roster limit is much smaller as teams are required to cut their total all the way down to 53 players. The deadline to do so for the 2022 NFL season is at 4 PM EST on August 30th.

Each year when teams have to make their final roster cuts, there are always certain players that hit the free agent market unexpectedly. The final roster cuts are now official for the 2022 NFL season.

Here are five of the most surprising players that didn't make their teams and are now free agents:

#5 - Brett Kern

Tennessee Titans P Brett Kern

While punters are often overlooked in the NFL, having a quality one as a part of a special teams unit is important. Punters have the ability to gain an advantage in the field position battle, especially in tight contests that feature a low-scoring chess match type of game.

Brett Kern has been one of the best ounetrs in the NFL during his 13 seasons with the Tennessee Titans. He has been at his best over the last five seasons, having been selected to three Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams. The long-time veteran is now free to sign with a new team and will likely command interest from several of them.

#4 - Logan Ryan

Logan Ryan in a press conference

Logan Ryan has played for three different teams during his NFL career and has been a solid defensive back for all of them. In nine seasons, he has totaled 18 interceptions, defended 95 passes, recorded 705 tackles and forced 14 fumbles.

Ryan has been a versatile defender and a reliable asset, missing only five total games across his nine seasons. It was surprising to see the Tampa Bay Buccaneers cut him, especially because their defensive backs struggled at times during the 2021 season.

#3 - O.J. Howard

Buffalo Bills TE OJ Howard

O.J. Howard was a promising tight end prospect when he was drafted in 2017 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He appeared to be developing into a weapon at the position after exceeding 425 yards in each of his first three seasons. He then got buried on the depth chart when Rob Gronkowski joined the Buccaneers.

After two years with little usage on the Buccaneers, Howard hit the free agency market for a fresh start. He joined the Buffalo Bills' high-powered offense and it appeared he could be in line to bounce back to his old form. Things didn't go as planned, as he was released before ever appearing in a regular season game.

#2 - Marlon Mack

Indianapolis Colts RB Marlon Mack

Marlon Mack was once considered a promising young running back with the Indianapolis Colts. During his peak between the 2018 and 2019 NFL seasons, he combined to rush for 1,999 yards and 17 touchdowns. The Colts then selected Jonathan Taylor in the 2020 NFL Draft and he emerged as a superstar, taking the starting job from Mack.

After appearing in just seven games over the last two seasons, Mack left the Colts for a fresh start with the Houston Texans. He was projected to open the season as their starting running back, but was surpassed on the depth chart by rookie Dameon Pierce. Rather than serving as a back-up, he was cut by the Texans.

#1 - Alex Leatherwood

Las Vegas Raiders OL Alex Leatherwood

The Las Vegas Raiders selected Alex Leatherwood with the 17th overall pick in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. While he had a disappointing rookie season, he proved to be durable by appearing in all 17 games for the Raiders.

In one of the most surprising roster moves leading up to the 2022 NFL season, Leatherwood was one of the final cuts from the Raiders roster. It's rare for any team to give up on a first-round draft pick after just one season, especially one that started every game their rookie year.