The preseason is over, the roster churn has settled down, and the NFL is moving into real football mode. With cutdown day in the books and Week 1 on the horizon, the league’s latest pecking order is starting to take shape.
At the very top, the Los Angeles Rams have added another superstar to the mix and remain entrenched in the No. 1 spot. At the other end, the Cleveland Browns sit dead last, and the quarterback situation is the biggest reason why.
- Cleveland Browns
The Browns land at No. 32 because no team enters the season with a worse quarterback setup. Deshaun Watson is still projected to start, which is hard to wrap your head around after everything that’s already been said about the move.
It may be the first time in NFL history that an owner has publicly called a quarterback acquisition a mistake, only for that same player to be back in the starting lineup a year later.
There’s enough talent elsewhere on the roster to keep Cleveland interesting, but the quarterback spot is a full-blown problem.
- Miami Dolphins
Miami’s cutdown period was a busy one, and the team reportedly set an NFL roster cutdown record with seven waiver claims. That fits with a roster that looks very much in rebuild mode under new head coach Jeff Hafley.
Even with that reset underway, there are reasons to keep an eye on the Dolphins. Malik Willis flashed in relief with the Packers, the team’s 13-player draft class brings some intriguing weapons, and there’s been investment in the trenches.
It’s a work in progress, no question. But it could be a pretty entertaining one.
- Arizona Cardinals
Arizona feels like another team entering the year with a long list of evaluation points. The biggest one is obvious: how long does Jacoby Brissett hold the starting job?
Then there’s the rest of the puzzle. How soon does Carson Beck get a shot?
Can Jeremiyah Love stay healthy through his rookie season? And at some point, Marvin Harrison Jr. has to start living up to the hype that came with him before the draft.
The same kind of questions hang over the defense, where the Cardinals need players to step forward and become part of whatever the future foundation looks like.
- Las Vegas Raiders
The preseason made one thing clear for Las Vegas: Kirk Cousins was the right choice as the starting quarterback for 2026. Fernando Mendoza showed plenty of ability and upside, but he’s also walking into a situation where the Raiders earned that No. 1 draft slot for a reason.
Letting Mendoza sit, learn, and grow while the rest of the roster develops looks like the smart move from head coach Klint Kubiak.
The Raiders could be without star running back Ashton Jeanty to begin the season, but they did get a strong preseason emergence from fourth-round pick Mike Washington Jr., who looked like a stud.
In Other News...
Dolphins Final Roster Has A Few Unexpected Winners To Watch
The Dolphins have set their 53-man roster, and a few names that might not have been penciled in a month ago are suddenly part of the conversation. Jackson Woodard, Keith Cooper Jr. and D.J. Herman all played their way into jobs with steady camp work, and their inclusion says plenty about how Miami weighed performance, consistency and versatility as it built out the back end of the roster.
Kenneth Grants injury also shaped some of those decisions, leaving the Dolphins to sort through a few unexpected options as they head into the season. For players like Woodard, Cooper and Herman, the challenge now shifts from surviving camp to proving they can carry that momentum into a much different stage, where roster spots are earned all over again once the games count. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Roster Churn Just Created Some Unexpected Depth Battles
The Dolphins roster picture changed quickly after the initial 53-man cutdown, and the front office wasted little time adding more competition across the board. Miami landed seven players off waivers and also signed former Chiefs edge rusher Malik Herring, a clear sign the team still sees opportunities to strengthen depth and potentially improve a few spots before the season settles in.
To make room, the Dolphins released or waived eight players, including Clelin Ferrell, A.J. Green III and Max Llewellyn, underscoring how fluid the back end of the roster can be this time of year. What comes next is a fresh round of depth battles, with the newcomers arriving not just as bodies for camp, but as legitimate challengers who could push for roles in Miamis rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Take Another Flier On Two Familiar Draft Names
The Dolphins added eight players to the practice squad, and two of the more interesting names are a pair of former first-round picks who already know what the NFL looks like. Defensive tackle Mazi Smith and edge rusher Clelin Ferrell both arrive with previous league experience, and both were picked up after being released by other teams, giving Miami a chance to take another look at players whose pro careers have not followed a straight line.
For a roster that is always searching for useful depth up front, the moves make sense as a low-risk way to widen the pool. Miami also moved on from quarterback Mark Gronowski to make room, a reminder that practice-squad churn is part of the weekly business as the Dolphins keep sorting through familiar names and trying to find help wherever it might be hiding. [Read more 🡒]