2021 NFL roster cuts: 3 surprising rookies that didn’t make it

2021 NFL roster cuts: There were plenty of surprising roster cuts around the league, but these three rookies may have been let go way too prematurely.

One of the most fascinating times during the “season” is when all 32 teams have to make moves to get down to the league-mandated 53 players, most of them working from the maximum of 80 at the end of the preseason. NFL roster cuts are brutal, but we’ve all seen through the years how these disappointing endings in one NFL city can lead to promising new beginnings elsewhere.

For many 2021 NFL Draft picks, Tuesday afternoon already marked the end of the line for their first opportunity after just one training camp and preseason.

Although it’s not uncommon for sixth- and seventh-round picks to be cut after camp, especially on deep rosters, it’s not always an easy pill for fans to swallow, especially as close as fans are to the NFL Draft these days.

There were plenty of shocking cuts around the league, but a few rookie cuts really stood out as surprising.

Let’s take a look at the three that stood out the most.

1. WR Dez Fitzpatrick, Titans (4th round, 109th overall)

It’s never easy to cut a player you just drafted.

It’s brutal to cut a player you took 109th overall and traded multiple picks to move up and get.

Lucky for the Tennessee Titans, nobody put in a claim on Dez Fitzpatrick on waivers, but that doesn’t mean he won’t get poached off of their practice squad or sign onto someone else’s practice squad.

The Titans are showing that their process of putting the 53-man roster together is pretty ruthless, cutting a guy you traded up to get, even if it was on day three.

Fitzpatrick has intriguing athletic tools and very good size for the position, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him shop his services around the league for other practice squad opportunities.