10 NFL Veterans Who Could Be on the Roster Bubble
Darren McFadden, RB, Dallas Cowboys
It’s a shame that a season like Darren McFadden had last year with the Dallas Cowboys would be the first step to his getting leapfrogged by a much more talented rookie running back and then potentially cut. Still, that’s where we are in 2016, and McFadden is on the chopping block now that the Cowboys selected Ezekiel Elliott fourth overall in the NFL Draft this year. Sure, McFadden had a career-high 293 opportunities in 2015 and turned them into a solid 11.33 Total NEP (18th among the 42 running backs with at least 150 opportunities), but he hasn’t had any sustained success in the NFL, averaging a Rushing NEP per attempt of -0.09 over the last five years.
The Cowboys’ depth chart isn’t particularly full, with just Alfred Morris, Lance Dunbar (recovering from a severe knee injury), and Rod Smith as the other serious roster contenders. Still, with the dire cap situation that Dallas continually seems to find itself in, McFadden’s $2.15 million cap hit and mere $100,000 dead money make for an appealing relief option.
Cut Savings: $2.05 million