Matt Johnson
NFL training camp is just around the corner and this time of year means a lot of focus on position battles for starting jobs and extra attention on what young players will do on the practice field. However, another thing to watch this summer in the National Football League is players fighting for roster spots.
With training camp just a few weeks away, let’s take a look at a few NFL veterans who could be on the roster bubble ahead of training camp.
Trey Benson, RB, Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals running back Trey Benson, the 66th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, came into the league in a rather promising situation. Arizona had James Conner, but it wanted to find a long-term starter who could also complement Conner well. There were flashes from Benson in his rookie season, as he averaged 4.6 yards per carry and had a standout 63-yard performance on Nov. 10, 2024. Hopes were even higher for him in 2025, especially after Conner suffered a season-ending injury. Unfortunately, Benson suffered a meniscus injury in his second NFL start (Week 5) and never returned. What does the Cardinals’ organization think of Benson now? Just let the fact that the team signed Tyler Allgeier and then used the third overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Jeremiyah Love tell you everything. Conner is on the Cardinals roster right now, but he’ll be fighting for his life to stay on it this summer.
Deonte Banks, CB, New York Giants
It’s never a promising sign for a player when the franchise that spent the 24th overall pick on you doesn’t hesitate to decline the fifth-year option on your contract. That’s the case with cornerback Deonte Banks, who the New York Giants had high hopes for coming out of the 2023 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, despite offering great size at 6-foot-2, Banks has become an afterthought in New York. After making 29 combined starts in his first two NFL seasons, Banks was moved to the bench in 2025. It’s hard to blame New York given he’s allowed a 104.0 passer rating, 14 touchdowns and 1,561 receiving yards in just 45 games played. With a new coaching staff taking over and the club adding Greg Newsome, Ar’Darius Washington, Jason Pinnock and Colton Hood this offseason, Banks faces long odds of making the Giants’ 53-man roster.
Mason Rudolph, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
NFL teams don’t roster four quarterbacks. Every spot on the 53-man roster is valuable; it’s why training camp lasts as long as it does to determine who is worthy of one of those crucial spots in Week 1. So, the Pittsburgh Steelers face a choice this summer. The franchise can either cut ties with 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard and hope they can sneak him onto the practice squad, which seems unlikely. Alternatively, they can cut veteran quarterback Mason Rudolph. Entering his fifth year with the team at 31 years old when camp begins, Rudolph may simply have to make his case this summer for why another club should trade for him to be their backup.
Arik Armstead, DT, Jacksonville Jaguars
In March 2024, the Jacksonville Jaguars signed defensive tackle Arik Armstead to a three-year, $51 million contract just two days after he was cut by the San Francisco 49ers. Just over two years later, Armstead could be cut again. The 32-year-old defensive lineman has not come close to meeting the franchise’s expectations in two seasons, though his 2025 campaign was better than his first. He’d been mentioned as a potential cap casualty during the spring and if the right interior defender gets cut late in the summer, it wouldn’t be a shock if Armstead doesn’t make it past Jacksonville’s final 53-man roster cutdown.
Luke Musgrave, TE, Green Bay Packers
In the 2023 NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers spent the 42nd overall pick on Luke Musgrave and then snagged Tucker Kraft with the 78th overall pick. Fast forward a few years, Kraft looks like an emerging All-Pro candidate and Musgrave has one touchdown in 35 career games. Kraft, recovering from an ACL tear, will be ready to go in Week 1. Meanwhile, backup tight end Josh Whyle was a standout in minicamp and OTAs. As for the TE3 spot, Matt LaFleur needs an in-line blocker to fill out the room and Musgrave couldn’t possibly be further away from filling that role. Without a strong training camp, he either gets cut or traded for a future seventh-round pick in August.
Mazi Smith, DT, New York Jets
Formerly a first-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys, Mazi Smith could soon be out of the NFL entirely. The 6-foot-3 defensive tackle looked like a bust for Dallas immediately in his rookie season. After three years, Dallas sent him to the New York Jets effectively as a throw-in as part of the Quinnen Williams trade. Even on the worst defense in football, he barely saw the field (54 snaps in 3 games). New York has a lot more depth on the interior now, so Smith faces an uphill climb to prove to anyone that he should stick around in the NFL.
