Sportsnaut
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.
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.
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.
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...
