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http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2...ll-victim-to-age-injury-and-incoming-rookies/
Five veterans likely to fall victim to age, injury and incoming rookies
The NFL Draft is all about new opportunities.
It is quite literally the first of many steps in the careers of future superstars.
The abundance of fresh talent embraced through the league's annual springtime event, however, can also usher some unwelcome change for, well, the talent already occupying the league.
As college's finest athletes find homes, 32 teams find room for their latest crop of rookies and early-offseason rosters begin to take shape, here are five veteran players in danger of being cut:
1. Lamarr Houston, DE/OLB, Chicago Bears
The mother of all mock drafts has Chicago dipping into this year's crop of rookie pass rushers, but the writing has been on the wall regarding Houston for some time.
A big-ticket signing in 2014, Lamarr Houston has seen injuries derail his time with Chicago. USATSI
Still playing under the five-year, $35 million deal he signed after departing the Oakland Raiders in 2014, the oft-injured linebacker is coming off his second torn ACL in three seasons and will be 30 years old by the time he's back on the field. With Leonard Floyd in the fold after last year's draft and Houston set to count nearly $7 million against the Bears' cap in 2017, the veteran's exit seems inevitable.
2. DeAngelo Hall, DB, Washington Redskins
Somehow Hall being just 33 years old seems off. Maybe it's his long-forgotten stint with the Atlanta Falcons to start his career or his transition from cornerback to safety that makes him seem even more seasoned than he is.
In any event, the grizzled vet and once-outspoken defensive back has been bitten hard by the injury bug, appearing in just 17 games over the past three years. With D.J. Swearinger in town on a new three-year deal and more help potentially coming in the draft, Hall could be limping to the finish line in Washington.
3. Haloti Ngata, DT, Detroit Lions
Health issues seem to be a common thread here. Lions coach Jim Caldwell said he was happy to have Ngata, the former longtime Baltimore Ravens stalwart, return rather than retire after 2016, but the aging DT has not played a full season in six years.
No longer a Pro Bowl-caliber force, Haloti Ngata could be nearing the end of his NFL road. USATSI
It's not as if Detroit expects Ngata, 33, to be some kind of Pro Bowl interior rusher at this point. But with the big man on the fence about his career not too long ago and also costing the team an estimated $7.7 million in 2017, it might not be long before he is on the market.
4. Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
Can you believe this 6-foot-5 prospect was drafted early in the second round just two years ago? The Eagles pulled off a lopsided exchange, or so it seemed at the time, when they landed the Tennessee Titans' big body for merely a backup offensive lineman before last season.
But Green-Beckham could be pushed right off the depth chart by the end of next week and, quite possibly, onto a third team in as many seasons. Alshon Jeffery, Torrey Smith, Jordan Matthews and Nelson Agholor are virtual locks for Philadelphia's WR corps, and DGB's imposing size is no guarantee to save the youngster from a quick departure.
5. Junior Galette, LB, Washington Redskins
The reasoning here is twofold. First and foremost, Galette hasn't been able to steer clear of the negative spotlight, and that trend continued this month with the veteran's arrest.
Junior Galette has had both injury and off-field issues with Washington. USATSI
But setting aside all of Galette's off-field transgressions, the former New Orleans Saints pass rusher could face a tall task in finding a home in Washington's linebacker corps. Another front-seven starter could very well be on the way in the draft, and Galette's Redskins track record -- two injured reserve stints in two seasons -- warrants him no edge in a competition.
Five veterans likely to fall victim to age, injury and incoming rookies
The NFL Draft is all about new opportunities.
It is quite literally the first of many steps in the careers of future superstars.
The abundance of fresh talent embraced through the league's annual springtime event, however, can also usher some unwelcome change for, well, the talent already occupying the league.
As college's finest athletes find homes, 32 teams find room for their latest crop of rookies and early-offseason rosters begin to take shape, here are five veteran players in danger of being cut:
1. Lamarr Houston, DE/OLB, Chicago Bears
The mother of all mock drafts has Chicago dipping into this year's crop of rookie pass rushers, but the writing has been on the wall regarding Houston for some time.
A big-ticket signing in 2014, Lamarr Houston has seen injuries derail his time with Chicago. USATSI
Still playing under the five-year, $35 million deal he signed after departing the Oakland Raiders in 2014, the oft-injured linebacker is coming off his second torn ACL in three seasons and will be 30 years old by the time he's back on the field. With Leonard Floyd in the fold after last year's draft and Houston set to count nearly $7 million against the Bears' cap in 2017, the veteran's exit seems inevitable.
2. DeAngelo Hall, DB, Washington Redskins
Somehow Hall being just 33 years old seems off. Maybe it's his long-forgotten stint with the Atlanta Falcons to start his career or his transition from cornerback to safety that makes him seem even more seasoned than he is.
In any event, the grizzled vet and once-outspoken defensive back has been bitten hard by the injury bug, appearing in just 17 games over the past three years. With D.J. Swearinger in town on a new three-year deal and more help potentially coming in the draft, Hall could be limping to the finish line in Washington.
3. Haloti Ngata, DT, Detroit Lions
Health issues seem to be a common thread here. Lions coach Jim Caldwell said he was happy to have Ngata, the former longtime Baltimore Ravens stalwart, return rather than retire after 2016, but the aging DT has not played a full season in six years.
No longer a Pro Bowl-caliber force, Haloti Ngata could be nearing the end of his NFL road. USATSI
It's not as if Detroit expects Ngata, 33, to be some kind of Pro Bowl interior rusher at this point. But with the big man on the fence about his career not too long ago and also costing the team an estimated $7.7 million in 2017, it might not be long before he is on the market.
4. Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
Can you believe this 6-foot-5 prospect was drafted early in the second round just two years ago? The Eagles pulled off a lopsided exchange, or so it seemed at the time, when they landed the Tennessee Titans' big body for merely a backup offensive lineman before last season.
But Green-Beckham could be pushed right off the depth chart by the end of next week and, quite possibly, onto a third team in as many seasons. Alshon Jeffery, Torrey Smith, Jordan Matthews and Nelson Agholor are virtual locks for Philadelphia's WR corps, and DGB's imposing size is no guarantee to save the youngster from a quick departure.
5. Junior Galette, LB, Washington Redskins
The reasoning here is twofold. First and foremost, Galette hasn't been able to steer clear of the negative spotlight, and that trend continued this month with the veteran's arrest.
Junior Galette has had both injury and off-field issues with Washington. USATSI
But setting aside all of Galette's off-field transgressions, the former New Orleans Saints pass rusher could face a tall task in finding a home in Washington's linebacker corps. Another front-seven starter could very well be on the way in the draft, and Galette's Redskins track record -- two injured reserve stints in two seasons -- warrants him no edge in a competition.
