Ahead of Saturday's 4 p.m. ET deadline for NFL squads to cut their rosters down to 53 players, teams will first try to dangle anyone with potential value in a trade. Getting back even a late-round pick or a draft-slot swap is worth more than jettisoning an asset for zilch.
In that vein, there are a couple of former first-round picks on the trade block as we press towards the cutdown deadline.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport noted on NFL Total Access on Friday that former first-round receivers Josh Doctson and Laquon Treadwell are both on the trade block.
Doctson and Treadwell went with back-to-back picks in the 2016 draft to the Washington Redskins and Minnesota Vikings, respectively. Now they might be cut on the same day four years later if their teams can't find trade partners.
The Redskins have been testing the trade market on Doctson for more than a year, per Rapoport.
"No takers as of yet, so they may be in a situation where they need to release him, but still the Redskins are going to try until decision time," Rapoport said.
Jay Gruden's dismissive comments about Doctson this week indicated where the team was with its former first-round pick. If the wideout makes the squad, it's simply because Washington's receiver corps is one of the worst in the league.
The Vikings are in a similar situation with Treadwell, who has just 40 total receptions in three seasons. It's clear that the Ole Miss product isn't in Minnesota's plans long-term. The question is whether another team wants to trade for him or whether he'll first be cut.
Rapoport added Saturday that Minnesota is definitely moving on from Treadwell. If no trade materializes for the receiver, the Vikings will release him.
For his part, Treadwell isn't sweating the cut deadline.
"I'm not worried about (being cut)," Treadwell said this week, per Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "I have no worries. I'm like Lion King. Hakuna Matata. Honestly, I don't. I just go out there and just continue to win. ... Win my reps, win my one on ones, win on blocking. That's about it.''
The reason Treadwell is in danger of getting cut is because he hasn't won enough reps over his first three seasons. The reason he might not be worrying is that $1.15 million of his $1.8 million salary is guaranteed whether he's in Minnesota or not.
By 4 p.m. ET, both former first-round picks could be cut, further highlighting the 2016 draft discrepancies.
