Throughout the preseason, NFL teams are allowed to carry 90 players on their roster. It allows teams to bring in younger players to compete for spots on the roster. During this time, you’ll hear great stories from players, and when they make the roster, it’ll make headlines. But it doesn’t always work out for everyone.

Yesterday, the NFL deadline for all 32 teams to trim their active rosters to 53 players took place. That meant that hundreds of aspiring NFL players lost their jobs and were told the news that they’d been cut. It’s a joyous day for some, but a sad day for many.

NFL teams are allowed to carry 16 players on their practice squad, so some players are kept around, but for others it’s time to move on to the next chapter. During this process, there are always surprise cuts that no one anticipated. Naturally, the same thing happened during yesterday’s deadline. Here are seven players who were cut from their teams yesterday, which were surprising moves.

Justin Joly – Denver Broncos

Being a rookie doesn’t guarantee your roster spot, but it gives you a greater chance of making the team. Which is why, when the Denver Broncos decided to cut their fifth-round pick, Justin Joly, it was a bit surprising.

Denver decided to keep four tight ends on the roster in Evan Engram, Nate Adkins, Adam Trautman and Dallen Bentley.

Joly, a product of NC State, scored an 88-yard touchdown for the Broncos in their final preseason game against Minnesota. That did not guarantee a spot at all, but it sure seemed like it’d boost his chances. What makes the decision even more interesting is that the team traded up to select Joly back in April.

Reality is, Joly was a raw player coming out of college. The Broncos had good tight end depth, so they went with other options. Joly will likely be a favorite for the Broncos’ practice squad if he clears waivers.

Lewis Bond – Houston Texans

Something interesting that happened on Sunday was the number of rookies who got cut. Now, Lewis Bond was a sixth-round rookie, but it was surprising to see the Houston Texans move on already. What makes this move surprising is that the Texans need all the receiver help they can get. Second-year receiver Jayden Higgins went down with a torn ACL last week, meaning the team is limited in that area.

Houston traded for New England receiver Kayshon Boutte to help with that issue and kept Nico Collins, Xavier Hutchinson, Jaylin Noel and Jared Wayne. A total of five, but it’s expected that Tank Dell will come back from the injured reserve at some point this season, making it six.

The move isn’t surprising for Houston, as the team has waived multiple day-3 draft picks in recent memory. Houston hopes to get the same players back on the practice squad if they clear waivers, but that’s not guaranteed. It’s a gamble Houston is willing to take with Bond.

Cian Slone – Las Vegas Raiders

It was a long shot for Las Vegas Raiders edge Cian Slone to make the team, but the undrafted rookie made quite the impression. Slone impressed throughout training camp and showed promise every time he was on the field. His sack in the first week of the preseason against Arizona showed he had some promise in his game.

Even when Slone wasn’t making plays on the field, his effort and hustle were always there. He gave vibes of a young Maxx Crosby, just attacking every day with maximum effort. The issue with Slone is he’s a bit undersized to be a true edge player in the NFL, but throughout the preseason he showed he can hang.

What makes this move even more surprising is the Raiders losing their third-round draft pick, Keyron Crawford, to a season-ending ankle injury, as they placed him on the injured reserve list. Las Vegas desperately needs a pass rush outside of Crosby, so they had a young player showing promise throughout training camp. The decision to cut them was just a tad confusing.

Jarquez Hunter – Miami Dolphins

The NFL is a tough business, and players learn that the hard way. The Miami Dolphins traded for Jarquez Hunter days before the 53-man deadline, forcing him to move across the country from Los Angeles to Miami. Well, the Dolphins decided to cut Hunter on Sunday, keeping three running backs in De’Von Achane, Ollie Gordon II and Jaylen Wright.

Like every player who gets cut from their team, there is a chance for them to be picked back up on the practice squad. It’s not surprising that Hunter got let go, just not expected. The whole idea of trading for a player, then cutting them days later is usually a head-scratcher, and this one is.

Jaydon Blue – Dallas Cowboys

If you’re a Texas fan for college football, this one surprises you. In college, Jaydon Blue was a playmaker in both the run and pass games, thanks to his burst out of the backfield. No one will know the real reason or how the Dallas Cowboys truly felt about Blue, but there were character concerns about him during the pre-draft process.

The reality may be that Blue just wasn’t good enough to make the Cowboys’ roster, but others have pointed to his talent not being enough to overcome the off-the-field issues. What makes it even more interesting is that the Cowboys need running-back depth beyond Javonte Williams. The only other back they have is Malik Davis, which suggests those character issues are the reason.

It’s unclear whether the Cowboys will put Blue on the practice squad, but he should find a new home willing to take a shot on his talent.

Greg Dortch – Detroit Lions

Projections don’t matter, and the NFL reminds us of that every single year. Greg Dortch was projected to be the Detroit Lions’ fourth wide receiver and handle some returning duties on special teams. Dortch spent the last five seasons with Arizona before signing with Detroit this offseason. He has experience with new Lions offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, which signaled that he’d be safe on the Lions roster.

Detroit made some interesting decisions on the roster as a whole, keeping five running backs with four receivers total. Now it’s just the initial 53-man roster, so changes will no doubt be made throughout the season, but releasing the veteran Dortch wasn’t on many Lions fans’ bingo cards on Sunday.

Jake Browning – Tampa Bay Buccaneers

It’s not necessarily surprising for backup quarterbacks to get released, but for Jake Browning, the spot was his to lose. We all love undrafted free-agent stories, and for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they have one in rookie Jalon Daniels winning the job to backup Baker Mayfield.

But there are always two sides to the story, and with Daniels winning the job, it means Jake Browning was let go. This move is more surprising given that Browning lost the job due to his experience in the league and what he can bring to a quarterback room. Tampa Bay clearly felt that Daniels was the better choice for the team, so they went in that direction.

Quarterbacks are valuable in this league, especially backups. Browning will likely find himself on another of Tampa’s practice squads if given the opportunity.