Seven NFL players who will be missed by their fans after deadline day cuts

With the NFL season beginning Thursday, this weekend was the final chance for teams to trim their rosters down to 53 players. Before Saturday's deadline passed, some fan favorites were left looking for a new team, including Tim Tebow and Devon Still.

Among the more than 700 players cut this weekend, here are seven that may take a while for fans to get over.

Tim Tebow, Philadelphia Eagles

The 2007 Heisman winner was expected to snag the number three quarterback spot for the Eagles after a year off in the broadcast booth. This weekend, though, coach Chip Kelly said his throwing accuracy didn't quite stack up.

"He worked extremely hard on it and deserves a lot of credit for that," Kelly said. "We felt Tim has progressed, but we didn't feel he was good enough to be the (No.) 3 right now."

Steve Weatherford, New York Giants

The punter became beloved by fans during the 2011 post-season, when his performance helped the team win Super Bowl championship rings. His farewell video, posted Friday, already has more than 100,000 views on YouTube.

Devon Still, Cinncinati Bengals

The Bengals community rallied around Still last season as his daughter Leah, now 5, fought an aggressive form of cancer with a smile on her face. Still appeared at the ESPYS to accept an award for Leah, who was not well enough to travel. He continues to post about his daughter's treatment on his Instagram page, where he thanked the Bengals this weekend.

"Have nothing but love for the Bengals organization and the city of Cincinnati," he wrote. "Both helped me through one of the darkest times of my life and I am forever grateful. It's time to move forward and see what's next."

Darnell Dockett, San Francisco 49ers

Fans of the 49ers were hoping to get a boost on the defensive side with veteran lineman Dockett, and things were looking up after he was guaranteed $2 million by the team. When he was cut after all, Dockett took it in stride, tweeting that he wasn't bothered.

Matt Cassel, Buffalo Bills

Tebow wasn't the only quarterback who got cut. Buffalo Bills QB Cassel, who had just moved there during the off-season, was released in favor of less experienced quarterbacks. The team wrote on their website that the change would help with their salary cap.

"Most prognosticators thought the veteran Matt Cassel would win the job over a pair of unproven and less experienced quarterbacks," a statement read. "Things turned out a whole lot different."

Charles James II, Houston Texans

The most surprising cut yet unsurprising cut for the Texans is cornerback Charles James. He became a fan favorite through his popularity on the show Hard Knocks, an HBO docu-series following Texans hopefuls. James played both defense and offense in the preseason, but the Texans are loaded at cornerback and let him go.

James tweeted that he was grateful for the chance to try out before being signed to the Baltimore Ravens practice squad.

Brenton Bersin, Carolina Panthers

This wide receiver was included on a list of "five standouts" by the team just hours before he was cut from the roster. Bersin made history for his alma mater last season by becoming the first Wofford player since Panthers owner/founder Jerry Richardson to play an NFL game. The Charlotte native may still get a chance to play this season, as he was signed to the team's practice squad.

The Associated Press and ESPN contributed to this report.