CheramieIII

I agree with your picks D and I would add Jones and or possibly Phillips. I think they will keep one on the PS just in case because I don't know why they kept Thomas.

ScottF

Now that the cuts have been clarified, we can look at the roster closely and summarize the posts

There are more than a few surprises:

1) 4 TE's --did one of these guys show something on ST that helped them make the team? I don't recall any of them ever lining up at fullback

2) 9 defensive lineman-- Boykin and Ninkovich both make it, as well as Cooper

3) Dhani Jones goes, Fincher stays (and 9 DLmen)

4) Pittman goes, Stecker stays (and 4 TE's)

5) Craft & Thomas both make it-- after last year's "big play-wrong way" DB's let us down, both making it is a surprise, especially with the young guys we brought in

6) Bellamy beats out Reis- 10 year age difference, and Reis is versatile, including as a LS

RockyMtnSaint

1) 4 TE's --did one of these guys show something on ST that helped them make the team? I don't recall any of them ever lining up at fullback
4 TEs is definitely surprising to me. I really can't think of any way to explain this one.

2) 9 defensive lineman-- Boykin and Ninkovich both make it, as well as Cooper
Same. Specifically I didn't expect them to keep 5 DTs.

3) Dhani Jones goes, Fincher stays (and 9 DLmen)
This one's not really that surprising. If you had told me before training camp started that it was going to go down this way, I'd have said you were crazy. But after watching them play in the preseason, Jones never picked up the system and Fincher elevated his game. So this was no surprise to me.

4) Pittman goes, Stecker stays (and 4 TE's)
Again, nobody expected this at the beginning of training camp but Stecker and P. Thomas made themselves uncuttable. Pittman struggled but played well enough to stay on the team if Pierre hadn't come along. Cutting Pittman sends the team a message that Payton's talk of "we'll keep the best 53" was more than lip service.

5) Craft & Thomas both make it-- after last year's "big play-wrong way" DB's let us down, both making it is a surprise, especially with the young guys we brought in
The real surprise is that nobody we have brought in stepped up and took the job away from either of these two. Freddie T is still listed as a starter but that might not be accurate yet. Now that the roster is set, I'm curious to see how the depth chart shakes out.

6) Bellamy beats out Reis- 10 year age difference, and Reis is versatile, including as a LS
Bellamy is like the Energizer bunny. I'm amazed he made the team but he played well in preseason and he's good veteran leadership, much like Freddie T at corner.

I'll add one more
7) Lance Moore making the team. I love the guy's attitude. He just worked his tail off, picked up the system, caught nearly every ball thrown his way and didn't goof up. He is the very definition of a "Payton player". He became uncuttable. He's got to be the feel-good story of this TC, similar to Colston last year.

FireVenturi

i agree 100% with pittman being cut, i said that after the bengals game. He hasn't had any burst when running and well ya'll see how he picks up the blitz(or lack thereof)!

NarwhalHunter

I think it shows a ton of sand on part of Loomis and Payton to cut Pittman, especially since they moved up to get him early in the fourth. Still, I'd rather see us cut bait and keep the guy who can actually play in Pierre Thomas than keep dead weight on the roster just because he was a mid round draft pick. That's the kind of thinking Haz did and look where it got us. Same thing with Lance Moore and Mike Hass last year; Moore just proved he was hungrier and willing to do anything necessary for the team.

Not too surprised to see late rounders Jones and Mitchell go, let's face it, they ain't all going to be Colston. I'm pretty sure they'll make the PS. Jones is raw, in a season or two he might be a good nickel option but looks like experience wins out over youth in the backfield for now. Mitchell will probably make a good two-down thumper but there wasn't room for him with Simoneau and Simmons both on the roster. I still think Fincher has decent upside, and the coaches must see something we don't. Not too shocked at all the DTs left, just lets all the fat boys keep their wind a little better. Really the only head scratcher for me is all the tight ends, makes me wonder if coach has ideas for some wacky formations up his sleeve. Anyone ever hear of a 4 TE set?