53
 

See how many we get right.

QB - Brees, Griffin
RB - Ingram, Robinson, Thomas, Cadet
FB - Lorig
WR - Colston, Stills, Cooks, Meachem, Toon, Coleman
TE - Graham, Watson, Hill, Jacobs
OT - Strief, Armstead, Harris
OG - Evans, Grubbs, Jones
C - Goodwin, Lelito

DE - Jordan, Hicks, Foster, Walker, Johnson
DT - Bunkley, Jenkins, Deaderick
OLB - Galette, Haralson, Powell, Fortt
ILB - Lofton, Hawthorne, Reddick, Humber
CB - Lewis, Robinson, White, Baptiste
S - Vaccaro, Byrd, Bush, Sunseri, Ball

K - Graham
P - Morstead
LS - Drescher

PS - Warren, Armstrong, Rooks, Flanders, Dixon, Jones, Uko, Edebali.

Champ has a shot. I just doubt it.
Butler just can't get healthy.
Rufus is on the bubble. Could have went with Dawson. Or both could be gone in favor of Bailey or Sweeting.
Went with 4 CB's because Vaccaro, Sunseri, Ball and Bush can all drop down in coverage.
Coleman will make the 53 or go on IR.
Jacobs has a legit shot to stay with his blocking but could also slide to the PS in favor of another position.
Rooks can beat out Harris if he shows he's ready. Harris a a leg up with his experience.
Jones can play G/T that's why I gave him the edge over the rest.
I can also see a real possibilty of a veteran WR and/or OLB being brought in.

Re: 53
 

We keep 5 corners and 5 safeties: Lewis, White, Robinson, Bailey, Baptiste; Byrd, Vaccaro, Bush, Ball, Warren

Re: 53
 

QB - Brees, McCown, Griffin
HB -Thomas, Ingram, Robinson, Cadet
FB - Lorig
WR - Colston, Stills, Cooks, Toon, Tanner, Morgan
TE - Graham, Watson, Hill
T - Armstead, Strief, Harris
G - Grubbs, Evans, Kelemete
C - Lelito, Goodwin

DE - Jordan, Hicks, Foster, Walker, R. Johnson
DT - Bunkley, Jenkins
ILB - Lofton, Hawthorne, Humber, Reddick
OLB - Galette, Haralson, Butler, Fortt
CB - Lewis, Robinson, Bailey, White, Jean-Baptiste
S - Byrd, Vaccaro, Bush, Warren, Ball
K - Dimke
P - Morstead
LS - Drescher

PS - Sunseri, Flanders, Armstrong, Uko, Coleman, Powell, Virgil, Edebali
IR - Rooks, Hamm


Thoughts:

- I really like Griffin long-term but you know McCown could win us games if you-know-what happened. You don't want to go throwing a guy with no regular season experience in at QB in the middle of a playoff race.

- Cadet seemed to be on the bubble before, but Payton/Brees etc. keep talking about him so I think they have a role in mind.

- I think they could actually go with 5 WR's instead of the 6 I listed, with Hill being something of a WR/TE tweener anyway. But I like Tanner as a reliable kind of veteran presence in case of emergency. He would probably come and go all year.

- I toyed around with trying to keep Deaderick, but Walker and Hicks can both play inside if need be so it seemed unnecessary.

- Inside linebackers don't inspire me, but they're solid enough where major changes aren't needed. I'm not sure why Fortt is suddenly considered an OLB unless they're thinking of him as a weak side guy in 43 lineups. If you consider Rufus Johnson a hybrid guy who can play OLB in 34 downs and an edge DE in 43, that group looks much better.

- Hard for me to see Bailey not making the team as Ryan will look for a way to use his ballhawking in the slot. I like Bailey and White to pretty evenly split playing time as the third corner. Baptiste coming in to spell Lewis/Robinson when we have a nice safe lead.

- These safeties are going to have to play special teams, especially on kick coverage because the corners and wide receivers won't be as much. From what I've seen and heard Ball should be a good STer and that edges him ahead of Sunseri. I would've liked to keep Sunseri as well, but Warren's range and ball skills are hard to pass on.

- I think Dimke wins out at kicker but Loomis probably keeps Graham on his speed dial just in case.

Re: 53
 

Great list. I think you might have nailed it.

But just so I'm not copying your list...

I think Jacob slides to practice squad, like you mentioned, to make room for Bailey.
And I think Warren makes it over Sunseri.

Re: 53
 

QB - Brees, , Griffin, Mcnown
HB -Thomas, Ingram, Robinson, Cadet
FB - Lorig
WR - Colston, Stills, Cooks, Toon, Meachem, Coleman
TE - Graham, Watson, Hill
T - Armstead, Strief, Harris
G - Grubbs, Evans, Kelemete
C - Lelito, Goodwin

DE - Jordan, Hicks, Foster, Walker, R. Johnson
DT - Bunkley, Jenkins
ILB - Lofton, Hawthorne, Humber, Reddick
OLB - Galette, Haralson, Butler, Fortt
CB - Lewis, Robinson, Sweeting, White, Jean-Baptiste
S - Byrd, Vaccaro, Bush, Warren, Ball
K - Dimke
P - Morstead
LS - Drescher

PS - Sunseri, Flanders, Armstrong, Uko, Powell, Virgil, Edebali

Re: 53
 

The ones who think Sunseri won't make the squad are kidding themselves. First of all, he's the third best safety on the team. Secondly, Warren will easily make the PS. With all things being eqaul, i.e. they hadn't paid Bush alot of money, Bush would be gone before the two of them. So, Bush and Sunseri make the squad and Warren easily makes the PS.

Re: 53
 

I like your list. I see Sunseri making the 53 though. We will carry more secondary players than usual I believe. There is just too much talent to risk losing them from the PS.

Re: 53
 

Let me watch tonight and get back to you. :doh: