Predicting the final 53

[FrenchSkin]

Originally Posted by Chief X_Phackter

Here's my prediction for the final 53. Not a lot of surprises, but a couple difficult decisions.

Offense - 26
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, Taylor Heinicke, Kyle Allen
RB Antonio Gibson, J.D. McKissic, Jaret Patterson, Peyton Barber
WR Terry McLaurin, Dyami Brown, Antonio Gandy-Golden, Curtis Samuel, Cam Sims, Adam Humphries, DeAndre Carter
TE Logan Thomas, John Bates, Sammis Reyes
OL Charles Leno Jr., Cornelius Lucas, Wes Schweitzer, Ereck Flowers, Chase Roullier, Brandon Scherff, Sam Cosmi, Saahdiq Charles, Tyler Larsen

Defense - 24
DE Chase Young, Montez Sweat, James Smith-Williams, Shaka Toney
DT Jonathan Allen, Matt Ioannidis, Daron Payne, Tim Settle
LB Jamin Davis, Cole Holcomb, Khaleke Hudson, Jon Bostic, David Mayo
DB Kendall Fuller, Jimmy Moreland, Landon Collins, Kamren Curl, Bobby McCain, William Jackson III, Benjamin St-Juste, Torry McTyer, Deshazor Everett, Jeremy Reaves, Troy Apke

ST - 3
Dustin Hopkins, Tress Way, Camaron Cheeseman
Returning kicks/punts - DeAndre Carter, Jaret Patterson


A couple notes:
OL - We are finally rid of the Wes Martin experiment. Larsen wins the backup Center job. I feel like the OL is full of starting caliber players.

WR - I wanted to keep Milne, but there's just no room. Carter wins the last WR spot due to his return abilities.

TE - I chose Sammis over Ricky based solely on potential. It's a toss-up to me.

DB - I struggled with the decision between Apke and Johnson. It is obvious to me that the coaches feel more comfortable with Apke than Johnson in the secondary. Johnson is a solid ST player, but it appears (at least in the eyes of the coaches) that Apke offers more overall. Hopefully he doesn't actually see the field much as a Corner - but you could probably say that about both of them.

I have the same Offense/Defense/ST break down (26/24/3), with some slight differences.
Mainly I think there's no way we keep Apke over impressive rookie Darrick Forrest.
Maybe David Bada makes the team and Reaves doesn't though ?

I keep the exact same Olinemen as you, because I think Schweitzer, Lucas and Charles are quality backups with a lot of versatility and the rest of the back ups were horrible in PS. I also have Larsen over Ismael not because of a huge talent difference, but because you need one ready to go back up center, and I'm not sure Ismael is.

26
QB: Fitz, Heinicke, Allen
RB: Gibson, Barber, McKissick, Patterson
OL: Leno, Flowers, Roullier, Scherff, Cosmi, Charles, Schweitzer, Lucas, Larsen
TE: Thomas, Bates, Reyes
WR: McLaurin, Samuel, Brown, Humphries, Cam Sims, AGG, Carter

24
DL: Young, Payne, Allen, Sweat, William-Smith, Ioannidis, Settle, Toney (+Bada by cutting Reaves?)
LB: Holcomb, Davis, Bostic, Hudson, Mayo (god... we have no depth there, maybe Jared Norris makes the team over Mayo... who knows, who cares...)
DB: WJ3, Fuller, Collins, Curl, Moreland, St Juste, McTyer, McCain, Forrest, Everett, Reaves (might get cut if Bada makes the team?)

3
P Way
K Hopkins...?
LS Cheeseman