Several players have already been cut this week to get the Raiders under the 75-player limit and more are on the way as Saturday is the deadline for teams to finalize their 53-man rosters. Tonights final pre-season game against the Seahawks is a last chance for some players on the bubble to stake their claim for a place in the team:
- Notable cuts this past week are QB Jeff Otis, DE Kevin Huntley, WR Johnnie Morant, WR Doug Gabriel, OT Albert Toeaina, SS Colin Branch, DT Jared Clauss, WR Lauren Williams, CB Levonne Rowan, WR Rich Parson and OT Torrin Tucker.
The most surprising is perhaps Kevin Huntley who started training camp as the first choice RE, but has been outplayed in training camp and pre-season by rookies Quentin Moses and Jay Richardson and has lost the starting spot to the versatile Tommy Kelly, who started at DT last season.
Here comes my predicted 53-man roster, with projected starters in bold and locks in italic:
- QB (3): Daunte Culpepper, Josh McCown, Andrew Walter.
- RB (3): LaMont Jordan, Justin Fargas, Adimchinobe Echemandu.
- FB (2): Justin Griffith, Oren O'Neal.
- WR(5): Jerry Porter, Ron Curry, Johnnie Lee Higgins, Mike Williams, Travis Taylor.
- TE(3): Zach Miller, John Madsen, Tony Stewart.
- OL(9): Barry Sims, Robert Gallery, Jeremy Newberry, Cooper Carlisle, Cornell Green, Mario Henderson, Paul McQuistan, Jake Grove, Kevin Boothe.
- DL (9): Derrick Burgess, Terdell Sands, Warren Sapp, Tommy Kelly, Quentin Moses, Jay Richardson, Gerard Warren, Anttaj Hawthorne, Chris Clemons.
- LB (5): Sam Williams, Kirk Morrison, Thomas Howard, Robert Thomas, Ricky Brown.
- CB (6): Nnamdi Asomugha, Fabian Washington, Stanford Routt, Chris Carr, John Bowie, Chris Johnson.
- S (5): Michael Huff, Stuart Schweigert, Donovin Darius, B.J. Ward, Eric Frampton.
- ST(3): P Shane Lechler, K Sebastian Janikowski, LS Jon Condo.
Notes:
- QB: JaMarcus Russell still hasn't signed his contract and there's been no news to suggest he will anytime soon but when he does it's likely that Andrew Walter will be traded or cut.
- RB: Dominic Rhodes will serve a 4-game suspension at the start of the season and won't count against the 53-man roster until week 5, Michael Bush will either start the season on PUP or IR and won't be activated to the roster until at least week 7, if at all.
- With so many players on the bubble it's difficult to project a roster without changing your mind a few times. I tried to allow for flexibility with the players chosen, for example only 5 LB's are in the roster but DE/LB Clemons can also play OLB and the Raiders will use the big nickel as one of their primary defenses so 3 safety's will be starting a lot of the time, hence having 5 on the roster.
Correction: In the last blog I said that Crockett started the first 3 pre-season games at FB, and although he was announced as the starter in the 49ers game, Justin Griffith actually started that one.
Thats all for now, thanks for reading and please leave comments with your thoughts on my projected roster and what changes you would make.
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9 comments:
I agree with almost everything, I had the same DL and LB Corps with Clemons as a LB (who's played very well with high energy the entire preseason) on the final 53. The one difference on mine is having 10 OL (Mark Wilson or Chad Slaughter makes it as a back-up OT - I'm pretty sure after teams make their final cuts, we might pick somebody up to replace them though) and only 5 CB (Bowie and Chris Johnson to the Practice Squad, Starks makes it as the only veteran back-up) because of that same Big Nickel deal - we can use Huff as a DB.
The thing I debate is whether Crockett makes it instead of Fargas as the Rhodes substitution for the first four games - Jordan couldn't get it in three times on the Goaline and fumbled, and Crockett is a great short yardage back. Oren O'Neal is too good to put on waivers for the practice squad, and he looks like our best pure blocker and he's got some upside as a reciever, so I wouldn't want to get rid of him - his low salary makes him a good deal as well for the Cap. Fargas is easily our worst RB, and Echemandu has proven he belongs, so I might have Jordan, Crockett, Echemandu going in to the season as our RB's with Griffith and O'Neal as our FB's. Decisions will have to be made after Game 4 - personally, I wouldn't have signed Rhodes - his 3.3 yards per carry during the regular season didn't warrant a 2 year 7.5 million dollar contract - it was one of our first signings, and it seemed to inspire others to sign with us, so maybe it was necessary - if we can cut him, I'd cut him now with the emergence of Echemandu and Keep Crockett as a RB for another year - next year in the draft we can go after our "Reggie Bush" / change of pace back.
As I look at your "final roster", I see improvement particularily on offense at every position compared to last year. We will be better. Go Raiders!!
I'd also say that it's going to McCown, not Walter who gets cut because he's got two years left on his deal and McCown is gone after one - if DC does well this year, I wonder if we'd franchise him for a year so JRuss can have two years under his belt learning (like SD did with Phillip Rivers).
The reason I think Kiffin would keep McCown is he obviously fits the system much better than Walter, if Walter isn't good enough to keep in the system this year then why would he keep him around next year as well just because he's under contract? I think Kiffin wants the best team he can find and if McCown is the better backup I think he stays regardless of his contract length.
I agree there is a possibility of Crockett staying and Fargas getting cut, Kiffin said recently it was a possibility he'd keep Crockett, Griffith and O'Neal. Jordan has definitely struggled in short-yardage and there's a need for someone else to take those carries until Rhodes is back, that could be Crockett.
Oh and one more thing, I don't think 10 offensive linemen will make the roster because there's not a long snapper among them (Condo is the LS so I think Morris gets cut) and guys like McQuistan, Grove and Boothe can play multiple positions so that roster spot could go somewhere more useful.
Kuz says Raider On BIOCH see ya in chat tonite
Good analysis, DL. And I'm not saying that just 'cause we agree on almost everything.
Although Sapp has a 1 of the biggest mouths in the league, he might know something about Raider intentions. Meaning that there will be 8 on the D-line, and Clemons makes the roster as an LB or not at all.
Also question whether the Raiders will have 11 DB on the roster. Chris Johnson seems like the 1 most likely to get cut.
So who gets in? Carlos Francis? Probably not, but that's my pick for the "surprise"
Overall I agree with your assessment except:
Chris Johnson....think he has shown in last 2 games that he is nothing special.
Eric Frampton...impact collegiate player that does not translate to NFL.
I think Eugene and Bowie will make the 53. Bowie would never clear waivers.
I understand the undervalued status of FB's in the NFL, but the question is "who will clear waivers?" O'Neal WILL NOT, he is talented and CHEAP. Zac is a vested veteran, he will clear. We potentially can resign him after game 1 (if not claimed), and avoid paying his full salary.
If Ike's injury is severe, Brown definitely makes the roster. If not, there are questions. I truly want him to stick, he is quick and has a nose for the ball.
Overall, the improvement in team speed,attentiveness and execution makes me want to stand on my head and spit nickels!!!!!!!!!
oh, bear in mind.....even though Fargas appears to be ill suited for a zone block/1 cut system (my nick name for him is "burrow"....NOT a donkey misspell, just an indication of his running style)...he would never clear waivers either.
He would appear to be a prime candidate for a trade to recover some draft value.
It would be foolish (considering his history and in spite of his preseason performance) to waive Fargas and keep Joe.
The goal is to "cut less and trade more".
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