The Final 53: Final Guess

For so many the dream of professional football will end tomorrow. The final cut down will come and most will be polishiong their resume. A lucky feew will be asked back to the Practice squad, and I am sure some will end up going to the great white North or the Arena League. But some will never play a down of organized football again.

And some have already fallen, the Redskins released S Vernan Fox, TE Jason Goode, LB Matt Sinclair, WR Burl Toler, & DT Babatunde Oshinowo. No real surprises here. I thought Goodewas a candidate for the PS and Sinclair had a shot at a roster spot, but they both got injured and thus the Redskins moved on. I doubt highly any of them will be back for the opening day roster, even on PS. You don't get cut ion the first day of roster cuts and go back to your original team, it just does not happen.

So here is my final guess at a roster



Quarterback

Projected Roster Spots: 3

Projected Starter: Jason Campbell

Projected Bench: Todd Collins, Colt Brennan

Outside looking in:Derek Devine

The top three spots are cemented. Campbell will open the season as the starter. Collins will be there as a backup in case of injury, and Brennan will be the project QB inactive on game days. Devine did not even get to throw in yesterday's game, so I doubt he will even get a shot at the PS

Running Back

Projected Roster Spots: 4

Projected Starter:Clinton Portis

Projected Bench:Ladell Betts, Rock Cartwright, Marcus Mason

Another position that is pretty much set. Portis is your starter and Betts will come in to spell him on occasion. No kick returner emerged so rock will be the third RB/KR on game days. Mason will make the squad but will be the 4Th Rb, inactive on most game days, only activated if an injury happens to the top 3.

Tight End/Fullback

Projected Roster Spots: 4

Projected Starter: Chris Cooley & Mike Sellers

Projected Bench:Fred Davis, Todd Yoder

Outside Looking In:Nehemiah Broughton

Cooley will be the main TE and Sellers the main fullback. but in some sets you will see Fred Davis come in and pair with Cooley, especially in the end zone. Todd Yoderhas the versatility to back up both FB and TE and will do just that in case of injury.

Wide Receiver

Projected Roster Spots: 6

Projected Starter:Santana Moss, Antwaan Randle-El

Projected Bench:Devin Thomas, Malcolm Kelly, James Thrash, Billy McMullen

On the Bubble: Maurice Mann, Anthony Mix,

Outside Looking In:Horace Gant,

Santana Moss will start at Split End, Randle El will also at Flanker and thrash will be the thir wide revceiver. Thomas will also get some looks in 4 WR packages. The team may decide to IR Kelly but I think they will keep him around for a bit and let McMullen assume the 5th WR role. MAnn has a chance at a PS spot. MIx did nothing this pre-season to warrant roster consideration. Horace Gant could also get some PS looks.

Offensive Line

Projected Roster Spots: 9

Projected Starter:Chris Samuels, Pete Kendall, Casey Rabach, Randy Thomas, Jon Jansen

Projected Bench:Justin Geisinger, Chad Rinehart, Jason Fabini, Stephon Heyer

Outside Looking In: Devin Clark, Andrew Crumney, Todd Wade, Taveres Washington, Fred Matua

The starting five is set and with Heyer healthy he may see some snaps for Jansen who is not playing all that well and is also injured, again. Fabini, Rinehart, and Geisinger will round out the bench. I doubt Wade will be kept. He is expensive and can not stay healthy. Devin Clark and Andrew Crumney have great shots at PS spots.

Defensive Line

Projected Roster Spots: 9

Projected Starter:Jason Taylor, Kedric Golston, Cornelius Griffen, Andre Carter

Projected Bench:Anthony Montgomery, Lorenzo Alexander, Demetric Evans, Erasmus James, Chris Wilson

On the Bubble: Rob Jackson

Outside Looking In:Matthias Askew, Ryan Boschetti,

Injured reserve/PUP:Phillip Daniels, Alex Buzbee

The starting front four is set with Golston winning over Montgomery and Taylor, Carter, and Griffin rounding it out ...when healthy. and that is the key. With Jason Taylor's injury Speed rushers like James and Wilson now get a leg up over DT guys like Boschetti and Askew for that last roster spot. I still don't see either Rob Jackson or Ryan Boschetti getting final roster spots. Jackson will go on the PS and Boschetti will probably not make the squad. Then again I have been saying that for 4 years.

Projected Roster Spots: 6

Projected Starter: Rocky McIntosh, London Fletcher-Baker, Marcus Washington

Projected Bench:Khary Campbell, HB Blades, Alfred Fincher

Outside Looking In:Curtis Gatewood, Danny Vernun-WHeedler, David Holloway

The starrtersare set with Rocky, Marcus, and London. Blades and Campbell will be the main backups. With Sinclair's injury and the monster game Fincher had, he played himself onto the squad last night. Gatewood, Wheeler, and Holloway have shots at 2 ps spots as well.

Cornerbacks

Projected Roster Spots: 5

Projected Starter:Shawn Springs, Fred Smoot

Projected Bench:Carlos Rogers, Justin Tryon, Leigh Torrence

On the Bubble:Matteral Richardson, Byron Westbrook

Outside Looking In:Cedrick Holt

Join me in prayer that our top 3 CBs stay healthy because we are lost outside of them at this position. Torrence is just OPK and Tryon is horrible. Tryon should not make an NFL roster but a team needs 5 cbs and there is no one underneath him that is worthit. Possibility of a vet getting signed that is cut from another team exists highly. Westbrook and Richardson could go on the PS, mainly for numbers for practice.

Safety

Projected Roster Spots: 4

Projected Starter: Reed Doughty, Laron Landry,

Projected Bench: Kareem Moore, Chris Horton

On the Bubble: Justin Hamilton,

Outside looking In: Patrick Ghee,

Doughty had a nice game and probably will start the season opener but I find it interesting that Moore did not play last week. Usually it is starters that are given the week off and I wonder if the team is looking at Moore in to be paired with Landry at some point. Horton is raw but he is athletic as well. Hamilton has a great shot at the PS as the 5th Safety in case of injury.

Special Teams

Projected Roster Spots: 3

Projected Starter:Sean Suisham (k), Durant Brooks (p), Ethan Albright (ls)

On the Bubble: Derrick Frost

Frost had the better pre-season but Brooks has more potential. And you don waste a draft pick on a punter to put him on the ps (and you don't put punters or kickers on the ps).

I think Brooks gets the edge as frost has shown he really chokes in the clutch.

Projected Practice Squad:

Rob Holloway (LB), Maurice Mann (WR), Tavares Washington (OL), Andrew Crumney (OL), Curtis Gatewood (LB), Matteral Richardson (CB), Rob Jackson (DE), justin Hamilton (S)

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