Final Roster Predictions

[Mr. Scot]

Keep a watch on the Jags. They may be releasing a reliable veteran long snapper in Joe Zelenka.

I'm not entirely sold on J J Jansen being the guy. He blew a couple snaps in preseason, though admittedly he's probably the cheaper option and that may factor into the final decision.

[Guild]

Keep a watch on the Jags. They may be releasing a reliable veteran long snapper in Joe Zelenka.

I'm not entirely sold on J J Jansen being the guy. He blew a couple snaps in preseason, though admittedly he's probably the cheaper option and that may factor into the final decision.

For the reason you stated I'm thinking Jansen is the LS this season.

[Mr. Scot]

Very possible. I'd prefer a vet option like Zelenka, but I'm not holding my breath.

[koolkatluke]

I think Hilee maybe gone and they keep 4 DE and 5 DT.

[Mr. Scot]

Thought of that but didn't go that route because Brayton is a hybrid.

[Guild]

Thought of that but didn't go that route because Brayton is a hybrid.

Ah that is how we are going to keep Hilee on the team.

[ncbobcat]

I think Hilee is gone too.

[Mr. Scot]

So does Gantt. I'd have to say he didn't show much this preseason, so it's possible. But he showed up in the regular season last year and he fits Ron Meeks scheme. Guess we'll see.

[panthersphan]

Our CBs suck.

[Mr. Scot]

Per an article from Gantt, Kelvin Smith is practice squad eligible.

[Mr. Scot]

Analyzing...

ACTIVE ROSTER

QB Jake Delhomme

QB Josh McCown

QB Matt Moore (I)

Not a lot of explanation needed here. I just don't see us getting any outside replacements anywhere on the QB depth chart.

Correct, and kind of a no-brainer.

RB DeAngelo Williams

RB Jonathan Stewart

RB Mike Goodson

FB Brad Hoover

FB Tony Fiammetta

While I believe they'll keep five backs, I don't necessarily believe all five will be active on gameday. The obvious choice for deactivation would be Fiammetta since Goodson would be needed for returns (and as insurance for Stewart). In the above scheme though, I have all five active.

The wild card here is Stewart's health, which at this point no one knows for sure about. If, God forbid, Stewart had to be put on IR, then I believe Birmingham or an outside pickup would take the number three role and likely be inactive on gamedays.

Add in Tyrell Sutton, who may fit in to the possibility of the highlighted part above.

WR Steve Smith

WR Muhsin Muhammad

WR Kenneth Moore

WR Dwayne Jarrett (I)

Haven't previously bought into the notion that Dwayne Jarrett would be kept and deactivated, but I acknowledge the possibility now. Mike Goodson essentially becomes the fourth receiver on game days in that setup. I had us keeping a fifth (inactive) receiver who would be deactivated instead, but it's clear now that there are greater need elsewhere.

Remains to be seen if Jarrett will be active or not

TE Jeff King

TE Gary Barnidge

TE Dante Rosario (I)

Although I have him listed here, I could still see Rosario being out via trade or release. But whether its him or someone else in the third TE spot, I believe they could be inactive because while the team loves its two tight end sets, Fiammetta could conceivably fill the reserve role.

If, on the flipside, they choose to activate all three TEs, then it's Fiammetta who sits. The likelihood of Fiammetta being active or inactive could depend somewhat on whether the third TE is Rosario or a scrub.

Right on the list, no on the trade speculation, we'll see on the active/inactive

C Ryan Kalil

C Justin Geisinger

G Travelle Wharton

G Keydrick Vincent

G Mackenzy Bernadeau

G Duke Robinson (I)

T Jordan Gross

T Jeff Otah

T ------------ (I)

This is where I start to differ from Gantt. I kept Geisinger, but not Schwartz. I have him replaced by an outsider. Gantt has it flip-flopped from me. Could go either way, I think, but I picked the guy with a little more experience and versatility. Robinson sits because unlike the other backups, he only plays one spot.

Schwartz made it over Geisinger. Hands up from anyone who predicted Garry Williams making it (put your hands down; you're lying). I can at least lay claim to the third tackle being "unexpected" (like that means anything). Granted he could just be an inactive placeholder until Mark Jones or another vet comes aboard.

DT Damione Lewis

DT Louis Leonard

DT ------------

DT Corvey Irvin (I)

DE Julius Peppers

DE Tyler Brayton

DE Charles Johnson

DE Everette Brown

DE Hilee Taylor

I still think we'll end up with one more DT. Whether Leonard starts and new guy rotates or new guys starts and Leonard rotates depends a lot on who new guy is. I kept Hilee Taylor and activated him over Irvin because Brayton can also play tackle. Truthfully, it could just as easily be Taylor who sits (if he indeed stays).

I think Irvin would have stayed over Hayden had he been healthy enough. I was certain we'd see another tackle and now we have Sonny Harris.

MLB Jon Beason

MLB Dan Connor

SLB Na'il Diggs

SLB James Anderson

SLB Jeremy Leman (I)

WLB Thomas Davis

WLB Landon Johnson

So why seven linebackers? Because we have two guys that went through the entire preseason with health concerns. If not for that, I probably would have let go of Anderson because, as has been mentioned, Johnson costs more to cut than to keep and Leman would have been cheaper at a spot that could easily have been deactivated anyway.

About everyboody and their mother thought Leman made it based on hustle and the fact that our LBs were banged up. Big surprise there.

SS Chris Harris

SS Quinton Teal

FS Charles Godfrey

FS Dante Wesley

FS Sherrod Martin (I)

Yes, I also believe - obviously - that we'll be using Wesley and Martin as safeties. You may or may not like it, but it does make some sense as opposed to parting with a draft pick in Martin or Munnerlyn or a decent backup in Wilson.

Kept all the right people, but the depth chart still isn't updated. At the moment it lists no backup for Chris Harris. I think Teal is better suited for that than Wesley or Martin (who I think will be inactive anyway).

CB Chris Gamble

CB Richard Marshall

CB C.J. Wilson

CB Captain Munnerlyn

Definitely keep Munnerlyn, but I'm not handing him the nickel slot yet. With that said, in both talent and versatility I believe he's proved himself more worthy of activation than Sherrod Martin (at least for now).

Official depth chart still lists Wesley and Martin here, though it seems more likely at least one becomes a full time safety (maybe both).

P Jason Baker

K John Kasay

K Rhys Lloyd

LS J.J. Jansen

Like QB, not a lot to say here. However, I still think if a decent LS becomes available via cuts that Jansen could be replaced.

Again, a no-brainer.

As far as special teams duties, I see it like this:

PR Captain Munnerlyn, Kenneth Moore

KR Mike Goodson, Dante Rosario (if active, otherwise K Moore, maybe Jonathan Stewart if healthy)

H Jason Baker (McCown could see some work here too).

If Mark Jones becomes healthy enough to sign, this changes.

PRACTICE SQUAD:

QB Hunter Cantwell (maybe)

RB Decori Birmingham

WR Marcus Monk (maybe)

OL Patrick Brown (or possibly Keith Gray)

OL -------------

DL Marlon Favorite

LB Mortty Ivy (maybe)

CB -------------

Could see outside cuts will fill as much as half of the practice squad.

Only ot Cantwell and Ivy here, but later predicted Smith and he made it too. Hypolite made it over Favorite. So far only two other teamers, but one spot left which could go to an other teamer or to Garry Williams if he's released for a healthy Mark Jones.

Overall did decent, I guess. Couple of things nobody predicted.

We'll see how the inactives go next week.

[Rello]

I hope we keep Taylor. Why release him when he has so much potential and when there's a huge possibility that Pep will leave us next yr?