Is there a scenario in which we get to keep Byrd?

[Sam Mills Fan]

Because I'm just not seeing it. There are too many players guaranteed slots all over the roster and the TD suspension and o-line issues are going to force us to keep at least one or two guys that normally would have been cut. 

This really sucks. I can see Byrd being a Top 10 returner in the league within a couple of years and being in the top half of receivers. I just can't see any roster with him on it that makes sense.

[thefuzz]

I can't see it, but crazier things have happened.

[Raleigh PF]

If Williams is put on IR, I can see Byrd getting a spot. 

[OneBadCat]

Yeah we just keep him 

[countryboi]

i think we keep him because he has been our best return man....special teams is what keeps him on the roster

[CarolinaSamurai]

17 minutes ago, countryboi said:

i think we keep him because he has been our best return man....special teams is what keeps him on the roster

This. Every other guy they've tried out there has looked real bad. Byrd is the only one who looked like he knew what he was doing. Remember guys make the squad on special teams value. 

[Sam Mills Fan]

18 minutes ago, countryboi said:

i think we keep him because he has been our best return man....special teams is what keeps him on the roster

If they only plan on him doing returns, even though I agree he's been the best, do they waste a roster spot on him when most of the other receivers plus McCaffrey can all return as well?

[countryboi]

4 minutes ago, Sam Mills Fan said:

If they only plan on him doing returns, even though I agree he's been the best, do they waste a roster spot on him when most of the other receivers plus McCaffrey can all return as well?

I dont think he is a complete waste he has some value at WR

[CarolinaSamurai]

5 minutes ago, Sam Mills Fan said:

If they only plan on him doing returns, even though I agree he's been the best, do they waste a roster spot on him when most of the other receivers plus McCaffrey can all return as well?

Do they return well though? Does DJ run backwards? No one looked good doing returns except him. It's a 3rd of the game and you want to win there more than just throwing out anyone. 

[Sam Mills Fan]

20 minutes ago, stbugs said:

TD being suspended isn’t an issue. He doesn’t count so we have an extra LBer spot and that person likely gets cut or PS’d when Davis is back. 

I honestly didn't realize that. In that case, the following could work:

QB: Cam/Heinicke

RB: CMC/Anderson/CAP/Barner (I'll miss you Elijah Hood!)

FB: Armah

WR: Moore/Funchess/Samuel/Byrd/Wright/Smith

O Line: Kalil 1/Kalil 2/Williams/Moton/Van Roten/Amini/Turner/Mahon/Larsen/Sirles

TE: Olsen/Thomas/Manhertz

DE: Pep/Addison/Horton/Haynes

DT: Short/Poe/Love/Butler (although I'd prefer Norton or Cox over Butler tbh)

LB: Kuechly/Shaq/Mayo/Jacobs/Carter/Norris/Andre Smith

CB: Bradberry/Jackson/Cap/Elder/Doss

S: Adams/Gaulden/Searcy/Jones

Other: Gano/Jansen/Palardy

The big issue I have when I look at this is Heinicke. I have no doubt he's going to make the team as the backup, but do they trust him enough to have him be the ONLY backup on the roster? I have a suspicion that Gilbert will make the roster, which will bump someone out. If you look at the most generous projection I could come up with for Byrd, you'll see that WR is still the overloaded position in this scenario and keeping a 3rd QB would force Byrd out.

[Davidson Deac II]

4 minutes ago, Sam Mills Fan said:

If they only plan on him doing returns, even though I agree he's been the best, do they waste a roster spot on him when most of the other receivers plus McCaffrey can all return as well?

A roster spot for a return specialist is not that unusual.  And Byrd at least proved himself to be a competent receiver last year when most of our receivers were traded or injured.  

[t96]

13 minutes ago, Sam Mills Fan said:

I honestly didn't realize that. In that case, the following could work:

QB: Cam/Heinicke

RB: CMC/Anderson/CAP/Barner (I'll miss you Elijah Hood!)

FB: Armah

WR: Moore/Funchess/Samuel/Byrd/Wright/Smith

O Line: Kalil 1/Kalil 2/Williams/Moton/Van Roten/Amini/Turner/Mahon/Larsen/Sirles

TE: Olsen/Thomas/Manhertz

DE: Pep/Addison/Horton/Haynes

DT: Short/Poe/Love/Butler (although I'd prefer Norton or Cox over Butler tbh)

LB: Kuechly/Shaq/Mayo/Jacobs/Carter/Norris/Andre Smith

CB: Bradberry/Jackson/Cap/Elder/Doss

S: Adams/Gaulden/Searcy/Jones

Other: Gano/Jansen/Palardy

The big issue I have when I look at this is Heinicke. I have no doubt he's going to make the team as the backup, but do they trust him enough to have him be the ONLY backup on the roster? I have a suspicion that Gilbert will make the roster, which will bump someone out. If you look at the most generous projection I could come up with for Byrd, you'll see that WR is still the overloaded position in this scenario and keeping a 3rd QB would force Byrd out.

We're not keeping 4 HBs... CAP probably gone but maybe he beats out Barner.

[Sam Mills Fan]

4 minutes ago, t96 said:

We're not keeping 4 HBs... CAP probably gone but maybe he beats out Barner.

We've kept 4 every year since at least 2014, the last one I felt like looking up.

[MasterAwesome]

So you can’t fathom a scenario where we keep a sixth WR as at least a return specialist, but you think it’s a foregone conclusion that we keep 4 HBs?