The Final Roster -Updated
Still a few question marks, particularly how to keep L. Henry around and a few positions where they will be thin until they re-sign a waived player or sign someone off the waiver wire, but all in all this is pretty close to how it may go. It will be far from set until early next week. They may ultimately get to 7 LB's, 9 OL depending on if Searcy goes on IR for the first 6 weeks of the season and who they may be able to sign at LB. Twan Russell does not deserve a roster spot this year.....he has become a liability.....is playing at 215 Lbs and looks as if he is going to collapse after every play and is more than a step slower than he used to be. His contributions on special teams have easily been eclipsed by Symonette, McGarrahan, and Ayanbadejo, as well as the usual suspects. The Femi/L. Henry battle could end up a little different as well. I feel that while they would like to have L. Henry for the future, that Ayanbedejo gives you more right now than a 4th RB, particularly with the potential of only 3 TE's on the roster and the heavy use of the FB in the new offense. If Konrad were to be injured there is no one to fill his role, other than Ayanbadejo, and that role has become a very important and productive one. They may cut another player and keep both Femi and Henry until the dust settles and then waive Henry and try to sneak him on the Practice Squad. Ditto that thinking with Omare Lowe, another player that they would like to develop but who has not had any playing time in the pre-season. He too will be protected and stashed either on IR or the PS if he is not ready to play or if they are able to find a suitable replacement to be the 4th corner/reserve dime back. Earnest Grant should just hold on to his roster spot unless they are able to find a better player off the waiver wire in the next few days. With both J. Williams and R. Burnett able to play DT, particularly on passing downs, the final DT spot should go to the best run defender/strong man and that would be Grant. Henry Taylor, who I am a fan of, just gets pushed around way too much and is more of a quick step inside pass rushing DT, which they don't really need. Dario Romero is a bulked up former DE who I have seen get blown off the line of scrimmage way to much in the pre-season.
QB 3 Fiedler
Lucas
Rosenfels
WR 5 Chambers
Gadsden
Ward
McKnight
Johnson
RB 6 Williams
Konrad
Minor
Dyer
Edwards
Ayanbadejo
TE 3 McMichael
Weaver
Perry
OL 9 Wade
Perry
Ruddy
Nails
Dixon
McKinney
Spriggs
Andrew
Searcy
DL 9 Taylor
Bowens
Chester
Ogunleye
Haley
Burnett
Williams
D. Bowens
Grant
LB 7 Thomas
Rodgers
Greenwood
Hendricks
Galyon
Symonette
New Player
DB 9 Madison
Surtain
Marion
Freeman
Fletcher
Wooden
McGarrahan
Gamble
Lowe
ST 2 Mare
Royals
I had an error on the number of offensive lineman. There will be 9 and the extra player will probably be the LB. Russell may stick until that player is found or thye may keep Henry for a couple of days and then waive him when they find the new LB.[/B]
Still a few question marks, particularly how to keep L. Henry around and a few positions where they will be thin until they re-sign a waived player or sign someone off the waiver wire, but all in all this is pretty close to how it may go. It will be far from set until early next week. They may ultimately get to 7 LB's, 9 OL depending on if Searcy goes on IR for the first 6 weeks of the season and who they may be able to sign at LB. Twan Russell does not deserve a roster spot this year.....he has become a liability.....is playing at 215 Lbs and looks as if he is going to collapse after every play and is more than a step slower than he used to be. His contributions on special teams have easily been eclipsed by Symonette, McGarrahan, and Ayanbadejo, as well as the usual suspects. The Femi/L. Henry battle could end up a little different as well. I feel that while they would like to have L. Henry for the future, that Ayanbedejo gives you more right now than a 4th RB, particularly with the potential of only 3 TE's on the roster and the heavy use of the FB in the new offense. If Konrad were to be injured there is no one to fill his role, other than Ayanbadejo, and that role has become a very important and productive one. They may cut another player and keep both Femi and Henry until the dust settles and then waive Henry and try to sneak him on the Practice Squad. Ditto that thinking with Omare Lowe, another player that they would like to develop but who has not had any playing time in the pre-season. He too will be protected and stashed either on IR or the PS if he is not ready to play or if they are able to find a suitable replacement to be the 4th corner/reserve dime back. Earnest Grant should just hold on to his roster spot unless they are able to find a better player off the waiver wire in the next few days. With both J. Williams and R. Burnett able to play DT, particularly on passing downs, the final DT spot should go to the best run defender/strong man and that would be Grant. Henry Taylor, who I am a fan of, just gets pushed around way too much and is more of a quick step inside pass rushing DT, which they don't really need. Dario Romero is a bulked up former DE who I have seen get blown off the line of scrimmage way to much in the pre-season.
QB 3 Fiedler
Lucas
Rosenfels
WR 5 Chambers
Gadsden
Ward
McKnight
Johnson
RB 6 Williams
Konrad
Minor
Dyer
Edwards
Ayanbadejo
TE 3 McMichael
Weaver
Perry
OL 9 Wade
Perry
Ruddy
Nails
Dixon
McKinney
Spriggs
Andrew
Searcy
DL 9 Taylor
Bowens
Chester
Ogunleye
Haley
Burnett
Williams
D. Bowens
Grant
LB 7 Thomas
Rodgers
Greenwood
Hendricks
Galyon
Symonette
New Player
DB 9 Madison
Surtain
Marion
Freeman
Fletcher
Wooden
McGarrahan
Gamble
Lowe
ST 2 Mare
Royals
I had an error on the number of offensive lineman. There will be 9 and the extra player will probably be the LB. Russell may stick until that player is found or thye may keep Henry for a couple of days and then waive him when they find the new LB.[/B]