My 2nd Very Early Final 53 (1 Viewer)

[Kyle brister]

I like this better except Robertson. If he can come back in a reasonable amount of time for the season I don't see how he's not on the team. I don't think he's one of those guys that has to win a job in training camp. Did Deuce project him out for the year or just a few weeks?

I think the Crawley/Webster battle is a good one. Wouldn't criticize keeping either or even both.

I wouldn't hammer the table beyond the #2 RB, #3 WR and #2 TE. Tough decisions to make there. Those last few spots on defense also. Maybe they want a special teamer like J.T. Gray for example. Then you have to figure out who doesn't make it.

I also haven't given up on Sherels yet but he has to play.

I like everything you wrote except the part about Sherels. We're not gonna have another Cameron Merrideth situation this season. And Sherels is reminding me more & more of Merrideth. They're not gonna waste valuable time waiting for a vet to nurse himself back to health on the hopes that he can possibly do at a much higher salary what the kid is already doing at the league minimum.

 

[dutar76]

I like this better except Robertson. If he can come back in a reasonable amount of time for the season I don't see how he's not on the team. I don't think he's one of those guys that has to win a job in training camp. Did Deuce project him out for the year or just a few weeks?

I think the Crawley/Webster battle is a good one. Wouldn't criticize keeping either or even both.

I wouldn't hammer the table beyond the #2 RB, #3 WR and #2 TE. Tough decisions to make there. Those last few spots on defense also. Maybe they want a special teamer like J.T. Gray for example. Then you have to figure out who doesn't make it.

I also haven't given up on Sherels yet but he has to play.

Deuce is the only one reporting the injury to Robertson and of course he wasn't specific. Just stated that Craig "heard a pop" and that it could be significant. If he's good to go, then of course he has a roster spot. Biegel's spot to be specific. But in this 53 man forecast, I played it like he's on IR. I hope he's not.

Haven't given up on Sherels either, but dam Deonte Harris is making out like a bandit with Sherel's missed time.

at RB... #3 is Washington and it's not close IMO. After him, I can see Rodgers or Ozigbo, with Ozigbo being the cheaper player with the most upside. Rodgers has NFL experience, but his ceiling is very low.

#3 WR is Smith. Bank on that. After him it's a crap shoot. But as I said in my post, SP has his pet projects every year and this year it looks like it might just be Grayson. AT #3 TE you have another one of SP's pet projects... Arnold.

Webster AND Crawley are not both making the team. I went with Crawley because he's the incumbent and according to several media-types... he's actually having a good camp. I believe that Webster is more of a Special Teams player and that puts him in competition with Banjo and Hardee more than with Crawley. Crawley appears to be our only depth CB that plays outside. Webster is more of a slot corner if I'm not mistaken.

 

[meily]

I like everything you wrote except the part about Sherels. We're not gonna have another Cameron Merrideth situation this season. And Sherels is reminding me more & more of Merrideth. They're not gonna waste valuable time waiting for a vet to nurse himself back to health on the hopes that he can possibly do at a much higher salary what the kid is already doing at the league minimum.

He was signed to a 1yr deal...no real investment for the position, Harris can win the spot with no real second guessing about the Sherels addition.

 

[livefromDC]

Butler will have to finish the preseason strong to make the roster or I think Payton and co. will try to sneak him on to the Practice Squad. The receivers “behind” him have made too strong a case to justify carrying him based on practices alone.

PJ Williams makes the roster. Hardee may jump ahead of him on the depth chart but he’ll make the roster.

The only thing we know about Butler is that he is now taking snaps with the first team offense. And that my friends says a lot more than seeing him in preseason games. If he no longer gets those snaps in practice then week, then the staff's opinion has changed. Right now, he looks like he's on the roster.

The only reason we knew Colston was now THE guy was because Stallworth was traded. Other than that, he was performing in practice and drawing the eyes of the media along with the coaches. He didn't have huge games in preseason. He didn't have good games in the preseason. And that's not unusual for our receiving weapons. Payton just doesn't give them a lot of work in the preseason (right or wrong) often protecting them from injury. Colston had 1 or 2 catches in each preseason game except game 3 when the starters play longer. In that game he only had 3 receptions.

When and how long he plays in game 3 will say much more than any production may have. If he plays with the ones, but doesn't light it up...he's making the team. For the Saints, WR production in preseason games is overrated. It's more about practice. If Butler plays in the first and Cobb plays in the 4th, that says a lot more than if Butler has 1 reception for 8 yards and Cobb has 7 for 80 yards.

 

[Stalwart385]

I like everything you wrote except the part about Sherels. We're not gonna have another Cameron Merrideth situation this season. And Sherels is reminding me more & more of Merrideth. They're not gonna waste valuable time waiting for a vet to nurse himself back to health on the hopes that he can possibly do at a much higher salary what the kid is already doing at the league minimum.

The money side of it is insignificant. Sherels makes 0.75 mil. That also means they won't hang onto him like Meredith if he's injured. They have nothing invested. If he's not healthy enough to play for the season, he's gone. He has plenty of tape but the coaches are going to want to see it now. I don't know if they've seen enough before his injury for him to be out the rest of the preseason either. I'd lean with no and he has to play in a game before the season starts to make the team.

 

[draftfreak]

Please, explain that defense to me. Was PJW responsible for the receiver all over the field with no help over the top? If he was, he was pretty close to the line of scrimmage at the snap. And if he was totally responsible for the receiver, I guess that defense is taking a gamble that quick pressure on the QB should not allow enough time for that long pass? I'm not knowledgable in the defenses, but it seems there should have been help over the top on the left and middle. BTW, these are sincere questions, not sarcasm.

It was zero coverage - which means man up across the field with a single safety attacking anyone out of the backfield to to cover the middle if no one comes out - which is exactly what happened (yes, Patton was Williams' responsibility all over the field). Williams was supposed to disrupt the route at the line of scrimmage (that's why he was so close) and then backpedal (keeping his hips closed 'til Patton declares, but Williams opens up and allows Patton to blow past him. This also shows Williams' lack of speed and burst and fundamentals. Williams lacks special quickness, so he must be fundamentally perfect to survive - even in the nickel. In that defense, they were expecting instant pressure, but it didn't happen.

https://www.chargers.com/video/cardale-jones-lobs-24-yard-td-to-andre-patton

 

[draftfreak]

I think he was average to below average as our nickel corner last year. That is still very valuable and easily puts him on the roster. If an average nickel corner is your weakest link you're not in bad shape.

I think we have better options than him though.

 

[draftfreak]

Do you think he played bad last year after PRob got injured? I heard pretty much universal praise for his play in the slot last year, but I don't watch film or scrutinize plays much. I know he struggled mightily on the outside, but thought/hoped he found his strong suit as a slot guy.

He was covered up by Bell and Williams. Again, if he doesn't have to get into space where his lack of speed and quickness hurt him, he's ok. But, put him in space, and he's toast.

 

[ndcc]

I Stopped reading after I Saw Dan Arnold on the Tight Ends list. ??‍

I never stop reading when I see that DraftFreak is the OP.

The list he compiled is (admittedly) sort of like a mock draft. But his selections were well thought out, and made sense.

Dude is money!

 

[the-commish]

Also, Rankins will not go on IR, as he will be on PUP.

We don't know that yet. Rankins could be IRed and return at mid season.

 

[jbourque]

PJ makes this team. I don’t think Webster has played well enough to make the team.

I’m not sold on Arnold.

I think Harris should be the return guy.

 

[B_doggman47]

I think a lot of people are sleeping on Simmie Cbbs Jr. I would take him over Carr, IR Butler and put Lil'jordan Humphrey on the PS.

 

[saintsfan78]

We need to get rid of P.J. Williams. I took Butler off and added Kirkwood, but I'm not sold on that. I kept Grayson, but he's iffy to me if we keep Harris too. I know people are going to jump on me for not including P.J Williams, and maybe it's just wishful thinking on my part, but he needs to go. Crawley does too. Without Rankins, Onyemata is easily our best DT. The DTs scare me a bit. I kept Ozigbo over Rodgers because he's better. I kept Derby over Mack because he's better - Derby is an excellent blocker - watch the tape.

Offense: 26
QB: Brees, Bridgewater, Hill
RB: Kamara, Murray, Washington, Ozigbo
FB: Line
TE: Cook, Hill, Derby, Arnold
WR: Thomas, Ginn, Smith, Kirkwood, Grayson, Harris
LT: Armstead, Ola
LG: Peat, Easton
C: McCoy, Tom
RG: Warford
RT: Ramczyk

Defense: 24
DE: Jordan, Davenport, Hendrickson, Horton
DT: Brown, Onyemata, Stallworth, Hood, Edwards
LB: Anzelone, Klein, Davis, Robertson, Ellis
SS: Bell, Gardner-Johnson
FS: Williams, Banjo, Hampton
CB: Lattimore, Apple, Robinson, Webster, Hardee,

Special Teams: 3
LS: Wood
P: Morstead
K: Lutz

Rankins is on I.R.

Ok, let me have it.

We need at least 3 backup offensive linemen. Saints offense dropped off in the last 4 games of 2018 because of lack of depth in the offensive line. So we can only keep 3 running backs and one fullback.

 

[dutar76]

He was covered up by Bell and Williams. Again, if he doesn't have to get into space where his lack of speed and quickness hurt him, he's ok. But, put him in space, and he's toast.

So why is PJ getting all the camp and pre-season reps as the slot corner with the first team nickel defense? Is it simply P-Rob coming back slowly from injury? Is PJ really going to be the starter? Or does the team think they know what we have in P-Rob and they're simply putting PJ with the 1's to see if he's got any "leap" left in him?

 

[meily]

So why is PJ getting all the camp and pre-season reps as the slot corner with the first team nickel defense? Is it simply P-Rob coming back slowly from injury? Is PJ really going to be the starter? Or does the team think they know what we have in P-Rob and they're simply putting PJ with the 1's to see if he's got any "leap" left in him?

PJ held down the position last year and played well, he does not lose his starting gig because PRob is back healthy...this team pretty much comes back in tact and the only additions are the draft picks, UDFA and players coming back from injury.