My First Stab at Projecting the Saints 53 (1 Viewer)

[SweetT]

I'm sorry if I've hurt your feelings. I'm just clowning around.





Wilson will have a chance to show what he can do, he will settle this for us on the field,


I'm more curious about your final roster predictions than all the rest of that stuff.

No feelings hurt by any means. Words will never hurt me. I’m all for Cedrick balling out here, as he has a great chance bc of our current WR situation (I don’t see much competition after our top 2). I just feel like you may have elevated his career, more than it should have been. Regarding the rest of the roster, I agree with the OP’s prediction. There may be 1 or 2 lesser known guys, who may snatch a spot, but I don’t think there will be much of a surprise. Our roster construction seems pretty cut and dry right now, as to who will make the Final 53. What I am hoping for, is for some of these rookies/2nd year guys, to have great years, so it will help us with our cap situation going forward.

 

[Artifactual]

Regarding the rest of the roster, I agree with the OP’s prediction. There may be 1 or 2 lesser known guys, who may snatch a spot, but I don’t think there will be much of a surprise. Our roster construction seems pretty cut and dry right now, as to who will make the Final 53.

I wouldn't go so far as to say the OP 's 53-man roster prediction is cut and dry as of now, even allowing for a surprise or two. I think you could make a strong case for several roster spots being open for competition that could change it up.

Fullback is open to change with competition from Horvath and Prentice through camp. I definitely believe the Saints will keep a fullback on the roster, but which one? Prentice is the incumbent. He's shorter and bulkier at 6'0", 245 pounds. He's not a threat as a rusher or in the passing game. We don't have to look back any further than the TB game in the Dome last year where he dropped a crucial 3rd down pass and fumbled away the ball near the Saints own endzone. That film lives. Horvath isn't a traditional FB, having played RB at Purdue. He's a few years younger, his build at 6'3, 230 is big enough to play the role of lead blocker. He also gives the Saints the option of lining him up in the backfield next to Carr as a blocker with the option of a checkdown receiver as well as a rusher and he could also line up as an H-Back or even as a split TE. He could even be kept as an extra back in general who plays special teams, should the Saints decide to keep both him and Prentice.

The Saints may or may not keep 6 WRs. I think they will, but they could get by with 5. Olave and Shaheed are locks but after that the rest are in a battle for those remaining spots. The Saints signed Cedrick Wilson early with the intent on him being a #3 or 4 with a large role on special teams but that doesn't guarantee anything. Most folks expect A.T. Perry to be the Saints #3 based on his showing last year. He'll have to earn it. Actually, he and St. Brown are almost identical in size, with St. Brown having 5 more years experience in the league. Again, training camp will separate the who's and the who nots. It may take an extraordinary showing in preseason to solidify the pecking order and 53-man keepers.

I don't think the Saints will keep 7 LBers. They may have more depth this year and will have tougher decisions on who to keep past DD, Werner, and Gay, but I think the number will be 6, not 7 when the dust settles. This may be a position of strength that the Saints can trade one of the guys on the bubble.

I don't see the Saints going into the season with only 9 DBs. The OP has the Saints keeping 4 CBs and 5 Safeties. I think they will keep another DB and one less LBer.

I don't think the Saints will keep 5 DTs unless they only keep 5 WRs. I think 4 is the number. If Cam sees any snaps as an interior rusher on passing downs or the Saints employ any NasCar packages, that will decrease the number of rotational snaps by the DTs. Also, the new kickoff and kickoff receiving rule will require better athletes on the field than a 300 pound slow poke. The last guy in rotation as a DT will be called upon to line up against FGs and XPTs. Someone is going to the practice squad, imho.

With the emphasis on the running game as well as the need for better athletes in the kickoff/receiving game, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Saints keep an extra RB. As i mentioned above it could be by way of both Prentice and Horvath. My guess is the Saints find a way to keep an extra RB, either Mims or Robinson. OTAs and Mini Camp allowed some of these guys to look crisp. When the pads go on in camp with live action at full speed will be the tell on who makes the cut.

To sum up, I differ a little with the OP where I believe the Saints will keep 10 DBs instead of 9, will only keep 6 LBers instead of 7. will only keep 4 DTs instead of 5 and may keep an extra RB. JMHO.

 

[Artifactual]

Good Morning Folks! I just watched Ross Jacksons' first 53-man projection on his podcast Locked On Saints / X @RossJacksonNOLA

Here is his 53-Man projected roster breakdown:

Offense:

QB - 3
Carr, Haener, Rattler
RB - 3
Kamara, Williams, Miller
FB - 1
Horvath
ATH - 1
Hill
TE - 3
Moreau, Johnson, Holker
WR - 6
Olave, Shaheed, Perry, Wilson, Means, St. Brown
OL - 8
Fuaga, Saldiveri, McCoy, Ruiz, Penning, Young, Udoh, Lemieux


Defense:

DE - 5
Jordan, Young, Granderson, Turner, Foskey
DT - 4
Bresee, Saunders, Shepherd, Boyd
LB - 6
Davis, Werner, Gay, Hudson, Jackson, Ford
CB - 5
Lattimore, Adebo, Taylor, McKinstry, Jean-Charles
S - 5
Mathieu, Abram, Howden, Harris, Gray

Specialist

LS - 1
Wood
K - 1
Grupe
P - 1
Hedley


The video with full content and his explanation for reason is in the link below:

Who Starts Behind Derek Carr? Projecting New Orleans Saints' 53-Man Roster with Rattler & Haener​

I differ with Ross in a few ways. First, I think the Saints will keep 9 OLinemen. This is the most unproven area of the team going into the 2024 season. The Saints kept 9 last year with 2 more on the PS. They may have to go with 5 WRs instead of 6 in order to keep a 9th OLineman. When a team has 8 or more active on the gameday roster they get an extra gameday roster spot, #47. I agree with the eight he has projected but with one additional player, either Lucas Patrick, or Justin Herron. Patrick, now entering his 8th year, has started 54 of the 96 games he has played including 15 starts last year. He may not be penciled in as a starter for the Saints, but he can't simply be viewed as a fringe player. He will be on a roster somewhere in 2024. Herron, now entering his 5th year in the league also has starting experience. He has started 11 out of the 35 games he has played in. I'm expecting one of these two guys to make the team as the 9th Offensive Lineman.

I can't see Ugo Amadi not on the 53-man roster while keeping Jean-Charles. Amadi saw some action last year at slot CB as well as Safety. Ross reasons that Jean-Charles can play inside and outside corner and surprised last year when given an opportunity on special teams. The last CB spot or Safety spot should be highly contested. As good as J.T. Gray has been on special teams, and though he's been Captain, he hasn't seen much action at Safety. We could see a surprise change in the roster makeup due to the new kickoff/receiving rules. Players won't be running 40 yards downfield as in the past to make tackles with the new kickoff/receiving rule, so past experience doing so won't matter there, but it will remain the same in the Punt game. If the rookie Safety Millard Bradford shines in training camp as he did in OTAs and Mini Camp he could be the surprise Camp Beast and force his way onto the Saints 53-man roster. He'll have to ball out to do it.

The LBer position is probably the deepest of all positions this year. I think the Saints keep 6. After the 3 locks, Davis, Werner, and Gay, there are 7 guys vying for the remaining 3 spots. They include Khaleke Hudson, D'Marco Jackson, Jaylon Ford, Monty Rice, Anfernee Orji, Nephi Sewell, and Isaiah Stalbird. The guys that make the team as backups will have to prove themselves on special teams to earn a spot. Those who don't make the cut will most likely be PS candidates.

The big unknown is whether Ramczyk is done or if he has any gas left in the tank. Most think he's done and aren't counting on him to return and be a factor. Teams are now allowed to place up to 2 players on PUP or IR prior to cutdown which allows them to return at some point during the year or post-season. As of now it appears that the Saints will use those 2 moves for Tanoh Kpassagnon and Ryan Ramczyk. If healthy by December,Tanoh could return and be counted on to play. If Ram can't return, he could spend the entire year there. He would be doing the Saints a favor by not retiring due to the cap ramifications. However, if the Saints are in contention late in the year and Ram can play, he could return on a limited snap count in a role as a 3rd down specialist pass blocker in obvious passing situations. If all he could give was a few meaningful snaps in that role where he could hold up against the rush that could be a big difference maker. Just a thought.

 

[rlemieux]

It's because he's easy to forget. Lol
He's like Zion.
A big tease, huge upsides, but we may never really see it.

That’s a disservice to Zion. Zions problem has been health and to a lesser extent conditioning. When healthy he’s a generational talent. Turner is a guy that was over drafted by an inept front office and coaching staff that at his best is a bottom of the roster rotational guy. Not even in the same stratosphere.

 

[Artifactual]

That’s a disservice to Zion. Zions problem has been heath and to a lesser extent conditioning. When healthy he’s a generational talent. Turner is a guy that was over drafted by an inept front office and coaching staff that at his best is a bottom of the roster rotational guy. Not even in the same stratosphere.

I totally agree with your point regarding Zion.

Who was the Head of that Inept Coaching Staff in 2021 you speak of?