re: PFF Oakland @ Saints Review

Experience isn't always great.
Thinking of Will Smith.

quote:

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He kept 8 linebackers

Smith
Lofton
Vilma
Junior
Wilson
Humber
Hawthorne

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Isn't that only 3 OLB's? Wouldn't he have a 4th for the 8th spot, especially considering the other three we have, not fit for the position or young/inexperienced.

why was j jenkins not in the ist half!??!?
the thought of him next to hicks makes me giddy. even if the starting lineup is bunkley hicks and jordan, he has to be used more than what they are showing. i mean he wasnt even in on short yardage. him and hicks pushing the pile....yesss

I think we'll probably break down like this:

24 Offensive Players
2 QB
4 HB
1 FB
6 WR
3 TE
4 OT
3 OG
1 C

26 Defensive Players
5 DE
2 NT
4 ILB
5 OLB
5 CB
5 S

3 Specialists
1 K
1 P
1 H

The more I think on it the more I think IAQ may not make the roster this year. That means that spot I had for the 6th safety will go to either a CB or a LB spot.

I'm giving a slight edge to the CB spot but if one of the LBs steps up like Humber did I think they could steal a spot.

As for the who right now I have:

QB: Brees, McCown
HB: Thomas, Ingram, Sproles, Robinson
FB: Collins
WR: Colston, Moore, Stills, Toon, Parker, Roby
TE: Graham, Watson, Higgins
OT: Strief, Brown, Harris, Armstead
OG: Evans, Grubbs, Jones
C: de la Puente

DE: Jordan, Hicks, Foster, Walker, Johnson
DT: Bunkley, Jenkins
ILB: Lofton, Vilma, Humber, Hawthorne
OLB: Smith, Galette, Wilson, Richardson, Martin
CB: Greer, Lewis, Robinson, White, Sweeting
S: Jenkins, Harper, Vaccaro, Bush, Leonhard

Bubble Cuts:
FB Johnson(PS), WR Tanner(PS), OG Lelito(PS), C Olsen, ILB Reddick(PS), ILB Herring, OLB Atkins, OLB Johnson(PS), CB Carr, S IAQ

Some notes:
I don't have Ryan Griffin as a bubble cut because I don't think the decision will be hard. You go with the veteran he is playing well and has starter experience. Griffin goes to the practice squad to learn for a year.

Unless Cadet can show why he looked like a potential gem last year it won't be difficult to take Robinson over him.

I think Johnson is making a case at fullback but I think they stash him a year on the practice squad unless he really stands out soon.

I think it could go either way with taking Parker, Tanner, and Roby but one of them will be left out. At the moment I think it's Tanner who'll go to the practice squad if still eligible.

They've recently moved Jones to guard and I know they love his size and potential. I think Harris is taking over the backup RT spot and Jones will be the reserve G/C.

On the Dline I think any of our DEs could also play NT which allows them to only take Bunkley and Jenkins as pure noses.

LB(both ILB and OLB) will be the most interesting and competitive of the roster battles.

At ILB I think the top 4 are set but I think there is a chance you can drop a corner and put Reddick or Herring back on the roster. I think Chamberlain being injured is playing him right out of the mix. I think most likely though we take 4 and Reddick goes to the practice squad.

At OLB I think the top 3 are set(Smith, Wilson, and Galette) and then I think there are some interesting choices. You could go all youth with Johnson and Martin or all experience with Richardson and Atkins. At this point Thomas is nothing more than a camp body. I think they'll go with Richardson and Martin and that'll give them some youth and experience.

I still think Johnson or Atkins are definitely in the running but I'm giving the edge at the moment in the experienced battle to Richardson over Atkins and in the youth battle to Martin over Johnson.

At CB the top 3 are set(Greer and Lewis because of skill and PRob because of contract) and I think White will take the 4th spot. If we carry a 5th corner I think Sweeting will just beat out Carr but if it's the other way Sweeting will be our practice squad corner.

At safety I think Leonhard beats out IAQ if we keep 5 and I'm now doubting my earlier prediction of keeping 6 given how the spot would be better used on another LB.

Outside of that I don't see any real battles.