Projecting the 53 man roster

[Your Brown Eye]

1 hour ago, GunnerBill said:

Okay I'm going to have a stab.... pre-season games can change things but what we have learned from this regime it rarely does. They value training camp much more than making plays with vanilla scheming in pre-season games. Though it often is the forum in which people solidify perceptions - Van Demark last year who had a strong camp and then was excellent on pre-season being the example. Would they have been comfortable going with him as their primary LT backup without seeing him block in pads in pre-season? Possibly not. Essentially pre-season games tell us (the fans) what they are thinking and what their pecking order is but it changes less than you sometimes imagine in terms of production in those games affecting roster decisions. 

 

So with all that said, here goes:

 

QB (2): Josh Allen, Mitch Trubisky

FB (1): Reggie Gilliam

TE (3): Dalton Kincaid, Dawson Knox, Quintin Morris*

WR (6): Keon Coleman, Curtis Samuel, Khalil Shakir, Mack Hollins, Marquez Valdez-Scantling, Tyrell Shavers

OL (9): Dion Dawkins, Connor McGovern, David Edwards, O'Cyrus Torrence, Spencer Brown, Ryan Van Demark, Alec Anderson, Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, La'el Collins**

Offense Total: 24

 

DT (4): Ed Oliver, DaQuan Jones, Austin Johnson, DeWayne Carter

DE (6): Greg Rousseau, AJ Epenesa, Von Miller, Dawuane Smoot, Kingsley Jonathan, Javon Solomon***

LB (5): Matt Milano, Terrel Bernard, Dorian Williams, Baylon Spector, Edefuan Ulofoshio****

CB (6): Rasul Douglas, Christian Benford, Taron Johnson, Kaiir Elam, Ja'Marcus Ingram, Daequan Hardy*****

S (5): Taylor Rapp, Mike Edwards, Cole Bishop, Cam Lewis, Damar Hamlin******

Defense Total: 26

 

ST (3): Tyler Bass (K), Sam Martin (P), Reid Ferguson (LS)

Special Teams Total: 3

 

 

 

 

I guess we will be throwing every play without keeping any RB's 

[GunnerBill]

53 minutes ago, SoCal Deek said:

Gunner

The most interesting aspect of your projected roster is that this may be the first time in NFL history that a team won’t have a single Running Back. 😳

 

Haha they were counted in my working out and my numbers. I had just forgotten to write them in. That's the problem with doing between meetings  

 

I have now edited.

38 minutes ago, finn said:

Yeah, his MO is a boom or bust player. We got rid of one pass dropper in Gabe and still have one in Cook; we don't need another. I'd rather give the roster spot to Davidson and let Hamler stretch the field in addition to his KR duties. 

 

Hamler isn't gonna make the roster. 

Edited August 6 by GunnerBill

[GunnerBill]

1 hour ago, SectionC3 said:

I'll add a little context here, having seen a couple of practices.  Davidson looks the part of an NFL player.  Very smooth and speedy.  Collins looks stiff and washed.  I think they're going to have a hard time moving on from Davidson, and I wonder whether the Collins roster spot is contingent upon what happens at center.  

 

I happen to agree Collins is washed. I was saying it two years ago when the media was hailing him as an upgrade for the Bengals line. He is done. But they are almost certain to keep one vet backup IMO. It could be someone not yet on the roster. But if it is Collins or Clapp I lean Collins for his ability to play tackle (because Van Demark is a bit of a left tackle specialist, he looked MUCH less comfortable last pre-season when asked to try the right side). 

 

The problem for Davidson is not the smooth and speedy stuff. It is the other stuff. When you are a third tight end having some ability to block and play special teams is pretty much a pre-requisite. His best chance to stick is as a 4th tight end IMO at the expense of a receiver and I think that IS very much in play. 

[SectionC3]

4 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

I happen to agree Collins is washed. I was saying it two years ago when the media was hailing him as an upgrade for the Bengals line. He is done. But they are almost certain to keep one vet backup IMO. It could be someone not yet on the roster. But if it is Collins or Clapp I lean Collins for his ability to play tackle (because Van Demark is a bit of a left tackle specialist, he looked MUCH less comfortable last pre-season when asked to try the right side). 

 

The problem for Davidson is not the smooth and speedy stuff. It is the other stuff. When you are a third tight end having some ability to block and play special teams is pretty much a pre-requisite. His best chance to stick is as a 4th tight end IMO at the expense of a receiver and I think that IS very much in play. 

I agree on all counts, except that Collins has been brutal outside.  I think grable might take that spot on pure merit.  We’ll see during live game action though.   
 

Davidson and ST are an issue.  But having seen him thrice this month … man he is smooth.  He’s going to be a tough cut. I agree with you that they might go with 5WR, especially if hardy wins the PR job. 

[GunnerBill]

6 minutes ago, SectionC3 said:

I agree on all counts, except that Collins has been brutal outside.  I think grable might take that spot on pure merit.  We’ll see during live game action though.   
 

Davidson and ST are an issue.  But having seen him thrice this month … man he is smooth.  He’s going to be a tough cut. I agree with you that they might go with 5WR, especially if hardy wins the PR job. 

 

I love Grable as a prospect but I think he is very much developmental. I can't imagine them going with four backups who have zero NFL starts between them. That just does not feel like something this staff would do. They'd do something to get a vet in if they think Collins and Clapp are not the answer.

Edited August 6 by GunnerBill

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

All I know is that somehow, some way, we will see Taiwan Jones’s name on that 53-man roster, and all go nuts. 

[SoCal Deek]

1 hour ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Haha they were counted in my working out and my numbers. I had just forgotten to write them in. That's the problem with doing between meetings  

 

I have now edited.

 

 

Time to switch pubs (“meetings” to use your terminology)

[DCOrange]

3 hours ago, NeverOutNick said:

Any other staff and I’d say it’s a certainty MVS isn’t making it with the rise of Shavers but I don’t trust our FO to make that call. Still holding out hope that during preseason Hamler, Claypool and Shavers make it obvious that MVS is expendable because I agree the guy drops way too many catchable balls to be dependable during the season. Let’s go with young guys with a lot of upside. We already have our veteran WR in Hollins

Maybe I end up being wrong but I don't think those two are really in competition with each other. Their skillsets are complete opposites. More likely if MVS doesn't make the roster it's because of Hamler or Beane just thinks someone like Coleman will be able to win deep despite the relative lack of speed. At any rate, MVS is here purely because he's a deep threat. Shavers can be a pleasant surprise all he wants, but he is not a deep threat.

[BananaB]

Hollins will be another Sherfield who can play ST

[PrimeTime101]

22 hours ago, Matt_In_NH said:

My 57 man roster...57 men account for IR and the traditional cut down day "roster move"....probably have to cut 1 or 2 from this list.  

 

Offense (25)

QB (2) - Allen, Trubisky

RB (3) - Cook, Davis, Johnson

FB (1) - Gilliam

TE (3) - Kincaid, Knox, Morris over Davidson for special teams

WR (6) - Coleman, Shakir, Samuel, Hollins, Shavers, MVS

OL - Starters (5) - Brown, Dawkins, McGovern, Torrence & Edwards

OL - Depth (5) - Van Denmark, Anderson, SVP, Grable, Collins

Defense (28)

DT (5) - Oliver, D Jones, A Johnson, D Williams, Carter

DE (6) - Miller, Rousseau, Epenesa, Smoot, Jonathan, Salomon 

LB (7) - Milano, Bernard, Williams, Morrow, Ulofoshio, Jones, Spector 

CB (5) - T Johnson, Douglas, Benford, Elam, Lewis

S (5) - Rapp, Hamlin, Bishop, Edwards , Jackson
 

Specialists (4) - Ferguson (LS), Bass (PK), Martin (P) & Hardy (KR) - camp battle (1) - Isabella & Hamler (For the KR job)

57 man roster?

[SectionC3]

2 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

I love Grable as a prospect but I think he is very much developmental. I can't imagine them going with four backups who have zero NFL starts between them. That just does not feel like something this staff would do. They'd do something to get a vet in if they think Collins and Clapp are not the answer.

I think the new vet makes sense.  RT is the issue if Collins isn’t the guy.  I’m curious what they do with Anderson (C, RT) during preseason.  That may give us a hint. It’s a sneaky issue. 

[NeverOutNick]

57 minutes ago, DCOrange said:

Maybe I end up being wrong but I don't think those two are really in competition with each other. Their skillsets are complete opposites. More likely if MVS doesn't make the roster it's because of Hamler or Beane just thinks someone like Coleman will be able to win deep despite the relative lack of speed. At any rate, MVS is here purely because he's a deep threat. Shavers can be a pleasant surprise all he wants, but he is not a deep threat.

That’s a fair point that really it’s a three-way competition between MVS, Claypool and maybe Hamler. I just hope it’s one of the latter since their hands aren’t garbage. It’ll be interesting to see how they all perform in preseason.

[SCBills]

If we're planning on being a heavier 12 personnel team, I'll be pretty frustrated if Davidson doesn't make it and then gets claimed on waivers. 

 

Take him over Morris and figure out Special Teams or keep 4 TE's. 

 

What happens if Kincaid or Knox get banged up for a few games?  We saw this happen last year.. we just stop running it, or run it with Morris, when we could keep developing Davidson and plug him in as, what seems to be, a legitimate weapon.

[ColoradoBills]

I want to see some preseason games and another week or more of practices before making any roster predications.

[Matt_In_NH]

2 hours ago, PrimeTime101 said:

57 man roster?

Well the "53 man roster" is a misnomer of sorts.  Literally every year the Bills and many teams cut to 53, put a guy on IR and sign a guy the next day back to the 53....the Bills cut their long snapper Reid Ferguson routinely with a wink/nod he will be back tomorrow.  Also this year I believe you can put two guys on IR before cuts and still cut to 53 man active roster so their is easily a path to 55-56 guys "making it".  And those two guys can come off IR later which is new.   The downside of this is all their salaries count towards the cap.

Edited August 6 by Matt_In_NH

[GunnerBill]

3 minutes ago, Matt_In_NH said:

Well the "53 man roster" is a misnomer of sorts.  Literally every year the Bills and many teams cut to 53, put a guy on IR and sign a guy the next day back to the 53....the Bills cut their long snapper Reid Ferguson routinely with a wink/nod he will be back tomorrow.  Also this year I believe you can put two guys on IR before cuts and still cut to 53 man active roster so their is easily a path to 55-56 guys "making it".  And those two guys can come off IR later which is new.   The downside of this is all their salaries count towards the cap.

 

If that is true that is a very significant change. That you can IR before cuts and it doesn't mean they are done for the year. 

[\GoBillsInDallas/]

On 8/5/2024 at 10:30 AM, Bleeding Bills Blue said:

It also makes it harder

 

[Lofton80]

At Sunday's practice, Morris was on all the special teams. On kick return, they ran right behind him a couple of times. I think he is on the roster. That said, Davidson is very smooth and shows great hands. It will be an interesting cutdown. 

[Lionel Hutz]

Do people really think MVS isn’t making the team? 

[NeverOutNick]

2 minutes ago, Lionel Hutz said:

Do people really think MVS isn’t making the team? 

What has he done to make you or anyone else think he’s a lock? If it’s truly an open competition and he’s on the team because he can take the top off the defense, then we’re still in wait and see mode because so can Hamler and Claypool. As of right now he is far from a lock in my eyes. Samuel, Shakir and Coleman are the only locks at WR. But it sure does feel like Hollins is a locker room guy the coaching staff won’t let wall. If all that is true then preseason has a lot to say about the last 2 WR spots. I’m hoping Mr. Drop doesn’t take one of those spots but if he earns it so be it