rookBoston
In the Starting Line-Up
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- Sep 13, 2004
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Roster Forecasting as of 7/30
QB (3): Brady, Hoyer, Mallett
Can there be any question?
RB (6): Green-Ellis, Woodhead, Faulk, Morris, Vereen, Ridley
I don't know who gets cut out of this group. Maybe none of them. Morris is playing the Izzo role for us now. With that, maybe BB decides to keep more RBs and drop a S or LB. Of this group, strangely I think Faulk is the most vulnerable.
WR (5): Welker, Branch, Ochocinco, Edelman, Tate
Edelman and Tate, again, make the roster as elite KR, PR role players. I've cut Slater and Price to make roster room at the defensive backfield.
TE (3): Gronkowski, Hernandez, Smith
Could still be Crumpler at a lower salary, instead of Smith. But with Crumpler's release, my odds are on Smith.
OT (4): Light, Vollmer, Solder, LeVoir
I'm assuming and hoping Light re-signs. With Solder on the roster, the cup runneth over.
G/C (5): Mankins, Koppen, Connolly, Wendell, Ohnberger
Solid, veteran and deep
NT/DE (6): Wilfork, Haynesworth, GWarren, Wright, Brace, Deaderick
Deep but injured. I do think GWarren may return after his effective year, last year. Losing Ty Warren was a bit of a surprise to me, but helps untangle the story at DE. If Brace or Deaderick go to PUP, that would leave room for Love or Pryor.
OLB (4): Ninkovich, Cunningham, Moore, UFA
I have a hard time thinking BB will not try to find a FA to fill here. He has youth, but no depth or anyone who demands special attention from the OL. I was impressed with Moore late in the season last year, but this is clearly the weak spot on the roster.
ILB (4): Mayo, Spikes, Guyton, Fletcher
Fletcher is one of my favorite no name up and comers. I don't have a ST ace here, a la Tracey White. I think this is where keeping the extra RBs makes it's mark. Shifting Guyton to OLB is an interesting thought, and it looks like BB might play with the idea of adding some versatility. Perhaps if that happens, we can leave the roster with just 7 LBs overall and use the depth on offense (Ridley, Smith, Vereen) to fill the special teams.
CB (6): McCourty, Bodden, Dowling, Arrington, Butler, Wilhite
Barring injury, it's hard to think of this unit as a weak point on the roster. McCourty is an elite player and if Bodden can return to form, having Arrington and Butler for bench strength is a tremendous luxury. I'm keeping both Butler and Wilhite as gunners in place of Matthew Slater. They get the nod because they can also play on the regular D.
S (4): Meriweather, Chung, Sanders, Page
What seemed like a deep unit seems a bit iffy now. Meriweather may be in his last year, Chung is a missile, but Sanders is not 100%. There are many candidates for a #4 S, but my money is on Page. In a pinch, I would not be reluctant to play either Bodden or Dowling at S.
K (1): Gostkowski
P (1): Mesko
LS (1): Katula
I was interested to see Ninkovich doing long snapping. I assume that's in case we need a LS in emergency capacity. But I can't imaging BB not carrying a dedicated LS on the roster.
QB (3): Brady, Hoyer, Mallett
Can there be any question?
RB (6): Green-Ellis, Woodhead, Faulk, Morris, Vereen, Ridley
I don't know who gets cut out of this group. Maybe none of them. Morris is playing the Izzo role for us now. With that, maybe BB decides to keep more RBs and drop a S or LB. Of this group, strangely I think Faulk is the most vulnerable.
WR (5): Welker, Branch, Ochocinco, Edelman, Tate
Edelman and Tate, again, make the roster as elite KR, PR role players. I've cut Slater and Price to make roster room at the defensive backfield.
TE (3): Gronkowski, Hernandez, Smith
Could still be Crumpler at a lower salary, instead of Smith. But with Crumpler's release, my odds are on Smith.
OT (4): Light, Vollmer, Solder, LeVoir
I'm assuming and hoping Light re-signs. With Solder on the roster, the cup runneth over.
G/C (5): Mankins, Koppen, Connolly, Wendell, Ohnberger
Solid, veteran and deep
NT/DE (6): Wilfork, Haynesworth, GWarren, Wright, Brace, Deaderick
Deep but injured. I do think GWarren may return after his effective year, last year. Losing Ty Warren was a bit of a surprise to me, but helps untangle the story at DE. If Brace or Deaderick go to PUP, that would leave room for Love or Pryor.
OLB (4): Ninkovich, Cunningham, Moore, UFA
I have a hard time thinking BB will not try to find a FA to fill here. He has youth, but no depth or anyone who demands special attention from the OL. I was impressed with Moore late in the season last year, but this is clearly the weak spot on the roster.
ILB (4): Mayo, Spikes, Guyton, Fletcher
Fletcher is one of my favorite no name up and comers. I don't have a ST ace here, a la Tracey White. I think this is where keeping the extra RBs makes it's mark. Shifting Guyton to OLB is an interesting thought, and it looks like BB might play with the idea of adding some versatility. Perhaps if that happens, we can leave the roster with just 7 LBs overall and use the depth on offense (Ridley, Smith, Vereen) to fill the special teams.
CB (6): McCourty, Bodden, Dowling, Arrington, Butler, Wilhite
Barring injury, it's hard to think of this unit as a weak point on the roster. McCourty is an elite player and if Bodden can return to form, having Arrington and Butler for bench strength is a tremendous luxury. I'm keeping both Butler and Wilhite as gunners in place of Matthew Slater. They get the nod because they can also play on the regular D.
S (4): Meriweather, Chung, Sanders, Page
What seemed like a deep unit seems a bit iffy now. Meriweather may be in his last year, Chung is a missile, but Sanders is not 100%. There are many candidates for a #4 S, but my money is on Page. In a pinch, I would not be reluctant to play either Bodden or Dowling at S.
K (1): Gostkowski
P (1): Mesko
LS (1): Katula
I was interested to see Ninkovich doing long snapping. I assume that's in case we need a LS in emergency capacity. But I can't imaging BB not carrying a dedicated LS on the roster.