53-man roster prediction

[FuzzyLumpkins]

1. Hurd showed a lot of talent at WR in preseason last year which was why Parcells elected not to attempt place him on ST. Because Hurd knew Parcells demands that backups become quality ST performers, Hurd (who never played on ST before at college) worked his butt off and become one of our best ST players.

2. Thompson is vulnerable this year. He has really good straight ahead speed but has shown no ability to cut or change direction. His playing time was limited in the backfield (both in 05 & 06) because of his inability to identify the blitz/block his opponent. If he shows no improvement this preseason, he could be beaten out by Battle, etc. Additionally Austin (who also had never played ST before) has really come on as a good return man. Remains to be seen if Stanback becomes a good return man.

3. Entirely possible we could keep only 2 TEs on the team and another TE (basketball-playing 6-5" Hannah).

4. I think we will keep 9 OL (Adams/Kosier/Gurode/Davis/Colombo & McQuistan/Marten/Free/Proctor) barring injury. We might be able put Berger on PS.

5. TO/Glenn are locks. Just don't know about Crayton. He's a reall good #3WR who becomes a FA next year; doubt we can re-sign him cause he'll want to get chance at #2 starter job and the big bucks. If Hurd & Austin & even Stanbach look really good in preseason games, I wouldn't rule out trading Crayton for a first day pick. Remember Saints Payton did that exact thing last season after he saw Colston performance in preseason games. Now if all 3 young WRs don't show they stepping up, Crayton will still be around.

Hurd one of our top ST performers? No he wasnt.

 

[Hoofbite]

Im not sure the team will carry 3 QBs. I hope they don't.

 

[Luther]

Hurd one of our top ST performers? No he wasnt.

For reference:
Elam 12 tackles
Hurd 11 tackles
Reeves 9 tackles
Jones, N 7 tackles
Austin 5 tackles

 

[lockster]

I personally wouldn't cut Abram. That guy has impressed me big time! I thought we had cut Glymph. Is he still on the roster?

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

For reference:
Elam 12 tackles
Hurd 11 tackles
Reeves 9 tackles
Jones, N 7 tackles
Austin 5 tackles

I stand corrected. i watched every game last year and for th life of me i cannot recall him doing anything on psecial teams.

 

[DallasInDC]

Marten is not going to the practice squad. Berger can probably be kept there and Free can back up Gurrode as well as Adams.

There is no way a third round pick is going to make it through waivers to the Practice Squad. Unless he's terrible, then that sucks for us anyway.

Doh: I had a serious brain fart on that one. I was rushing to a meeting when I posted and was thinking of someone else. You're right. We def. are not putting a 3rd Rnd OT from BC on the practice squad That's what I get fpr mixing in work with the Zone

He's just trying to shake loose players for his beloved Commanders.

ABersonc - That hurt!!! I've been accused aof many things in my life but never for being a Commanders fan. That my friend is worst insult you could swing at someone. Please, next time just talk about my mother instead.

 

[AbeBeta]

I stand corrected. i watched every game last year and for th life of me i cannot recall him doing anything on psecial teams.

Those weren't cheap tackles either -- there were at least a couple of games where he was a ST standout

 

[eduncan22]

You have Aaron Glenn getting cut?

 

[DallasEast]

It's highly unlikely that Glenn will be cut.

 

[eduncan22]

It's highly unlikely that Glenn will be cut.

A person has to have hope...


http://i89.***BLOCKED***/albums/k215/eduncan22/th_Game162006AGlennbeatbyRoyWilliams.jpg

 

[DallasEast]

A person has to have hope...


http://i89.***BLOCKED***/albums/k215/eduncan22/th_Game162006AGlennbeatbyRoyWilliams.jpg

Do... do you even listen to the announcers??? Champ Bailey would've had difficulty defending that pass. Kitna took a SIX-STEP drop BEFORE he even lobbed the fade.

IT'S THE PASS RUSH!

DAMN!

 

[Cowboy4ever]

Do... do you even listen to the announcers??? Champ Bailey would've had difficulty defending that pass. Kitna took a SIX-STEP drop BEFORE he even lobbed the fade.

IT'S THE PASS RUSH!

DAMN!

As much as I agree about our pass rush last year, on that play, it was not the problem. It took roughly 3 seconds for Kitna to release the ball from the snap.. we rushed 4 guys,, its almost impossible, unless someone just goes unblocked, for a DL to get thru his guy and to the QB in under 3 seconds.

The problem I have on that play, why was our #3 CB on their #1 WR on the goaline.. that is what made no sense.. not the pass rush.

 

[VACowboy]

I stand corrected. i watched every game last year and for th life of me i cannot recall him doing anything on psecial teams.

Hurd really stood out in kick coverage in a bunch of games.

 

[jobberone]

I don't think it's out of the question for the team to keep just two TE's and stash a developmental player on the practice squad just in case, similar to what they did last year at QB.

Given the de-emphasis of the two TE formation late in the season and the use of more traditional fullback formations, I could see the team keep two TE's and two FB's.

If they think they can stash an extra TE on the PS without losing him then I think that's what they will and should do. JMO. They may not be able to hide the basketball TE if he shows something. They'll probably have a problem hiding more than one this year. And having to cut people who will catch on elsewhere.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

If they think they can stash an extra TE on the PS without losing him then I think that's what they will and should do. JMO. They may not be able to hide the basketball TE if he shows something. They'll probably have a problem hiding more than one this year. And having to cut people who will catch on elsewhere.

Exactly.

The fact is with a 53 man roster you can't have too many "pet" positions like say...

10 offensive lineman...
2 full-backs
4 tight-ends
7 wide-receivers
9 linebackers
6 corners
5 safeties
3 qb's
4 running backs
2 kickers


Some positions are going to have to be pared back.

 

[DallasEast]

As much as I agree about our pass rush last year, on that play, it was not the problem. It took roughly 3 seconds for Kitna to release the ball from the snap.. we rushed 4 guys,, its almost impossible, unless someone just goes unblocked, for a DL to get thru his guy and to the QB in under 3 seconds.

The problem I have on that play, why was our #3 CB on their #1 WR on the goaline.. that is what made no sense.. not the pass rush.

That was a perfectly thrown fade pass after a six-step drop. There is only one way a defensive back can defend against a perfectly thrown fade pass in the endzone; and that way is for the cornerback to reach the spot where the pass will descend before the receiver reaches that same spot (i.e. better position/blocking out the receiver). The cornerback must then hope that he can outleap the receiver, if necessary. Question: how many cornerbacks are going to outleap Roy Williams on a perfectly lobbed fade?

Quarterbacks do not commonly take six-step drops in the red zone before throwing the fade pass. That's why I pointed it out. They take one or two steps before the ball is out of their hands. The fade pass is most effective if it's in the air before the defensive back can react and position himself properly to either knock down the pass or intercept it. In this case, Kitna went a few steps further (pun not intended).

It is Kitna's deep drop that presented the defense with the highest probability of pressuring the quarterback and altering his throw. A sack or a pass knockdown would've been gravy, but not necessary. Here are some examples of what could have happened if the quarterback had been hurried:

If the pass had been slightly overthrown, Roy Williams would've had to compensate for the higher trajectory (sp?) of the throw. He could have still caught the pass, but it would have been a much harder catch.

If it had been slightly underthrown, the DB (Glenn) could've made a play on the ball.

If Kitna had released the ball too soon, the timing between him and Roy Williams would've made the catch more difficult.

IMO, if: 1) Kitna took the same drop and threw a perfect pass 2) any other cornerback were substituted for Glenn, and 3) Kitna had the same amount of time to deliver the ball, the same set of results would've happened 95 out of 100 attempts.

The true weakness in the clip was not Glenn's defending Roy Williams. It was the lack of pressure applied on Kitna to affect his throw. JMO.

 

[dogunwo]

I dont think Hurd does anything on special teams. Austin and Elam both contribute there. If anything id say Hurd would be the odd man out.

I can see why jones likes this roster. We could absorb injuries at all but 3 positions, NT, C and QB.

Doubt it, Hurd can play all WR positions. But, this will be the hardest TC cuts in a long time, which is a good thing. I think no one wants to lose a guy and he shines on another team.

 

[dogunwo]

Exactly.

The fact is with a 53 man roster you can't have too many "pet" positions like say...

10 offensive lineman...
2 full-backs
4 tight-ends
7 wide-receivers
9 linebackers
6 corners
5 safeties
3 qb's
4 running backs
2 kickers


Some positions are going to have to be pared back.

I know you don't like to this early, but I would be interested to see your projections

 

[Cowboy4ever]

That was a perfectly thrown fade pass after a six-step drop. There is only one way a defensive back can defend against a perfectly thrown fade pass in the endzone; and that way is for the cornerback to reach the spot where the pass will descend before the receiver reaches that same spot (i.e. better position/blocking out the receiver). The cornerback must then hope that he can outleap the receiver, if necessary. Question: how many cornerbacks are going to outleap Roy Williams on a perfectly lobbed fade?

Quarterbacks do not commonly take six-step drops in the red zone before throwing the fade pass. That's why I pointed it out. They take one or two steps before the ball is out of their hands. The fade pass is most effective if it's in the air before the defensive back can react and position himself properly to either knock down the pass or intercept it. In this case, Kitna went a few steps further (pun not intended).

It is Kitna's deep drop that presented the defense with the highest probability of pressuring the quarterback and altering his throw. A sack or a pass knockdown would've been gravy, but not necessary. Here are some examples of what could have happened if the quarterback had been hurried:

If the pass had been slightly overthrown, Roy Williams would've had to compensate for the higher trajectory (sp?) of the throw. He could have still caught the pass, but it would have been a much harder catch.

If it had been slightly underthrown, the DB (Glenn) could've made a play on the ball.

If Kitna had released the ball too soon, the timing between him and Roy Williams would've made the catch more difficult.

IMO, if: 1) Kitna took the same drop and threw a perfect pass 2) any other cornerback were substituted for Glenn, and 3) Kitna had the same amount of time to deliver the ball, the same set of results would've happened 95 out of 100 attempts.

The true weakness in the clip was not Glenn's defending Roy Williams. It was the lack of pressure applied on Kitna to affect his throw. JMO.

Although i do agree that it was a very well executed play and it would have been very hard for anyone to defend it, to put the blame on the pass rush is a reach IMO. Unless someone goes completely unblocked, there is not a pass rush on earth that would get to the QB that fast. As you have stated, it was a fade route,, there fore there would be NO chance to deflect the ball at the LOS. But the question to me is, again, why was the smallest, less physical cb 1 on 1 with Williams, in that situation. The staff should have anticapated that the Lions would try to use their BEST WR and should have at the very least double him with safty support. Williams was WIDE open, glenn didn't even get in a position to make a play whatsoever. Glenn either lost sight of RW or RW just physically moved glenn out of the way.

Now if you are suggesting we should have blitzed in that situation, that is a different discussion and one I might agree with. But rushing 4 guys against 5 and expecting them to get there in under 3 seconds, is not practical.. IMO.

 

[DallasEast]

Although i do agree that it was a very well executed play and it would have been very hard for anyone to defend it, to put the blame on the pass rush is a reach IMO. Unless someone goes completely unblocked, there is not a pass rush on earth that would get to the QB that fast.

In reply, I can only repeat what I said earlier, "It is Kitna's deep drop that presented the defense with the highest probability of pressuring the quarterback and altering his throw. A sack or a pass knockdown would've been gravy, but not necessary."

As you have stated, it was a fade route,, there fore there would be NO chance to deflect the ball at the LOS. But the question to me is, again, why was the smallest, less physical cb 1 on 1 with Williams, in that situation. The staff should have anticapated that the Lions would try to use their BEST WR and should have at the very least double him with safty support. Williams was WIDE open, glenn didn't even get in a position to make a play whatsoever. Glenn either lost sight of RW or RW just physically moved glenn out of the way.

The linebacker played short zone on Glenn side, so Roy played man defense on the tight end. Roy could have helped Glenn against his namesake, but that would've left the tight end one-on-one on the linebacker (James?). If I'm not mistaken, that particular matchup didn't fare so well in the last half of the season for our pass defense.

In the first few frames of the clip, before the snap until shortly before Kitna released the ball, Glenn is lined up over Roy Williams then backpedals out of the frame. You pick both men up again as the pass reaches the endzone. Glenn is behind and towards the sideline of Roy Williams when the ball was caught.

I don't believe that Glenn lost sight of Roy Williams. If he got outmuscled, he would've fared as well as if Newman had been locked up on him. Sizewise, Henry would've been a better choice of CB matchup, but Glenn's cover skills are superior to Henry's in the nickel.

Now if you are suggesting we should have blitzed in that situation, that is a different discussion and one I might agree with. But rushing 4 guys against 5 and expecting them to get there in under 3 seconds, is not practical.. IMO.

Four seconds.

I could nitpick and point out that blitzing is an added component of a pass rush and that blitzing is not exclusive of a pass rush, but I see your point also. We haven't had a strong pass rush (with or without blitzing) for a long time. There are teams with a strong four-man defensive front which can pressure or hurry (not necessarily sack) a quarterback taking a six-step drop. This is one of the reasons why I have zero opposition to Anthony Spencer's selection. IF we cannot generate a consistently strong 4-man pass rush against five blockers this season, we may as well tell Wade Phillips to go back to San Diego and haul Zimmer's butt back to Big D. That is one of the problems Phillips was brought here to overcome.