Ravens Projected 53 man roster, POST-ATL Game

*EDITED - Decided to put Edgar Jones on the team over Jameel McClain*

Ok, let me first list a few guys who may or may not start the season on the PUP/IR...

Kyle Boller
Ed Reed
Chris McAlister
Marcus Smith
Cory Ross

So when each of their roster spots comes up, I will also name a designate replacement at the end.

QB - Flacco, Troy, Boller* (or Bramlet/insert FA QB here)
RB - McGahee, Rice, Cory Ross* (or Allen Patrick)
FB - McClain, Neal
WR - Mason, Clayton, DWil, Matt Willis, Marcus Smith* (or Justin Harper)
TE - Heap, Wilcox, Adam Bergen
OT - Gaither, Terry, Cousins, Kracalik
OG - Grubbs, Yanda, Hale
OC - Brown, Chester


DL - Gregg, Ngata, Pryce, Douglas, Bannan
OLB - JJ, Suggs, Barnes, Ayanbadejo, Edgar Jones (will also play TE, ala Mike Vrabel)
ILB - Ray, Bart, Gooden, Greisen
CB - Samari Rolle, Fabian Washington, Frank Walker, Corey Ivy, Chris McAlister* (or Derrick Martin)
S - Landry, Zbikowski, Nakamura, Leonhard, Reed** (if Reed is on PUP/IR, don't see a need to add another S, so I say we keep Gary Stills or Amon Gordon)


K-Stover
P-Koch
LS-Katula
RS-Figurs


Notes -

Allen Patrick looks like a tough kid, but definitley looked like a rookie with a couple dropped passes. He only makes this team if Ross is out for the year.

Harper was a pick to make the squad until tonight, he had a VERY rough game. Willis made a nice grab, so he gets Harper's spot in my book

Jameel McClain should make this team, he's played with fire, grit, and everything else we want in a LB, but my decision came down to Edgar Jones vs Jameel McClain. McClain has looked really good at LB, but Edgar Jones gives us some flexibility on both Defense and Offense, plus he's a 2nd year player, so I give him the edge. I think we can pass Jameel McClain to P Sq and look for him to come on in a big way next year.

I still say Walker should be cut, though I think he looked better last night, but the coaches like him too much. There's a chance maybe he's the odd man out and Martin makes the team instead.

Leonhard looks like an amazing pickup at this point, dude can do everything. We have a pretty set situation at S.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RavenScallywag

...Leonhard looks like an amazing pickup at this point, dude can do everything. We have a pretty set situation at S.

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Can I get an AMEN?

what's even weirder is he's a pretty small dude, but he's out there making hits, returning punts, making INTs...good dude all around

I will make one amendment after thinking about it...

I think Edgar Jones might make the team over Jameel McClain. Edgar Jones is a guy I think the coaches just like all around. I don't think they switched him because he was struggling at LB/DE, they switched him to give him a little more playing time at TE. It would probably be easier to sneak Jameel McClain on the P Sq this year than it would be Edgar Jones, and Edgar Jones gives us more flexibility in terms of positions he can play. The edge I would give McClain is I don't know how good Edgar Jones is on ST coverage, Jameel McClain looked pretty hot at ST, he had that fumble recovery in the NE game.

I don't find myself disagreeing with what you have come up with.

Patrick's hands looked horrible, and was disappointed with Harper's effort when the ball was in the air. I'll freely admit that the passes weren't the best, but I didn't notice any fire that screamed "that's my ball and I want it!"

I've loved Willis' hands since I first saw them, and his effort. He seems to be a statistical bubble... the old well we need more speed or height, but there is something there that tells me the guy will make plays, love to see him kept, but I'm still not convinced he won't be squeezed.

Jones, I'm chalking up to rust, looks like he has to make the mental shift from reaction to initiation, and I'm pretty sure there hasn't been enough time for the nuances of offensive thinking to emerge in his reflexes. Be interesting to follow, his versatility could be the deciding factor for the roster spot.

I think we are still going to see some final juggling with waiver wire. OL, TE, and now RB... but not enough info on our injuries, Wilcox looked ok, but I'm sure someone in FO is closely monitoring trainer reports.

I hope they can find a way to keep Stills on the roster. He has led the team in special teams tackles and been a two time pro bowl alternate since he has been here. I realize that Femi's brother is a beast but Gary is also. I hope he earned a spot with that tackle he made last night 12 yards behind the line.

Slaughter makes the OL team over Hale IMHO..

Hale is a G/T and a draft pick, Slaughter is a street FA. Hale makes it unless the coaches absolutely can't take him

I think Hale and Slaughter get cut. Hale as a 4th round pick looks suspect. He may get claimed off waivers, but he is a practice squad project, not a player yet.

Slaughter played like a champ concidering, but he is long shot to survive this round of cuts. He definitly played better than Hale and Cousins, but not so good that he has to make the team now that Gaither and Terry look healthy.

Stills has to be on the team. He is the best special teams tackler in the buis, and close enough to a decent DE to make the team over Jones, who may have one more practice squad in him.

The Bungles or Browns are most likley going to grab any and all LBs we cut though. CBs too.

I think Walker and Ivy are good enough tacklers to live with the lapses in coverage, but Walker could walk.

None of the WRs cracked through the bubble, but it had to be tough to tell with a street QB throwing the ball to the wrong team. Harper never got any seperation. Willis looked decent, but not enough to crack through.

The practice squad should look good though. Patrick needed to catch those passes to make the team.

The wire will produce a better back. Lance Ball is at the top of my list. I wanted him at the start of camp and heard he was one of the UDFAs, but he looks like a great short yardage back at this level as well. The Rams have to cut a better 3rd string back than we have even if they keep him.

The Qb situation is going to really mess with that last roster spot. They may have to face the Bungles with just Joe and Troy on the roster.

Since I'm a VT grad, and a huge Hokie football fan (...I am one of the few fans that thinks Frank Beamer is a fraud), I was very excited that the Ravens drafted Justin Harper. He was a big time playmaker in college. I thought he wasn't drafted higher b/c Beamer's 1970s brand of run first offense never features their WRs' skills. Also, the Hokies had Eddie Royal (2nd rd) & Josh Morgan (6th rd and probable starter for SF) to share the already not enough passes with. I was convinced that with his size, he would show the Ravens coaches that he has potential to become a solid WR. He looked pretty good in camp early, but after watching him halfass it on routes last nite where he wasnt the #1 option on a route, he doesn't deserve a spot on the squad. Needlessly to say, I didnt want to come to this conclusion since I am a fan of his, but facts are facts, he did not impress me.

I too have a leaning towards Ball, a good part of which is familiarity with a Terp. But there probably is going to be someone who has been around a little longer and brings a ST tape and further along at knowing where to move when the blitz starts. Rookies have a learning curve, experience may be the deciding factor depending on who is available. I also don't think we have as pressing of a need for a "true" third back, since McClain appears to be able to provide that adequately, so there is a lot of leeway in selecting someone there. If Jones was better at blocking, I'd almost have him as McClain's backup, and free the roster slot for a Stills.... Neal's addition gives us some options.

I hadn't really thought of Harper as a separation issue, now that you say it, I can see it. Maybe we could have made a judgement on hands if he had space, but Ravensnhokies has hit it with the word half*ssed. Think the "improving every week" impression is better for surviving than starting with a really good impression then going backwards.... unless a power is in love with a Hymes/Moore/DvD, I can't see great height keeping Harper on the roster.

Waiting for the medicals... KB, Ross, Reed.... PUP we keep a stop-gap (like Bramlet, maybe even Stills for Reed), IR and then it is roster replacement for the year, not enough info yet to know.