First 2015 Depth Chart - 54 man

[Mudfly]

@londonbrown said:

Interesting you see Desir as a safety, is that where most see him long term now?

Just kind of projecting....Browns used him there some and it seems a good fit...plus, you want your best guys playing and I think he's gonna really step up....

@texasag1969 said:

Why do I think it's possible for Bitoni to move to starting RT and Erving to move to his spot at RG?

Probably gonna find a way to get our best 5 on the field, so anythings possible.....though Pettine just said that the left was completely set and Cam had to find his job on the right.....Bowie & Schwartz sound like a strong pair at RT....so, Im thinking a battle at RG is his best bet...

One other thing Id point out is that Bitonio is GREAT at OG....but would be closer to average at OT.....Id leave that alone....

[secondwave]

Few thoughts:

1. I think we're going all-in with Manziel this year. I'd be surprised if he's not our Day 1 starter.

2. Ifo Ekpre-Olomu is gonna make the 53-man roster. I guaran-fucking-tee it. Dude is a steal. He could be the starter by next year. We may very have the most talented cornerback depth in the league. We got 4-5 guys with starting CB potential.

3. Same goes for our offensive line.

[secondwave]

@mudfly said:

Just kind of projecting....Browns used him there some and it seems a good fit...plus, you want your best guys playing and I think he's gonna really step up....

Probably gonna find a way to get our best 5 on the field, so anythings possible.....though Pettine just said that the left was completely set and Cam had to find his job on the right.....Bowie & Schwartz sound like a strong pair at RT....so, Im thinking a battle at RG is his best bet...

One other thing Id point out is that Bitonio is GREAT at OG....but would be closer to average at OT.....Id leave that alone....

Yeah, I think Bitonio is a little small to play the outside, and is more of a mauler in the run game. I actually think Cam beats out Greco for the RG position. And while I don't mind Schwartz, gut feeling that Bowie wins the starting position.

[gumby73]

Man I see our Defense outscoring our Offense in Training Camp All day.. Can only hope that makes our Offense Better working against that D everyday...

[tiamat63]

@mudfly said:

Just wanted to see what this looked like......took last years final 54 man roster, less the guys who are gone....plus the FA's and primary picks.....

DEFENSE:

DE 1: Starks... D. Bryant... A. Bryant

NT : Shelton..Taylor... Kitchen

DE 2: Hughes... Cooper... Winn

MLB: Dansby... Pullard... Carder

WLB: Robertson.. Kirksey

OLB: Kruger.... Solomon

OLB: Mingo... Orchard

RCB: Haden... K. Williams...Nelson

LCB: T. Williams...Gilbert....Gaines....

SS : Whitner.....Campbell.....Bademosi

FS : Gipson....Desir.....Poyer

You should relabel the dline, also you have a few people jumbled up.

At the 5 tech you're going to have Starks, Cooper as their primary spots.

At the 3 you're going to have Desmond, Hughes as their primary spots.

Winn will flip between the 3 and the 5 as rotational backup.

At Nose you're Shelton, Phil and Kitchen.

Monty has moved to a 2point 9 tech. 8 players between 3 positions.

A few other things of note.

- It wouldn't surprise me if Mingo isn't fully healthy and Orchard beats him out.

- I like the idea of Desir bringing the depth behind Gipson

- I know we won't be carrying 5 RB's into the season nor will we carry 4 QB's.

[Mudfly]

@tiamat63 said:

You should relabel the dline, also you have a few people jumbled up.

Yeah...just trying to list the names, not at all hung up on where they'll be slotted come game time(expecting a lot of movement)

Monty has moved to a 2point 9 tech.

I hear they're thinking of moving him around, but for now he's gotta be listed somewhere....so DL is as good as any spot...

- It wouldn't surprise me if Mingo isn't fully healthy and Orchard beats him out.

Its possible....but would surprise me from day one, I guess.....Mingo plays a lot of coverage and Im seeing Orchard as more of a pass rush specialist...and really dont see any other OLB's to handle that coverage duty....except mingo.....(certainly not Kruger)

And Im nowhere close to predicting starters yet, but if I had to guess now, Shelton and the Duke are the only ones I see starting immediately....the rest got their work cut out for them to make the squad, let alone start...but we can hope for a few to break out right away....

- I know we won't be carrying 5 RB's into the season nor will we carry 4 QB's.

Right....thats the whole point of my post....the list isnt a final roster.....its a roster with 10 too many names already(and a bunch left off)....so there are more listed at EVERY position, than what we will carry, not just QB and RB...

Here's the break out for last year.............2 QB...6 WR...4 RB...6 OL...3 TE...6 DL...4 OLB...4 MLB....5 S...6 CB .... 3 ST......which = 54.......

So...lots of cuts from the above list coming up......

[Mudfly]

@secondwave said:

2. Ifo Ekpre-Olomu is gonna make the 53-man roster. I guaran-fucking-tee it. Dude is a steal. He could be the starter by next year. We may very have the most talented cornerback depth in the league. We got 4-5 guys with starting CB potential.

I agree the talent is wicked deep.......

Which is why Id expect Olomu to be redshirted(so to speak) and end up as a PUP list player for this season.....

Maybe he'll have some kind of a miraculous recovery, but it's only been a few months and his knee was seriously tore up....

[thenew23]

Here is my post-draft, pre-UDFAs, pre-rookie camp, pre-90 man TC roster, pre-pre-season way too soon to be accurate 53-man roster...

Bold - denotes starter

Italics - denotes rookie

QB - McCown / Manziel / Shaw

RB - Crowell / West / D.Johnson

FB - M.Johnson

WR - Bowe / Hawkins / Hartline / Gabriel / Mayle

TE - Dray / Housler / Barnidge / Telfer

OT - Thomas / Schwartz / Bowie

OG - Bitonio / Greco / Erving

C - Mack / Seymour

DE - Hughes / D.Bryant / Starks / Winn / Cooper

DT - Taylor / Shelton

OLB - Kruger / Mingo / A.Bryant / Orchard / Solomon

ILB - Dansby / Robertson / Kirksey / Pullard

CB - Haden / T.Williams / K.Williams / Gilbert / Nelson / Gaines

S - Whitner / Gipson / Desir / Campbell

STs - Yount / Lanning / Hartley

IR - Ekpre-Olomu

Notice... I have 11 of 12 draft picks on this roster (and 1 going to IR for the year) as I gave them priority over other players, mostly b/c I have no idea if any of them will or will not be any good. Also, I gave starter priority to the veterans...

[ColumbusKing]

I only see immeadite issues as OLB and QB

[PoeticG]

They need to increase roster size. I hate losing good players because of roster cap, especially when you sustain injuries and what-not.

[thenew23]

@poeticg said:

They need to increase roster size. I hate losing good players because of roster cap, especially when you sustain injuries and what-not.

This might be the first year in a while when we're actually going to have to cut good players. That's a good sign for our team development. Should be great competetion and may the best players get the job...

[Zombo]

@thenew23 said:

Here is my post-draft, pre-UDFAs, pre-rookie camp, pre-90 man TC roster, pre-pre-season way too soon to be accurate 53-man roster...

Bold - denotes starter

Italics - denotes rookie

QB - McCown / Manziel / Shaw

RB - Crowell / West / D.Johnson

FB - M.Johnson

WR - Bowe / Hawkins / Hartline / Gabriel / Mayle

TE - Dray / Housler / Teifer

OT - Thomas / Schwartz / Bowie

OG - Bitonio / Greco / Erving

C - Mack / Seymour

DE - Hughes / D.Bryant / Starks / Winn / Cooper

DT - Taylor / Shelton

OLB - Kruger / Mingo / A.Bryant / Orchard / Solomon

ILB - Dansby / Robertson / Kirksey / Pullard

CB - Haden / T.Williams / K.Williams / Gilbert / Desir / Nelson / Campbell

S - Whitner / Gipson / Bademosi / Gaines

STs - Yount / Lanning / Hartley

IR - Ekpre-Olomu

Notice... I have 11 of 12 draft picks on this roster (and 1 going to IR for the year) as I gave them priority over other players, mostly b/c I have no idea if any of them will or will not be any good. Also, I gave starter priority to the veterans...

Dude ... what did you do to Gary Barnrdge?

He is 29 and ready to have a breakout year. He blocks, He catches. He has the name of a friendly local State farm agent. He dates hot wrestling chicks.

C'mon, man!

Zombo

[Unsympathetic]

Desir and Campbell are S.

Gaines is CB, and he will be ahead of Nelson but behind Gilbert.

[The Gipper]

@thenew23 said:

Here is my post-draft, pre-UDFAs, pre-rookie camp, pre-90 man TC roster, pre-pre-season way too soon to be accurate 53-man roster...

Bold - denotes starter

Italics - denotes rookie

QB - McCown / Manziel / Shaw

RB - Crowell / West / D.Johnson

FB - M.Johnson

WR - Bowe / Hawkins / Hartline / Gabriel / Mayle

TE - Dray / Housler / Teifer

OT - Thomas / Schwartz / Bowie

OG - Bitonio / Greco / Erving

C - Mack / Seymour

DE - Hughes / D.Bryant / Starks / Winn / Cooper

DT - Taylor / Shelton

OLB - Kruger / Mingo / A.Bryant / Orchard / Solomon

ILB - Dansby / Robertson / Kirksey / Pullard

CB - Haden / T.Williams / K.Williams / Gilbert / Desir / Nelson / Campbell

S - Whitner / Gipson / Bademosi / Gaines

STs - Yount / Lanning / Hartley

IR - Ekpre-Olomu

Notice... I have 11 of 12 draft picks on this roster (and 1 going to IR for the year) as I gave them priority over other players, mostly b/c I have no idea if any of them will or will not be any good. Also, I gave starter priority to the veterans...

You want to get rid of Benjamin? Who is going to return punts and kicks?

[mdmusch]

Duke is a capable return man. That's one of his best attributes

[gftChris]

@the-gipper said:

You want to get rid of Benjamin? Who is going to return punts and kicks?

Off the top of my head, Gilbert, Gabriel, Duke (as above), and Draughn are capable of doing so. I'm sure there are more.

[The Gipper]

@gftchris said:

Off the top of my head, Gilbert, Gabriel, Duke (as above), and Draughn are capable of doing so. I'm sure there are more.

Gilbert wasn't used. Gabriel and Draughn helped us have like the 31st rated return game in the league. When Benjamin's head was on right, he scored TDs and long returns. Duke is still an unknown obviously.

[Mudfly]

Actually, Moore(25), Gabriel(24) and Draughn(23) all had better return averages than Benji(20)....

WITH Benji we ranked 28th.....but WITHOUT him we would have ranked 10th......so, it was Benji who dragged our averages down, not Draughn or Gabriel...

He'll never be a top performer....time for someone to beat him out.....

[gftChris]

@mudfly said:

Actually, Moore(25), Gabriel(24) and Draughn(23) all had better return averages than Benji(20)....

WITH Benji we ranked 28th.....but WITHOUT him we would have ranked 10th......so, it was Benji who dragged our averages down, not Draughn or Gabriel...

He'll never be a top performer....time for someone to beat him out.....

If he can recapture the 2013 form though he'd be a great asset as a pure returner, or maybe with some end-around type plays thrown in. Don't forget he did lead us in TD catches last year...with 3.

[Tour2ma]

Benji is simply not built to return kicks.

However, if he can get his head right, then he can still be dangerous as a pun returner.