Are we missing something?

[painekiller]

The last two day's Gary Kubiak has talked about the 80 man roster and it's limits on the official site. During the owners meeting near the draft Casserly was blasting the owners for the short sightedness of the current roster limits.

This winter the owners did away with the European spring league, not a huge deal on it's face, many teams where not sending real players there and where wasting the opportunity to improve young players. But that league also included roster exemptions for the spring players through out training camp.

This allowed coaches to basically have practice fodder to burn reps. Now that is gone. IIRC we had 8 or 9 players with exemptions last year. That is a lot of guys.

Kubiak is pointing out if a CB or two or three go down, then you can burn out your other guys in quick fashion.

Right now we have 8 guys that will be gone before camp starts. Who?

[kravix]

Very very hard.

I went through the roster and here is my first guess at the pre TC cuts.

Roberson, Derrick CB
Powell, Eric DE
Long, Gabe DT
Cook, Jameel FB
Coley, Kevis LB
Richardson, Marcus LB
McCoy, LeRon WR
Okobi, Chukky C

That should get us to 80. Cook is the only one that I could really make a case for over the other obvious TC fodder.

[painekiller]

Originally Posted by kravix

Very very hard.

I went through the roster and here is my first guess at the pre TC cuts.

Roberson, Derrick CB
Powell, Eric DE
Long, Gabe DT
Cook, Jameel FB
Coley, Kevis LB
Richardson, Marcus LB
McCoy, LeRon WR
Okobi, Chukky C

That should get us to 80. Cook is the only one that I could really make a case for over the other obvious TC fodder.

Chukky has a hurt neck and may get an exemption, he is currently on the injuried list.

» 5/22/2008 Signed WR Tim Carter and WR Mark Simmons. Released RB Arliss Beach. Placed C Chukky Okobi on the reserve/injured list.

I see Abbate cut before Cook, they are giving him press time and all this week, kind of way to send him off with some positive press to help him catch on elsewhere. Not that I want Cook over Abbate, Cook has been over paid from the start and has not done much.

Going down your list shows mne how hard this off season will be. Finally!

[Keith]

Originally Posted by kravix

Roberson, Derrick CB
Powell, Eric DE
Long, Gabe DT
Cook, Jameel FB
Coley, Kevis LB
Richardson, Marcus LB
McCoy, LeRon WR
Okobi, Chukky C

Anyone go to the All-Access event at Reliant Stadium last night? I did, and I usually make a point to go around and see all the players there I can. I re-injured my ankle last night though and had a hard time getting around, so I didn't quite make it around like I wanted.

The point being that I think it would be interesting if some of these guys weren't there. Pretty much every player is on hand for this event, but I don't recall seeing several of those listed above (again, I missed seeing many of those signing in the second half of the session due to injury).

I did see Marcus Richardson, but I missed Jameel Cook. Jameel is of course the most notable name on your list above, and I think because of that he at least gets the camp invite unless there is some injury problem I am forgetting.

Cutting Cook, btw, would save the team from paying his $765k salary. There would be dead money totaling $660k from the bonus prorate left on the final three years of his contract, but as a June 1 cut, the team could eat just $220k this year and $440 in 2009 if they want.

also, Derrick Roberson was already cut to make room for a new center, Fenton.

[kravix]

Thanks Kieth. I didnt see aything about the cuts. I would just put Fenton in the same spot though, I already have them taking three C to camp. I dont know much about Fenton though so he could beat out Eslinger.

If Chukky is on the pup he counts towards the limit, if he is on IR ( I didnt think you could IR until TC) then he doesnt. I would think that they would cut him and pay the settlement if he will count as a roster spot, especially with how concerned Kubes seems with the reduced roster.

I really dont think that Kubes will take 3 FB's to camp. It could be like painkiller said and Abbate is getting camera time to help him out. It really will come down to who is a better ST player. I like Abbate to win the spot though. He was a feel good story last year, and even though he is a project, the fact that the coaches saw enough in him to even start to attempt it last year says alot for an UDFA. I think his upside and youth will win out.

I may look over the roster again today and do a revised list. That one was semi shoot from the hip, and I didnt analyze every position and their numbers completely.

[Keith]

Originally Posted by kravix

I really dont think that Kubes will take 3 FB's to camp.

I think he will.

Kubes, like most if not all coaches, wants to run at least three full reps during the first couple weeks of training camp (like a 3-deep roster, the starters, then the backups, then the third stringers). Early in camp there are sometimes four groups. It kinda screws up the practice rotations if you are short someone, like a third FB.

Now, Kubiak I think said after an OTA earlier this month that he isn't considering Taylor at FB, but that is the caveat here. If he were to change his mind, then I could see the team bringing one less "true" FB into camp.

Also, I don't think it's a given that the team only has three centers in camp, especially since there will be (at least) four QBs on the roster when camp opens.

[papabear]

I just can't believe that the NFL hasn't upped the roster limits now that teams don't have the NFL Europe exemptions. I keep thinking they would change that soon....but I guess it's not happening.

Chances are the 85th guy on the roster is not making the team, but just from the standpoint of having plenty of bodies to spread the reps around I think it might be a good idea to up the limit.