So, position by position: who are your bubble players?

[Woz]

While I sit here trying to slough off the feeling of regret that I have for creating the all meme GDT, I thought I would actually discuss a bit of football regarding the team's composition.

Position by position, who is/are your bubble player(s)? How close are they to getting on the roster?

For me:

• QB: <no bubble players>. McCoy and Sudfeld are in. That's unfortunate because the both stink.
• RB: Mack Brown. Kelley, Thompson, and Perine are through. Jones is biding his time before he's cut. Hilliard's just a camp body. Brown could make the roster, but he'll have to really shine in game 3 and game 4 since he's facing a four game suspension to start the season. True, the team could keep him on the "Reserve/Suspended" list and then make a decision during/after the bye, but he'll need to give the coaching staff a good reason to keep him there. I suspect they'll punt and see where things stand a month into the season.
• WR: Robert Davis and Maurice Harris. Grant and Brian Quick are going to make the roster. Joy . Along with the likely starters of Pryor, Doctson, and Crowder, that's five. I think Davis and Harris are fighting for that last possible spot ... assuming that it is even there. Davis is raw but the physical numbers are impressive. Harris I believe has been banged up, but he was impressive last year. Both need a good couple of games to make their case on why they should be on the final 53. If I had to pick one, I guess they go with Davis just because he's playing.
• TE: Jeremy Sprinkle. I think he's beaten out Derek Carrier, but Reed, Davis, and yes Paul are in front of him. He's got the talent, but also the chucklehead reputation. Maybe you guys have seen something from him, but I don't recall him one way or the other. Being nondescript is not where you want to be when the bubble is inflating. Right now, I think he's out.
• OT: <no bubble players>. Maybe Vinston Painter shows something and works his way in, but right now I only see three tackles: Trent, Moses, and Nsekhe. That's awfully thin, but that's where we are. I think Painter might still have eligibility on the practice squad, but it's awfully tight there. Don't hold me to that.
• OG: <no bubble players pending Chase Rouiller's performance against the Bengals>. Right now, Lauvao's in. However, if Long recovers quickly and Rouiller looks solid, Lauvao could easily be on the chopping block. I will freely admit I have no idea about the other guards. So this may be somewhere someone comes out of the blue. It would be surprising to me if that happened.
• OC: <no bubble players>. Ronald Patrick is probably a nice guy, but if Long is out for awhile, the team will likely look for a veteran to back up/start in front of Rouiller.
• DE: Matt Ioannidis and Anthony Lanier II. I'm going to be cynical and assume Terrell McClain makes the roster because the front office doesn't really want to look like they wasted a ton of coin on a guy who shouldn't be here. That means we're likely bumping some of the young faces. Given that means we're likely rolling with Hood, McClain, McGee, and Allen at DE, both gentlemen are probably on the chopping block. It's a shame because neither should be. Two stupid penalties from McGee have translated into touchdowns against the Ravens and Packers. McClain is a body out there. But they got paid the big bucks so they get to stay. 
• DT: Joey Mbu and A.J. Francis. One of these two is probably going to be heartbroken in about ten days time, as I think the loser of this competition may be one of the closest to make the squad. If I had to call it right now, I'd say Mbu by a gut ... I mean nose.
• OLB: Lynden Trail and Chris Carter. A lot of people are talking up Carter as making a roster push, but I think he's done enough negatives (the inexcusable lack of coverage on the RB in the flat against Green Bay is the biggest one) that will deny him a job. Trail, on the other hand, is quietly showing up all over the field. He's got the most playing time of any player in the first two preseason games (87 snaps on defense, 111 total), so he might sneak in as a special teams guy. I'll say he makes it.
• ILB: Josh Harvey-Clemons. If Will Compton had a little less seniority/trust of the coaching staff, I would have put his name there instead of JHC's. I will admit I was down on this guy when we drafted him due to his chuckleheadness. However, the kid can play. He's going to either be one of the last ones in or first ones out. Game 3 may decide his fate. Nico Marley's feelgood story didn't do enough against the Packers to keep him on the bubble.
• CB: Quinton Dunbar, Dashaun Phillips, and Joshua Holsey. I think Moreau did enough on special teams to guarantee his roster spot. Norman, Breeland, and Fuller are in. This leaves realistically one spot open. Dunbar's probably got the inside edge due to seniority, but I that's awfully thin. This spot is up in the air.
• S: Fish Smithson. Sigh. I don't see how the front office chooses him over Nicholson. Unless Cravens is out for awhile, I think the Fish is done for. As I said, sigh.

 

So, how did I do? Who would you change?

[turtle28]

We traded Phillips for a back up center on the Steelers. I don't know anything about him.

I think we keep McClain, Lanier & Ioannidis. We signed McClain for a reason, run defense. We retain McClain & Lanier for two reasons:

1. They are young with potential

2. They are good pass rushers

Kouandjio, Harris, Sprinkle, Carter, Nicholson and Dunbar make it.

Robert Davis, Catalina, Kalis, Harvey-Clemons, Marley, Holsey, Smithson go to practice squad.

Brown, Quick, Painter, Trail and Patrick are cut.