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How New Orleans Saints media projects the 53-man roster: Surveying latest projections to see who’s in, who’s out, and who’s on the bubble
We’re hours away from kickoff in the third and final New Orleans Saints preseason game, and everyone has their take on which players are going to make it through roster cuts on Tuesday — and who might be left on the outside looking in.
So to get an idea of each player’s odds of making the team, we surveyed the latest 53-man roster projections from ten different media outlets covering the Saints. Radio shows, newspapers, and online platforms were each considered. Here’s what we found:
Here’s our updated New Orleans Saints 53-man roster projection after the 2023 NFL draft:
How did the 2023 NFL draft shake up our New Orleans Saints roster projection? Right now, the team has about 85 players under contract — but only 53 of them will make the cut for Week 1 in September.
It’s worth remembering this is very much a work-in-progress. We’re trying to reflect the value the team has committed to its draft picks and undrafted rookie signings while being mindful of further changes and additions that could come in the days and weeks ahead. Some early-summer veteran free agents could be on the way which will shake this up, and all it takes is one unfortunate injury to turn things sideways for an entire position group.
Still, here’s our best guess at what the opening-day roster could look like in four months:
Be sure you know all of the players on the #Chiefs’ roster ahead of their Week 9 game with the #Titans.
The Kansas City Chiefs have solidified their roster for Week 9 of the 2022 NFL season.
The Chiefs elevated one player from the practice squad, bringing this week’s total to 54 players. Keep in mind only 48 players will be made active for the game with a minimum of eight offensive linemen active. The team will need to make six players inactive on Sunday. We already know that TE Jody Fortson has been ruled out.
Be sure that you know how to identify all of Kansas City’s players during the Week 9 game against the Titans. Here is a look at the Chiefs’ roster by jersey number:
Seattle Seahawks cornerback Michael Jackson discusses his NFL journey to making the team’s 53-man roster through hard work and mental reps.
Cornerback Michael Jackson was one of the lucky players on Tuesday to remain with the team after the Seattle Seahawks trimmed their roster to the mandated 53-man limit.
Jackson was originally selected by the Cowboys in the 2019 NFL draft but signed with the Lions later that year. Ahead of the 2020 season, he was traded to the Patriots and spent most of the year on the practice squad. He was signed by Seattle last September as a practice-squad member and earned himself a future contract this January.
“It’s a journey,” Jackson told reporters during his press conference on Wednesday. “It is one of those things where I always believed there was light at the end of the tunnel. It’s just the beginning, I can’t stop now.”
Jackson has impressed throughout camp and was asked what the key has been to his success.
“I was just being me, I didn’t try to be anyone else,” Jackson said. “I worked hard and prepared my body and mind. All of those mental reps that I got last year for the whole season, all of that went into play.”
Jackson’s next big chance to prove himself will come Monday, Sept. 12 when the Seahawks host the Broncos to open their season.
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#Chiefs HC Andy Reid shared some thoughts on his initial 53-man roster and where his team stands heading into Week 1. | from @TheJohnDillon
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Now trimmed to 53 players, the Kansas City Chiefs are set to take on the regular season with excellent depth on both sides of the ball. Despite cutting some exceptional players after their game against Minnesota last week, the preseason process gave the team more than enough time to evaluate the talent they had through training camp, especially after missing camp last season.
With the roster set, Andy Reid is focused on winning early games in September. The Chiefs’ first game against the Browns at Arrowhead will be the first real test for Kansas City. They host a bevy of new talent this season, a far cry from last year when they returned nearly every starters after winning Super Bowl LIV.
The Chiefs’ perfect preseason record was a reason for celebration after the win over the Vikings. Reid seemed pleased with the team’s performance in August. He told the media that the exhibition games were a great chance to see younger players in real situations, and served a key role in the cuts made on Tuesday for Brett Veach.
“I liked what I saw on both sides of the ball,” Reid said. “We were able to get the young guys some extended play, which I thought was important, especially for Brett (Veach) and the decisions he had to make. He’s in the process right now, going through everything. He’s made cuts and that, but at the same time, he’s got to put together a 16-player practice squad and he’s got to keep finalizing what other teams are doing and if they want to work into what we’re doing here as far as moving players around a little bit. So, that’s where we’re at.”
Asked if this is the deepest group he’s had in Kansas City, Reid was non-committal but seemed confident in the roster as it stands heading into week one.
“I think time will tell on that,” he told reporters. “As we work through it and what it will look like once we get into games. We’ve still got a ways to go. We’ve still got another week here that we’ve got to get ourselves ready to play against a good Browns team. We’ll see. I like the group, though.”
Reid is still taking a day-by-day approach with the preseason bye this week, and after Tuesday’s cuts seems to be ready to get back to work with the remaining players. Preparation has officially begun for the September home opener, though Reid explained that the team was still emphasizing coaching points from training camp.
“We went back through and those things that we didn’t cover that we had talked about in training camp, we wanted to go back and work on those” Reid said, “So, that’s kind of what today was. Obviously, we don’t have a scout team, so we had to service ourselves today. Ones got to work in—I mean, it was one of those days. But both sides of the ball plus special teams were able to work on some things that I thought could help them throughout the season. It wasn’t so much Cleveland or that.”
With a tight window for a playoff spot in the AFC, Kansas City will need to play steady solid football for their whole extended 17 game schedule. Assemble the best 53-man roster isn’t quite finished for Kansas City, but the Chiefs still look primed to get off to a great start in their September games.
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The #Chiefs have assembled their initial 53-man roster for the 2021 NFL season.
The Kansas City Chiefs have officially assembled their first iteration of the 53-man roster for the 2021 NFL season. The team was faced with some tough choices, but Andy Reid and Brett Veach wouldn’t have it any other way. Expect some changes in the coming days as it relates to injured players and waiver claims.
Here’s your first look at the initial 53-man roster in Kansas City:
7 toughest cuts from our Saints 53-man roster projection
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We’ve got less than a week to go until the New Orleans Saints cut their roster down from 80 players to just 53, which prompted a revised roster projection for Week 1 of the regular season. We’ve got enough data and exposure to the team to make some informed decisions but there’s enough time for some players to make their case for a roster spot. So some of these projections may end up looking far-fetched.
With that said: you can find the full roster projection in complete detail here, and a player-by-player summary here. Here are the seven roster cuts that were tougher than others:
The Detroit Lions announced that they have placed offensive lineman Hal Vaitai on injured reserve and added wide receiver Mohamad Sanu to 53-man roster in a corresponding move.
The Detroit Lions announced that they have placed offensive lineman Halapoulivaati Vaitai on injured reserve and added wide receiver Mohamad Sanu to the 53-man roster in a corresponding move.
Vaitai has been dealing with a foot injury for the better part of the month and was pulled from last week’s game just before halftime. The Lions did not list him as being injured during the game, but coach Matt Patricia did acknowledge that Vaitai was “pushing through some things that have restricted him a little bit.”
Foot injuries can be tricky for NFL players and even the simplest of injuries can negatively impact a player’s performance. Unfortunately, the only way to fully heal is to rest the foot until it’s better — which is the direction the Lions have taken here.
Vaitai will be eligible to return after Week 14, as long as he is healed and capable of returning to the active roster. In the interim, Oday Aboushi and Joe Dahl will battle it out for the starting job at right guard.
Sanu signed with the Lions three weeks ago and they have thought enough of him to protect him each of those weeks. Last week, Sanu was elevated to the roster and played 15 snaps with zero stats earned.
The Lions now have seven wide receivers on the active roster, but with the rate that this position group has been injured this season, this isn’t an overly surprising move — especially with Kenny Golladay still unable to play.
The Detroit Lions announced that they have activated EDGE Austin Bryant from the PUP (physically unable to perform) list and placed corner Darryl Roberts on injured reserve in a corresponding move.
The Detroit Lions announced that they have activated EDGE Austin Bryant from the PUP (physically unable to perform) list and placed corner Darryl Roberts on injured reserve in a corresponding move.
Bryant has been on and off various injury reports since he was drafted in 2019, only playing in the final four games of his rookie season. He has yet to see game action in 2020 but he began practicing two-and-a-half weeks ago and is finally healthy enough to return to the active roster.
With Trey Flowers landing on injured reserve and newly acquired Everson Griffen just joining the team earlier this week, the Lions need depth on the edge and Bryant should help give them that.
Roberts has been dealing with hip and groin injuries for two week’s now, and with the Lions getting healthy at cornerback — Justin Coleman returned last week and Desmond Trufant is expected to return Sunday — the team is in a position where they can give him an opportunity to rest and recover over the next three weeks.
Roberts will be eligible to return to the active roster after Week 11.
The Detroit Lions announced starting guard Joe Dahl has been removed from injured reserve and placed back on the 53-man roster.
On Friday the Detroit Lions placed rookie tight end Hunter Bryant on injured reserve, freeing up a spot on the 53-man roster. Today, the Lions filled that spot by removing starting guard Joe Dahl from injured reserve and placing him back on the active roster.
After a solid Week 1 outing, Dahl injured his groin during Week 2 practices and was placed on injured reserve. After three weeks of recovery, Dahl returned to the practice field this week and coach Matt Patricia was pleased with what he saw.
“I thought on Wednesday with the pads on, I thought Joe looked pretty good,” Patricia said at his Friday press conference. “Came out, his pad level was good, I thought he moved well, that was a good competitive practice for us.”
The Lions have been shuffling their offensive line all season, and now with Dahl back in the fold, the Lions have a chance to put their preferred combination on the filed — assuming Frank Ragnow can overcome his questionable tag and resume his role at center.
If Ragnow is unable to play, Dahl could be the preferred option to take over at center. Jonah Jackson also has experience at the position, but asking the rookie to start at three different positions over his first five games is a big ask — but not out of the question.
At the end of the day, the Lions appear to favor a Top-6 offensive linemen with a debate about who is number five and who is number six — choosing between Hal Vaitai and Tyrell Crosby, who can both play tackle and guard. If Ragnow plays, one of them will be on the bench. If Ragnow is out, both play and a shuffling of players on the interior begins.
Here’s a look at some of the offensive line combinations we could see on Sunday.
| Left Tackle | Left Guard | Center | Right Guard | Right Tackle |
| Taylor Decker | Joe Dahl | Frank Ragnow | Jonah Jackson | Hal Vaitai |
| Left Tackle | Left Guard | Center | Right Guard | Right Tackle |
| Taylor Decker | Joe Dahl | Frank Ragnow | Jonah Jackson | Tyrell Crosby |
| Left Tackle | Left Guard | Center | Right Guard | Right Tackle |
| Taylor Decker | Jonah Jackson | Joe Dahl | Hal Vaitai | Tyrell Crosby |
| Left Tackle | Left Guard | Center | Right Guard | Right Tackle |
| Taylor Decker | Joe Dahl | Jonah Jackson | Hal Vaitai | Tyrell Crosby |
We will have to wait until Sunday to see how it plays out, but any which way, Dahl returning couldn’t have come at a better time.
