53-man roster – Page 59 – Syndication Server

Packers pre-training camp 53-man roster prediction: Offensive line

Predicting the offensive linemen who will make the Packers’ 53-man roster coming out of training camp in 2020.

With training camp scheduled to open in late July, Packers Wire will be spending the next month attempting to predict how Matt LaFleur, Brian Gutekunst and the Packers will construct their initial 53-man roster entering the 2020 season.

Up next is the offensive line, where the Packers return four of five starters but have intriguing depth battles ahead:

Players

David Bakhtiari
Corey Linsley
Billy Turner
Elgton Jenkins
Rick Wagner
Lane Taylor
Lucas Patrick
Cole Madison
Alex Light
John Leglue
Yosh Nijman
Cody Conway
Jon Runyan (rookie)
Jake Hanson (rookie)
Simon Stepaniak (rookie)
Travis Bruffy (rookie)
Zack Johnson (rookie)

Number kept to start 2019

Nine. The Packers traded away Justin McCray and kept four backups behind the five starters. Alex Light made the team as the swing tackle.

Roster prediction (10)

1. David Bakhtiari: The All-Pro left tackle is entering a contract year.

2. Elgton Jenkins: The second-year left guard is one of the NFL’s best young interior blockers.

3. Corey Linsley: The veteran center is reliable and steady, but like Bakhtiari, he’s also entering a contract year.

4. Billy Turner: A 16-game starter at right guard, Turner will have to beat out Lane Taylor for the job in 2020.

5. Rick Wagner: The former Raven and Lion will be the front runner to replace Bryan Bulaga at right tackle.

6. Lane Taylor: The Packers retained him for 2020 with a team-friendly restructure. He’s good enough to beat out Turner for a starting job.

7. Lucas Patrick: He can play all three interior line spots, including center, making him the ideal backup lineman.

8. Alex Light: He struggled in spot duty in 2019, but the Packers don’t have any other options with experience at offensive tackle, making him the early favorite.

9. Jon Runyan: The two-time All-Big Ten pick will transition to guard as a rookie but he could give the Packers help at offensive tackle in a pinch.

10. Jake Hanson: A four-year starter at Oregon, he could be the future at center after 2020.

Cut (7)

1. Cole Madison: He’s coming back from a major injury, and the Packers just used three draft picks on interior linemen. He needs a big summer to stick.

2. John Leglue: His positional versatility could be really attractive, especially if he proves he can play out on the edge.

3. Yosh Nijman: A potential summer surprise candidate. He’s big and athletic but might need more time before he’s ready to be the top backup at tackle.

4. Cody Conway: Time spent on the practice squad to end last season will help his chances. So will his experience at left tackle. Another year on the practice squad could be in his future.

5. Simon Stepaniak: The sixth-round pick is coming back from a significant injury. He’ll probably need time before he’s ready to contribute.

6. Travis Bruffy: He has good feet and three years of starting experience at tackle. It wouldn’t be surprising if he made a run at a roster spot during camp.

7. Zack Johnson: The Packers are deep on the interior, but Johnson could really help his chances by looking capable at right tackle. Likely practice squad candidate.

Updating roster prediction

QB (3): Aaron Rodgers, Tim Boyle, Jordan Love
RB (4): Aaron Jones, Jamaal Williams, A.J. Dillon, Tyler Ervin
WR (6): Davante Adams, Allen Lazard, Devin Funchess, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Jake Kumerow, Equanimeous St. Brown
TE (4): Marcedes Lewis, Jace Sternberger, Robert Tonyan, Josiah Deguara
OL (10): David Bakhtiari, Elgton Jenkins, Corey Linsley, Billy Turner, Rick Wagner, Lane Taylor, Lucas Patrick, Alex Light, Jon Runyan, Jake Hanson

How Lions will likely approach potential roster cuts ahead of training camp

With potential roster cuts ahead of training camp looming, how would the Detroit Lions adjust their roster to maximize player evaluation?

As teams prepare to adjust to COVID-19 protocols, there are still several questions facing the NFL and NFLPA before teams open training camps at the end of the month. Will there be preseason games? How long will camps last? While agreed upon player safety protocols and a possible practice squad expansion also remain undecided.

One move that appears likely to happen ahead of July 28th is the reduction of roster sizes from its current maximum of 90 players down to a reported 75 or 80-players.

On the surface, it may seem pretty straight forward to just release the bottom 10-15 players on the roster, but the timing of these cuts make it a bit more complicated.

Teams use training camp to get into shape, work through existing injuries, absorb the playbook, develop team/positional chemistry, evaluate players, look for hidden talents, and many other things. By taking away players from this equation, teams will have to adjust their approach to training camp and in turn, they will have to be selective on where their team can afford to go lighter at a position.

When examining the Detroit Lions 90-man depth chart, general manager Bob Quinn and coach Matt Patricia will have to consider several factors including:

Is there a position group where they have an excess of players?
Do they want more youth at one position?
More veteran leadership at another?
Are there players who are practice squad eligible that they may want to keep around for long-term development?
Keeping balanced groups on each side of the ball for one-on-one training sessions

At quarterback, the Lions only have three players — Matthew Stafford, Chase Daniel, and David Blough — and it would be shocking to see them move on from any of them at this point, but the offensive skill players will surely take some hits.

With six running backs, two fullbacks, 12 wide receivers, and five tight ends, the Lions could lose three of four players from these skill groups. Do they need two fullbacks? How about a fifth tight end? The wide receiver group would surely see losses but with the amount of running they do in training camp, they can’t afford to lose too many or they won’t have enough bodies to run routes if they are all gassed.

The offensive and defensive lines will also likely see two to three losses on each side of the ball, which will impede the Lions’ ability to roll through three lines — as they typically do this time of year.

The Lions currently have 13 linebackers — 11 off-the-ball and two JACK linebackers — for two main reasons. First, they are trying to shore up a previously weak position group by adding multiple players and looking for standouts. And secondly, because this is where teams are typically finding players who can excel on special teams under the recent rule changes.

Based purely on numbers alone, the Lions can afford to lose two to three players from the linebacker group, but it will surely impact their ability to train on special teams.

Corners may be the most important position group on defense, and with the Lions having nine on the current roster, can they lose any of them? They have eight safeties, but with three of them being undrafted rookies, this seems like a more vulnerable group.

Again, special teams come into play here and the defensive backs with the least amount of experience could be on the chopping block, which is a shame. We may not get the chance to find out if there another C.J. Moore-type in this group.

On the kicking team the Lions have a punting battle brewing between Jack Fox and Aaron Siposs, which means the Lions are likely to keep both, but can they also afford to keep two long snappers where there is less of a battle?

In my latest Roster Stack: Summer edition, I identified 21 players in the final “have work to do” group, and while the cuts will likely come from this group, it’s worth noting that occasionally there are players who rise up out of this group during training camp — hello, Kevin Strong –, but unfortunately this year they may not get that chance.

Report: NFL teams considering smaller training camp rosters

NFL teams might take fewer than 90 players to training camps this year.

In a usual offseason, NFL teams take 90 players to training camp and play four preseason games before trimming the roster down to 53 players.

This year’s offseason certainly hasn’t been normal.

Because of COVID-19, the league is planning to have two preseason games instead of the usual four. Teams are also considering taking fewer players to training camp than usual, according to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter:

One source said he believed it’s likely that teams will go to camp with 80-man rosters, and another source said it’s “definitely not 90.” A third league source said he has “heard lots of discussion about 75 players potentially instead of 90,” especially with the reduction in preseason games and teams not needing as many players for camp as normal.

That would be bad news for players on the fringe hoping to battle for a spot on the roster this summer. Little-known prospects have already had the odds stacked against them this year because of the coronavirus.

Small school prospects often aren’t invited to the NFL combine but they are able to make up for that by putting in a strong performance at their school’s pro day. Because of COVID-19, many schools didn’t have pro days this year.

If the coronavirus had happened in 2018, Phillip Lindsay might not have been on the Broncos’ radar without a strong pro day. There might be similar diamond in the rough prospects this year who could be cut from the team before training camp even starts.

[vertical-gallery id=639491]

Packers pre-training camp 53-man roster predictions: Quarterbacks

Predicting which quarterbacks the Packers will keep on the 53-man roster to start the 2020 season.

Up first is quarterbacks, where the Packers have a first-round pick and real intrigue behind Aaron Rodgers entering training camp:

Players

Aaron Rodgers
Tim Boyle
Jordan Love (rookie)
Jalen Morton (rookie)

Number kept to start 2019

Two. The Packers kept Tim Boyle – who produced a passer rating of 112.9 during the preseason – as the No. 2 quarterback behind Aaron Rodgers, cutting DeShone Kizer in the process. Undrafted rookie Manny Wilkins returned as the third quarterback on the practice squad.

Roster prediction (3)

1. Aaron Rodgers: The two-time NFL MVP will be motivated to have a big second season in Matt LaFleur’s offense. Coming off back-to-back so-so seasons and turning 37 years old in December, Rodgers needs to play exceedingly well over the next few seasons to prevent the transition to Love, the team’s first-round pick in 2020.

2. Tim Boyle: The selection of Love puts Boyle’s roster spot at risk but doesn’t necessarily guarantee he’s gone, especially with the coronavirus cloud hovering over the entire 2020 season. He’s going to be so far ahead of Love to start training camp, and keeping Boyle as the top backup would ensure there’s a quarterback with some experience in the offense behind Rodgers to start the regular season. He’s improved each of the last two summers and will be increasingly comfortable in his second season in the scheme. The circumstances give Boyle a terrific opportunity to remain the No. 2 to start 2020, even if new practice squad rules might encourage keeping only two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster.

3. Jordan Love: The rookie has more talent than Boyle and is the team’s expected future starter, but he’s way behind after not having an in-person offseason workout program. Important on-field reps and drill work were missed. Playing catchup as a rookie quarterback during training camp won’t be easy, especially if there are restrictions and fewer preseason games, and there’s a chance all teams will want to carry three quarterbacks on the roster to start an unprecedented 2020 season. Letting Love start the season as the third quarterback might be the safest option for LaFleur and the Packers. Remember, he’s going to get about a month – at max – of in-person work with the team before the regular season begins. NFL teams are notoriously cautious at quarterback.

Cut (1)

1. Jalen Morton: The undrafted free agent from Prairie View A&M is facing a massive uphill battle to start his pro career. However, Morton could emerge as a valuable practice squad player if he proves worthy of further development during camp.

Updating roster prediction

QB (3): Aaron Rodgers, Tim Boyle, Jordan Love

Establishing the 53: Wrapping up the mailbag, part 3

Answering the reader’s mailbag questions after Erik Schlitt’s Establishing the 53 series of articles at Lions Wire.

After the conclusion of my “Establishing the 53” series of articles, I posed a question to the #OnePride fan base on Twitter asking for any mailbag questions surrounding my conclusions.

I answered the three most asked questions in Part 1 of the Mailbag, focused on the linebackers in Part 2, but there are still a few more great questions to answer. So let’s wrap up the mailbag here with Part 3.

Note: questions may have been edited for clarity.

I suspect the Lions really want a fulltime FB, they would fear losing Blough off the PS, and they lust for safeties — which would mean 1 more making the team. — @jhsthethird

I agree with all three of these concerns and even addressed the need for an extra safety in part 1 of the mailbag when I added C.J. Moore back into my 53-man projection.

As far as a fullback, Nick Bawden is the obvious front runner and his contributions on special teams surely help his cause, but at the end of the day the Lions would likely have to go light at another position — keeping only five wide receivers or eight offensive linemen — to make room for him. It’s possible that happens, but it would go a bit against the grain of previous rosters constructions.

Unfortunately, the same issue with roster space applies to Blough as well. He has shown he has the mental makeup and potential to develop with time, but if the Lions were truly all in on him making the 53, they probably wouldn’t have given Chase Daniel the type of contract they did. If the Lions are truly worried they may lose him off the practice squad, don’t be surprised if they give him salary close to what he is making now ($675,000) to encourage him to stick around.

It seems that you have all but one draft pick sticking on the roster. Does that mean you think the Lions really did well in the late rounds of the draft? — @IgorPetrinovic

The one draft pick I didn’t have making my 53-man projection was seventh-round pick defensive lineman Jashon Cornell (Ohio State), as I had him being edged out by last year’s UDFA gem Kevin Strong. My exclusion is less a knock on Cornell and more of a compliment to Strong who flashed last season. If Cornell impresses in camp, he surely has a shot to make it into the rotation.

One of the reasons I typically include a lot of rookies from the Lions draft class is based on the methodical nature of general manager Bob Quinn. He rarely veers from his offseason game plan and when he identifies a player and uses draft capital on him, it’s generally for an immediate purpose.

For example, in the four previous seasons, Quinn has only cut the following drafted rookies in training camp:

2019: his final draft pick, PJ Johnson
2018: none
2017: final pick Pat O’Conner, and second to last pick Brad Kaaya
2016: second to last pick Jimmy Landes

Will the Lions add more depth to the DL/pass rush before the season? Looks to be a weak spot again this season. — @thespartyabides

The interior defensive line surely has the potential to be a weak spot with concerns surrounding Da’Shawn Hand and Kevin Strong’s health, Nick Williams’ lack of scheme familiarity, unproven rookies in Cornell and John Penisini, and the struggles to create pressure from this group last season.

[lawrence-related id=45886]

But if the Lions are going to add a player in free agency, the top name on the market is a familiar one: Mike Daniels.

Adding Daniels on an incentive-laden deal would be wise — if the Lions can get him on board with it — as he loves the Lions organization and coaches, and when healthy has the upside to fill an interior pass-rushing role the team desperately needs.

You have the Lions keeping 9 OL and 3 are tackles. With 3 IOL that are rookies or 2nd-year players. How likely is it that they stick with that much youth and clustered in the interior vs trying to add/keep a vet? Do you think they are satisfied with their tackle depth? — @KuehnObserve

I do think they are satisfied with their tackle depth, and while it’s not overly sexy having Kenny Wiggins as a fourth option, I believe they would rather lean on him in an emergency option rather than keep a roster spot for a player who can only play at tackle, like Dan Skipper or free agents like Demar Dotson and Andre Smith who are the top right tackles on the market.

As far as the interior, having three veterans and three rookie/sophomores is livable, especially if they keep a player like Oday Aboushi on speed dial.

Establishing the 53: Mailbag, part 2 is all about the LBs

Answering the reader’s mailbag questions after Erik Schlitt’s Establishing the 53 series of articles at Lions Wire.

After the conclusion of my “Establishing the 53” series of articles, I posed a question to the #OnePride fan base on Twitter asking for any mailbag questions surrounding my conclusions.

I answered the three most asked questions in Part 1 of the Mailbag, but there are still plenty of great questions to answer. So let’s get started.

Note: questions may have been edited for clarity

How are the Lions going to get pressure on the QB using a 3-3-5 alignment? — @joseph_xuereb

Last season the Lions were one of the worst pass-rushing teams in the league. As Jeff Risdon pointed out in his review of the first quarter of last season, the Lions found early success only rushing three linemen, but that turned out to be more of a curse than a blessing, as the team still had confidence rushing three later in the season even when it stopped working.

While the Lions did go a bit heavier in their three rusher alignments last season, for the majority of snaps they did rush four, with the extra pass rusher being JACK linebacker Devon Kennard.

One of the advantages of using a 3-3-5 set is you can disguise where the fourth rusher is coming from, but last year it was obvious to offenses that it would almost always be Kennard because he lacked the range to drop into coverage, and they were prepared for him.

This lack of range ultimately led to Kennard’s release and was likely a major reason why the Lions targeted Jamie Collins to replace him in the starting lineup.

Collins’ range will pair nicely with skill sets of Jahlani Tavai and Christian Jones and it appears the Lions may be looking to expand Jarrad Davis’ role. The addition of Collins will give the coaches options on where to bring pressure from, and in turn, should disguise the Lions’ defensive intentions.

This should also afford the Lions the opportunity to incorporate more blitzes into their game plans, allowing them to bring a 4th and sometimes 5th rusher from unique angles.

They still have to execute on the field, but the flexibility in their linebacker group should give them more options than they have previously had.

Jahlani Tavai, I believe, will be our consistent mike backer. I think they like him as the “voice” of the defense. Do you believe Tavai can play the mike position consistently? — @michaelman1212

As I eluded to in the previous question, I believe the Lions will be deploying their linebackers in several different spots, rotating players through positions, in order to confuse offenses. And while that means different players will line up at the MIKE, I agree Tavai could take on the traditional MIKE responsibilities.

One of the main jobs of the MIKE is to wear the “green dot” helmet and relay in the defensive play calls. During Davis’ first three seasons in the league that was his responsibility, but last year the Lions expanded that job to other players including Tavai.

The Lions typically allow their day two draft picks to slowly acclimate to the league during their rookie season — Tavai was a second-round pick in 2019 — and by year two they take on a much larger role. With Davis in a contract year, expect to see Tavai wear the green dot helmet quite a bit in 2020.

With both Jamie Collins and Christian Jones on the roster, could you see the Lions running a SAM LB more often in the scheme in order to get them both on the field? — @paullymac7

Typically the Lions only deploy a traditional SAM linebacker when they use four down linemen, which only happens against run-heavy offenses like the Minnesota Vikings.

That being said, the JACK linebacker spot looks primed to be adjusted and it’s possible that role will show more SAM-like qualities — especially if the Lions plan to disguise intentions.

As far as getting both Collins and Jones on the field at a time, I think there is plenty of opportunities to do so. Both players can play at the WILL, JACK, and SAM, and with the rotation levels the Lions use — last year four Lions’ linebackers saw over 52-percent of snaps — there is room for Collins, Jones, Tavai, and Davis to all get starter-level reps.

Reggie Ragland going to practice squad? — @CraigFe60141609

Leaving Ragland out of my projections got a big reaction on social media, but I stand by my assessment of him being an excellent scheme fit but only providing minimal value on special teams — something he will need to get better at quickly if he wants to win the fifth linebacker role.

As far as Craig’s question, under the 2019 practice squad rules, Ragland, who has three years accrued experience, would not have been eligible for the practice squad, but under the new CBA, he is now eligible. This season the practice squad will include 12 players, of which two can have any level of NFL experience — which makes Ragland eligible.

Now Ragland may not want to take a practice squad role but if he comes up empty on the free-agent market, it may be in his best interest to return to Detroit as a potential “practice squad elevation” player due to his fit in the defense. The Lions could also entice him by offering him a higher salary to stick around on the practice squad in an emergency role.

Does Miles Killebrew’s contract make him more of a lock than we may otherwise think? It appears he signed a deal that qualifies under the new CBA for the “mid-level” veteran salary benefit. So he only counts $1.047M against the cap, but $1M is guaranteed. Seems safe to me. — @swarheit

To push Scott’s point further, Killebrew not only has $1 million in guaranteed salary but he also got $137,500 in a signing bonus. That means his cap hit is indeed $1.047 million in 2020 but it would increase to $1.375 million in dead cap if they release him — meaning it would actually cost the Lions $90,000 more to cut him than keep him.

So why did I have Killebrew on the outside of my 53-man projection?

Killebrew was one of the final few decisions I made when rounding out my projection, with it coming down to him or fellow special teams demon Jalen Reeves-Maybin. Both are dynamic pieces on special teams but are only emergency level defenders and I’m not sure the Lions will be able to keep multiple special teams only players.

Additionally, while his contract is very team-friendly, the additional $90,000 — or $1.375 million for that matter — is just drop in the bucket overall and I don’t believe it will deter the Lions from moving on if they need roster space.

There’s a real chance he finds his way onto the roster for a fifth season but he will likely have to make his money in the pre-season.

Establishing the 53: Answering the mailbag, Part 1

Answering the reader’s mailbag questions after Erik Schlitt’s Establishing the 53 series of articles at Lions Wire.

After the conclusion of my “Establishing the 53” series of articles, I posed a question to the #OnePride fan base on Twitter asking for any mailbag questions surrounding my conclusions.

Let’s take a closer look at some of those questions in Part 1 of our mailbag.

Jamal Agnew

I received several questions surrounding my inclusion of Jamal Agnew on my 53-man roster projection, mostly centered around the following concerns:

kick returner value in the NFL is diminishing due to new rules
he will be challenged by fifth-round rookie Jason Huntley
he has been inconsistent as a punt returner and nickel corner
C.J. Moore, who was left off the projection, could have more roster value as a starting gunner and safety depth

All four of these concerns have merit, and it’s possible one (or more) of these reasons is why the Lions are moving Agnew to wide receiver.

With the news of this position switch, and how I believe the Lions will use Agnew on offense, I adjusted my 53-man projection by removing gadget tight end Hunter Bryant and adding Moore to defense/special teams.

As the only player in the NFL to have four kicks/punts returned for touchdowns in the last three seasons, I still believe Agnew has the inside track for return duties, giving him an edge to make the 53 — and if he can also provide some gadget work on offense, all the better.

Beau Benzschawel

Another player who I received multiple questions on was second-year offensive lineman Beau Benzschawel, but unlike Agnew, questions concerning Benzschawel ranged from should he make the roster to could he win a starting role?

I have Benzschawel making the 53 as a reserve right now based on the fact that the Lions kept him on the active roster all of last season despite not playing him and the things I’ve heard about his progress in practices. If the Lions keep nine offensive linemen, I firmly believe Benzschawel makes the team, but if the Lions only keep eight (because of new roster rules being put in place this year) his spot may be in jeopardy.

When do (the rosters) go to 55 players? — @MMoneynva

With a new CBA in place this season, there are a few rules changes for rosters — the most notable being a roster expansion.

While teams can have up to 55 players on their active rosters in any given week, there are some caveats that go along with it.

First, there will only be 53 everyday players on the active roster, but teams can promote up to two players from the practice squad each week to increase the roster up to 55. That additional one/two players can only be promoted for the week and after the week’s conclusion (after the game), the player(s) will revert back to the practice squad.

Second, a player can only be promoted from the practice squad to the active roster twice in a season before they become susceptible to waivers. Meaning if a player is promoted a third time, they will have to clear league waivers at the end of the week before the team can re-sign them in any capacity.

Third, in order for a team to be eligible to promote any player, they must carry a minimum of eight offensive linemen on their active roster.

Most teams only keep seven offensive linemen active on game days, yet keep nine to ten on the active roster for injury insurance and/or development. With the implementation of the new promotion rule, some teams may decide to keep less offensive linemen on the active roster as they can promote from within if there is an injury.

Benzschawel is an example of a player who was kept as injury insurance/development in 2019 but could find himself on the practice squad in 2020 if he keeps the same role and the Lions need another spot on the roster.

The third addendum above — carrying eight offensive linemen — allows teams the flexibility to stash a role player like Benzschawel but also keeps them from taking advantage and placing all reserve offensive linemen on the practice squad.

Denver Broncos depth chart: Offense, defense and special teams predictions

Here are depth chart predictions for the Broncos’ offense, defense and special teams.

Over the last few weeks, we have published QB, RB, TE, WR, OL, DL, LB, CB, S and special teams depth chart predictions for the Denver Broncos. Today, we’re recapping those projections.

The quarterback room is pretty easy to predict. Drew Lock will be the starter and Jeff Driskel is the backup. Here’s our running back prediction:

Melvin Gordon

Phillip Lindsay

Royce Freeman

And here’s a look at the projected tight ends:

Noah Fant

Nick Vannett

Albert Okwuegbunam

Andrew Beck

There will be a fierce battle wide receiver this offseason. Here’s our projection:

Courtland Sutton	KJ Hamler	Jerry Jeudy
Tim Patrick	Diontae Spencer	DaeSean Hamilton

And here’s a projected starting offensive line:

Garett Bolles

Dalton Risner

Lloyd Cushenberry

Graham Glasgow

Ja’Wuan James

And here’s the projected starting defensive line:

Shelby Harris

Mike Purcell

Jurrell Casey

Followed by our predicted starting linebackers:

Von Miller

Alexander Johnson

Todd Davis

Bradley Chubb

And here’s the projected secondary lineup:

A.J. Bouye

Justin Simmons

Kareem Jackson

Bryce Callahan

To wrap it up, here are the projected special teams specialists:

Kicker	Punter	Long Snapper	Returner
Brandon McManus	Sam Martin	Jacob Bobenmoyer	Diontae Spencer

Do you agree with our depth chart predictions? Let us know in the comments below and on Twitter: @TheBroncosWire.

[vertical-gallery id=642240]

Establishing the 53: Roster Stack, summer edition

Examining the Detroit Lions roster, by stacking the players into levels based on value to the team.

By using a Roster Stack — predicting roles by grouping players by their expected value to the team — to examine the Detroit Lions roster we can get a look at the current front-runners for the 53-man roster as well as how things may change with different approaches to roster construction.

This version of the Lions Roster Stack will break down the roster into seven sections: 1) Impact players, 2) Core players, 3) Projected starters, 4) Role players, 5) Final 12 spots, 6) In the hunt, and 7) Have work to do.

Impact players

These are the players who if removed from the roster, would greatly impact the team’s overall performance.

QB1	Matthew Stafford
WR-Z	Kenny Golladay
LT	Taylor Decker
C	Frank Ragnow
DDE	Trey Flowers
CB1A	Jeff Okudah
JOKER	Tracy Walker

We all saw what happened when Stafford was removed from the Lions in 2019, and while the impact won’t likely be as great if one of the other players in this section goes down, losing any of these players would be a major set back for the team’s 2020 hopes.

Core Players

These players make up the foundation of the team and have a significant weekly role on the roster.

RB1A	Kerryon Johnson
RB1B	D’Andre Swift
WR-X	Marvin Jones
Slot1	Danny Amendola
TE1	T.J. Hockenson
RT	Halapoulivaati Vaitai
DT1A	Da’Shawn Hand
NT1	Danny Shelton
JACK1	Julian Okwara
WILL1	Jamie Collins
MIKE1	Jahlani Tavai
CB1B	Desmond Trufant
NB1	Justin Coleman
S-H1	Duron Harmon
K	Matt Prater
LS	Don Muhlbach

While Johnson and Swift are expected to platoon starting duties, the only other player on this list that is not a true starter is third-round pick Julian Okwara — even though he appears to be the top true JACK option on the roster.

Projected starters

The players in this section will either win a starting role or find a home as a reserve/role player and likely have an inside shot at the Lions 53-man roster.

OG	Joe Dahl
OG	Jonah Jackson
DT1B	Nick Williams
MIKE2	Jarrad Davis
3rd S	Will Harris

Dahl and Davis are returning starters but after additions made to the roster this offseason, it’s fair to wonder if their starting spots are in question. Jackson was the most significant interior offensive line addition this offseason and he appears to have an inside track for a starting role. Last year, Harris was groomed to take over the third safety role but should receive competition from Jayron Kearse for the role. There’s an argument to be made that Williams deserves to up a section, but until we see his role in camp, it’s difficult to project him as anything but a rotational starter with Hand.

Role players

These players should feel comfortable with their role on the team based on their skill sets and the current level of competition from the other players at their position group.

QB2	Chase Daniel
RB3	Bo Scarbrough
WR4	Marvin Hall
WR5	Quintez Cephus
TE2	Jesse James
OT3	Tyrell Crosby
OG3	Logan Stenberg
DDE2	Romeo Okwara
JACK2	Austin Bryant
WILL2	Christian Jones
CB3	Amani Oruwariye
S4	Jayron Kearse

Some role players are safer than others but the majority of players listed here have received an investment — either financially or draft stock — from the team. It’s worth noting that Scarbrough, Hall, Okwara, and Kearse are all in the final year of their contract with the Lions.

Final 13 spots

Based on my predicted current roster structure there should be 13 remaining spots on the Lions 53-man roster. The players in this section are the current leaders for those final spots but will be challenged by the players in the next two sections as things are far from settled.

RB4	Ty Johnson
RB/KR	Jason Huntley
WR/RET/NB	Jamal Agnew
TE/H-B	Isaac Nauta
IOL/RT	Kenny Wiggins
IOL6	Beau Benzschawel
NT2	John Penisini
DT3	Kevin Strong
LB/Sp.T	Jalen Reeves-Maybin
CB/Gunner	Mike Ford
NB/Gunner	Tony McRae
FS/Gunner	C.J. Moore
P	Jack Fox

In my “Establishing the 53” articles I explained in more detail why I selected each of the players listed above. Those articles are in the “explanation” link after each player for easier access to those pieces:

Johnson and Huntley (explanation)
Agnew (explanation)
Nauta (explanation)
Wiggins and Benzschawel (explanation)
Penisini and Strong (explanation)
Reeves-Maybin (explanation)
McRae and Ford (explanation)
Fox (explanation)

In the Hunt

The players in this group will need some help in order to find their way onto the 53-man roster. They could either benefit from the Lions constructing the roster differently or they could beat one player ahead of them to move up a section.

QB3	David Blough
FB	Nick Bawden
WR5	Geronimo Allison
WR5	Chris Lacy
WR5	Travis Fulgham
TE4	Hunter Bryant
IOL	Oday Aboushi
RT	Dan Skipper
NT2	John Atkins
DT3	Jashon Cornell
LB5	Reggie Ragland
LB/Sp.T	Miles Killebrew
LB/Sp.T	Elijah Lee
CB/Gunner	Darryl Roberts
CB/Gunner	Dee Virgin
P	Aaryn Siposs

The “Establishing the 53” series of articles listed in the above section explain in more detail why these players are still in the hunt for a roster spot.

Have work to do

These players found a spot on the 90-man roster due to their previous accomplishments but based on the other additions to the roster, they will have some work to do in the preseason if they hope to beat the odds and make the 53-man team.

RB	Wes Hills
FB	Luke Sellers
WR	Geremy Davis
Slot	Tom Kennedy
Slot	Victor Bolden
TE	Matt Sokol
RG	Joshua Garnett
IOL	Russell Bodine
OG	Caleb Benenoch
OT	Matt Nelson
DL	Frank Herron
DE	Olive Sagapolu
DE	Jonathan Wynn
LB	Jason Cabinda
LB	Anthony Pittman
LB	Christian Sam
CB	Michael Jackson
S	Jalen Elliott
S	Jeremiah Dinson
S	Bobby Price
LS	Steve Wirtel

There are always players who surprise when they get to camp and while the players in this section have a lot of work to do, they can’t be ruled out at this time.

[vertical-gallery id=45360]

5 UDFAs most likely to make Chiefs’ 53-man roster

These five players have the best shot of making the 53-man roster for the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Kansas City Chiefs have always given undrafted free agents an opportunity to come in and have a chance to make the 53-man roster.

If you can play football at a high level, the coaching staff and front office won’t be overly concerned with draft status. Look no further than the Super Bowl LIV squad and you’ll find it littered with players who started their careers as undrafted free agents. Not just role players either, we’re talking big-time contributors like Damien Williams, Daniel Sorensen, and Charvarius Ward.

The Chiefs have a history of finding diamonds in the rough every year in undrafted free agency. The 2019 season was one of the first in recent memory where Kansas City didn’t have a newly-signed undrafted free agent make the 53-man roster. In the years prior they’ve had at least one newly-signed undrafted free agent make the team.

The 2020 roster is decorated and there are a lot of established players that will draw fierce competition from this UDFA class. This year they signed a total of 19 undrafted free agents to round out their 53-man roster. Whether it’s from outstanding talent or a weak position group, these X players have the best chance to make the Chiefs’ 53-man roster in 2020.

Florida P Tommy Townsend

Special teams coordinator Dave Toub maintains that there will be a “true competition” between Townsend and second-year punter Tyler Newsome for the Chiefs’ punting job. At the same time, he didn’t parse his words talking about Townsend and what the team thought of him coming out of Florida.

“The kid’s got a lot of talent,” Toub said of Townsend. “We really liked him coming out. I had him rated as the best punter coming out this year and he was available for us, and those guys got it done to get him. So that was a pretty good deal.”

On top of Townsend’s ability as a punter, he’s also an experienced holder, which is something the Chiefs also need with the departure of Dustin Colquitt. Another added bonus to his game is that he’s shown the ability to run fake punts successfully.

I’m under the impression that Toub will go with his top-rated punter in this draft class over Newsome, who couldn’t win a job during the 2019 season. It’d take an all-time poor performance from Townsend or another player they like becoming available for something else to happen here.

Pages: 12345