Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
A stock watch for the Packers, looking at which players helped or hurt their roster chances against the Jets.
The Green Bay Packers lost another preseason game, but Saturday’s 23-14 defeat to the New York Jets still provided another long look at all the young players fighting for a roster spot on Matt LaFleur’s team.
A few grasped the opportunity and took a step towards claiming a roster spot, while others likely complicated their path to the roster.
Here’s a look at which players helped or hurt their roster chances on Saturday against the Jets:
Saints roster bubble: Which players helped their case vs. Ravens?
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Preseason games are all about opportunity. For many players, this is the first (and sometimes only) chance to dress out and show their coaches what they can do. For others, they need to show they can compete with NFL-quality opponents. And for several members of the New Orleans Saints, their exhibition game with the Baltimore Ravens was the opportunity they needed to make a splash and build their case for a job with roster cuts on the horizon. Here are four players who helped themselves:
Following the Bears’ preseason debut, here’s a look at which roster-bubble players helped their cause with a strong outing.
The Chicago Bears opened up the preseason with a 20-13 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Saturday, which featured the debut of rookie quarterback Justin Fields. While Fields is guaranteed to make the 53-man roster, there are plenty of players who are competing to make the cut.
With the first roster cuts set for Tuesday — where GM Ryan Pace will have to trim the roster from 90 to 85 — there were a handful of players who helped their chances of competing for a spot on the 53-man roster with strong preseason outings against the Dolphins.
Following Chicago’s preseason opener, here’s a look at which roster-bubble players helped their cause in Week 1.
Here’s a look at 11 #Chiefs who are playing for their jobs during the preseason.
The Kansas City Chiefs have retained plenty of talent from their Super Bowl squads over the past two seasons. At the same time, they went out and stocked up on plenty of new talent this offseason, be it through free agency or the draft. That means this roster is as competitive as it has ever been, with salty veterans and young guns battling for very few spots on the 53-man roster.
There’s a throng of players who are talented enough to make the roster in Kansas City, but they aren’t all yet locks to make the team. Those players need a strong performance during the preseason if they’re able to make it. That’ll start in Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers, in a game where the starters are expected to play just a single quarter of football.
Here’s a look at 11 players on the roster bubble who need to put together strong preseason if they’re to make the team:
Dak Prescott’s shoulder dominates news as he focuses on Tampa, Maurice Canady and Kelvin Joseph are making moves, Dalton Schultz’s injury. | From @ToddBrock24f7
Dak Prescott may not be leading the Cowboys offense as he continues to rest his right shoulder, but the quarterback is still in the driver’s seat as far as headlines. Prescott maintains that all the hand-wringing over news of a follow-up MRI is baseless and that he’ll be good to go for Tampa Bay on September 9th, but he does admit that he’s had to fall back into the mental-prep mode that got him through his recent ankle rehab. And he’s also decided that if he gets off to the kind of statistical start he did last year, it’s probably bad news for the team.
And what about the guys backing Prescott up? One outlet is openly questioning the wisdom of rolling into the 2021 season with only the committee of Gilbert/Rush/DiNucci behind him. Elsewhere, CeeDee Lamb is focused on development beyond making highlight-reel grabs, and cornerback/rapper Kelvin Joseph is searching for a drop-the-mic moment this preseason. Kellen Moore talks about how he’s hoping to use his stacked offense, Dalton Schultz tweaks an ankle, Maurice Canady is making a strong first impression a year after signing, and a former Cowboys comeback story looks like it’s ending before it even got started in Seattle. Here’s the News and Notes.
A strong preseason could win roster spots for New Orleans Saints players on the bubble like TE Juwan Johnson and CB Brian Poole:
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What does it mean to be on the roster bubble? Does it mean players inside that zone are probably going to be cut? Not necessarily. There are plenty of New Orleans Saints players who are so close to winning a roster spot — they just need to make enough plays in the preseason to seal the deal.
On the other hand, there absolutely are some players who have put themselves in a tight spot and need to win back some confidence with the coaching staff. Impressing during the next month will go a long way towards building their case for a job. So let’s get to it:
The Packers must trim their roster to 53 players by Saturday. Here are the players most likely to be on the roster bubble.
The Green Bay Packers must reduce their roster to 53 players by 3:00 p.m. CT on Saturday. GM Brian Gutekunst currently has 80 players on his roster, meaning 27 must go between now and Saturday afternoon.
Some cuts will be easier than others. The guess here is that Gutekunst and the Packers already have a pretty good idea about the first 10-15 cuts. But the final 10-12 could be difficult.
Here are the players most likely on the roster bubble entering Saturday, sorted by position:
RB Dexter Williams: He’s an explosive, one-cut runner who should be great in this offense. And while Williams might be buried in a deep position group, he’s still talented enough to sneak onto the roster again, especially if the Packers want to be fully stocked at running back entering 2020.
FB/TE John Lovett: Matt LaFleur really likes the versatility of H-back players. Lovett might be redundant with Josiah Deguara, but he’s big, tough and can play some tight end and fullback, so it’s possible he sticks.
WR Darrius Shepherd: The former North Dakota State star had another strong summer. The Packers like the way he prepares as a player and separates as a receiver, and he has return experience, but overcoming his shortcomings and the failures of last year might be tough.
WR Malik Turner: The former Seahawk made plays during camp. Was it enough to win a spot as the sixth receiver? His past experience has to play a factor.
OT Yosh Nijman: He’s the most intriguing of the backup offensive tackles, but he also missed a big chunk of camp and lacks experience. The Packers have developed him for over a year and like his upside.
OT Alex Light: We’re going to find out if the Packers believe Light can be the backup offensive tackle. He needed to get a lot better after struggling as a reserve last season.
OL Jon Runyan: His focus has been learning to play left guard during camp. The Packers think he has a bright future, and who knows if he’d get through waivers, but tough decisions will need to be made in the offensive line group.
C Jake Hanson: Is the rookie center considered the top backup behind Corey Linsley? And can he play any guard? The Packers have versatile players along the interior, crowding the room.
DL Treyvon Hester: Montravius Adams is still injured, leaving the Packers in a tough spot. They likely need a fifth defensive lineman on the roster to start 2020. Is it Hester, a journeyman who has been quiet during camp? At least he has experience.
OLB Tipa Galeai: The Packers have to be intrigued by his impressive pass-rushing skill set. Even as an undrafted free agent, there’s a chance he wouldn’t get through waivers.
OLB Randy Ramsey: He can really run, he’s flashed as a rusher and in coverage and he has an ideal body type for special teams. Add that all up, and it’s a good recipe for making it as a reserve outside linebacker.
CB Stanford Samuels: Was he good enough to beat out Ka’dar Hollman, a draft pick who spent last year on the roster?
CB Ka’dar Hollman: Was he good enough to hold off Samuels, a top undrafted free agent who had a really good summer?
S Vernon Scott: The Packers have four safeties they really like, but Raven Greene’s injury issues and Scott’s ability to contribute on special teams could get him onto the roster.
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COVID-19 will make it even harder for the players on the Broncos’ roster bubble to make the 53-man roster.
It’s been a unique offseason in the NFL.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, teams didn’t have on-field organized team activities or minicamps this spring. There won’t be any preseason games this month, either.
That’s bad news for players on the bottom of the Broncos’ roster who are trying to make the team. It’s going to make roster cuts even more difficult than usual for Denver’s staff.
“It makes it very difficult,” general manager John Elway said. “It makes it a lot more difficult, especially with no preseason games also. We’re going to have to see everything we can in the 14 padded practices that we’re going to have before the opener. What it does is it really creates less of an opportunity for those guys to make our football team.
“We’re going to have to find guys with the expanded practice squad, which we have spots for four veterans. We’re going to have to find the right guys to be able to expand the practice squad with. It definitely hurts the opportunities of those CFAs [college free agents] to get out there and really show us what they have — even more so without preseason games.”
If running back Phillip Lindsay didn’t have a pro day, OTAs and preseason when he entered the league, he might not have even made the Broncos 53-man roster. There’s no replacement for games, even if they are exhibition games.
“You can’t evaluate them totally until it’s live action,” coach Vic Fangio said. “Who can tackle, who’s willing to tackle and who can break tackles, it will be an adjustment for everybody.”
Denver will probably do some live drills during camp and the team might have a scrimmage at their stadium. The team will have an expanded practice squad but even that might not stop some players from falling through the cracks. Hopefully the Broncos don’t miss out on the next Lindsay.
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The New Orleans Saints have assembled a talented 90-man roster for the 2020 season, but which players are locks, long shots, and on the edge
The New Orleans Saints are at capacity with their 90-man roster, set to carry a talented group of players through the summer and into training camp. But just 53 of them will be retained for the season’s opening kickoff, with a dozen players hoping to clear waivers and return on the practice squad (per new CBA rules, two practice squad players each week may be promoted to the active roster on game days. It’s more confusing than it needs to be).
But which Saints players are in best position to make the team? Which of them are out on the fringe, on the roster bubble? And who faces the longest odds of making the cut? Here’s a position-by-position preview, starting with the quarterbacks:
Locks:
On the bubble:
The top three passers are locked in, with Hill and Winston setting themselves up to compete for the starting job once Brees has spun his last football in New Orleans. It’s as impressive a depth chart you’ll find around the NFL, regardless of position. How many teams can say their third-stringer is a Heisman Trophy winner?
Stevens is a curiosity. If he can do an admirable job filling in for Hill as a runner and receiver (and maybe on special teams), he might stick around on the 53-man roster. He might pass through waivers and land on the practice squad, but it doesn’t feel like the Saints traded back into the draft just to give up on him after a few weeks in training camp.
