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A final 49ers 53-man roster projection now that the preseason is over:
The 49ers’ preseason is over following a 17-0 loss vs. the Texans in Houston.
That was our last look at the team before they make their final cuts ahead of the 1:00pm Pacific Time deadline Tuesday. That means we’ll have one more chance to project what the 53-man roster will look like after final cuts. Thursday night did offer enough to make a couple tweaks from our last guess after the second preseason game.
Here are our previous four guesses from throughout the offseason:
And now the latest:
Here’s how we see the Chargers’ roster shaping up ahead of the final preseason game.
The Chargers’ second preseason game against the Cowboys shed more light on some position battles.
Here’s an attempt at a roster projection a week before cut day:
Quarterback (3): Justin Herbert, Easton Stick, Chase Daniel
There are no changes here, although Tom Telesco said on Saturday’s broadcast that the team will carry three quarterbacks. Stick and Daniel are still competing for the backup job.
Running back (4): Austin Ekeler, Joshua Kelley, Isaiah Spiller, Larry Rountree III
Telesco also indicated that the team will keep four running backs and use all of them, which means Rountree is back on the menu. Spiller suffering an ankle injury on Saturday will also help Rountree’s chances of making the initial roster.
Fullback (1): Zander Horvath
No change here; Horvath still seems like the favorite over incumbent Gabe Nabers.
Wide receiver (5): Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Joshua Palmer, DeAndre Carter, Jalen Guyton
It causes me physical pain to leave off preseason superstar Michael Bandy here, but the numbers are not in his favor. Keeping three QBs and four running backs and potentially having to carry a fourth tight end make it seem like a foregone conclusion that the sixth wide receiver is not a spot on this roster. So what more does Bandy have to show to change that seems unknowable at this point?
Tight end (4): Gerald Everett, Donald Parham Jr., Tre’ McKitty, Hunter Kampmoyer
Speaking of four tight ends, I think Kampmoyer will squeak through, initially, because Parham and McKitty have both missed time in training camp with injuries. If one or both of them aren’t ready to go by Week 1, TE4’s place on the roster is assured. Kampmoyer has also been working with the starting units on special teams, which could aid his case.
Offensive line (9): Rashawn Slater, Matt Feiler, Corey Linsley, Zion Johnson, Trey Pipkins, Storm Norton, Jamaree Salyer, Brenden Jaimes, Will Clapp
Pretty chalk here, although Ryan Hunter continues to gain ground on Jaimes on Clapp. I think those three are battling for two spots. Telesco’s teams have been notoriously reluctant to give up on draft picks, which makes me believe Jaimes is safe despite arguably looking like the worst player of the three. Clapp could be on the block after a rough performance against the Rams, considering Hunter can play center in a pinch. Salyer seems to have all but won the backup guard job, while the loser of the still undetermined right tackle battle will serve as the swing tackle.
Defensive line (6): Sebastian Joseph-Day, Austin Johnson, Morgan Fox, Otito Ogbonnia, Breiden Fehoko, Christian Covington
No changes here. Once again, Tillery struggled against the run and missed two tackles. Further, he was a non-factor in the passing game. Meanwhile, Covington and Fehoko continued to be the only ones to make plays against the run, despite the porous product against the Cowboys.
Edge rusher (4): Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack, Chris Rumph II, Jamal Davis
No changes here. Davis continued to make his case for the fourth edge defender spot against Dallas, especially as Emeke Egbule did not play. There aren’t a lot of tools in his bag as a pass rusher, but Davis is plenty impactful as a run defender with his power to set firm edges and effort to chase down plays, finishing with two tackles for loss.
Linebacker (5): Kyle Van Noy, Drue Tranquill, Kenneth Murray Jr., Troy Reeder, Nick Niemann
Damon Lloyd continues to make a push to make the 53-man roster. But at the end of the day, I think the team still favors Niemann’s special teams prowess. He finished with 14 special teams tackles on coverage units last season, which tied for fourth-most in the NFL.
Cornerback (5): JC Jackson, Asante Samuel Jr., Bryce Callahan, Michael Davis, Ja’Sir Taylor
No changes made here. While Deane Leonard was cleaner in coverage, he missed a tackle. On the other hand, Taylor had a tackle for loss, and I believe he has more upside on special teams.
Safety (4): Derwin James Jr., Nasir Adderley, JT Woods, Alohi Gilman
After standing out early in camp, Mark Webb has yet to take a single snap in preseason play, as he is now nursing a calf issue. After undergoing knee surgery, Webb missed the final nine games of his rookie season in 2021. I think Webb could be reliable depth across multiple positions in the secondary. But as the saying goes, the best ability is availability. Unfortunately, for Webb, that has not been the case.
Specialists (3): K Dustin Hopkins, P J.K. Scott, LS Josh Harris
No changes made here.
An updated 53-man roster projection after the first preseason game.
The Indianapolis Colts got through their first week of the preseason and while they couldn’t come away with a road victory over the Buffalo Bills, they inched one step closer to reducing the roster to 53 players.
The first five cuts are set to come before the end of Tuesday, reducing the rosters to 85 players. The Tuesday following the second preseason game on Aug. 20 will include another five cuts. Then, following the final preseason game on Aug. 27, the final roster cuts will be made down to 53 players.
With the first preseason game now behind us, here’s an updated 53-man roster projection for the Colts:
Projecting how the LSU Tigers’ 2-deep defensive depth chart could look when they play UCLA on Sept. 4.
There is just a week until the LSU Tigers head to Pasadena, California, for a week one battle with the UCLA Bruins. For head coach Ed Orgeron and defensive coordinator Daronte Jones, they are hoping for a better defensive effort in 2021.
Under the guidance of then coordinator Bo Pelini, the Tigers defense was abysmal. In 10 games last year, they allowed more points and yards than we have seen in 70 years. This is the reason that Jones is now the man to lead the defense heading into 2021.
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Eli Ricks and Derek Stingley Jr look for better efforts from a secondary that allowed 323 yards per game through the air. As a whole, the defense allowed almost 500 yards per game.
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As we did with the offense, here is how we are projecting the two-deep depth chart on that side of the ball ahead of the UCLA game.
Raiders 53-man roster projection
Preseason game two is in the books. Cutdown number two is days away. Rather than wait for that next cutdown to make roster projections — which would be easier — I’m going bold and doing it now, when the roster sits at 85 players. Cuz that’s how I roll.
IN (3): Derek Carr, Marcus Mariota, Nathan Peterman
OUT: None
IN (4): Josh Jacobs, Kenyan Drake, Alec Ingold, Trey Ragas
OUT: Jalen Richard (IR), BJ Emmons, Garrett Groshek
IN (6): Henry Ruggs III, John Brown, Hunter Renfrow, Bryan Edwards, Willie Snead, Zay Jones
OUT: Keelan Doss, Marcell Ateman, DJ Turner, Dillon Stoner
IN (3): Darren Waller, Foster Moreau, Derek Carrier
OUT: Nick Bowers, Matt Bushman, Alex Ellis
IN (9): Kolton Miller, Richie Incognito, Andre James, Denzelle Good, Alex Leatherwood, Brandon Parker, John Simpson, Nick Martin, Patrick Omameh
OUT: Lester Cotton Sr, Jeremiah Poutasi, Jimmy Morrissey, Parker Ehinger, Jaryd Jones-Smith, Kamaal Seymour (IR)
IN (5): Johnathan Hankins, Solomon Thomas, Quinton Jefferson, Darius Philon, Gerald McCoy
OUT: Matt Dickerson, Darius Stills, Niles Scott
IN (5): Maxx Crosby, Yannick Ngakoue, Clelin Ferrell, Malcolm Koonce, Carl Nassib
OUT: Gerri Green, Kendal Vickers
IN (5): Cory Littleton, Nick Kwiatkoski, KJ Wright*, Divine Deablo, Tanner Muse
OUT: Nicholas Morrow (IR), Darron Lee, Max Richardson, Asmar Bilal Javin White (IR), Te’Von Coney
IN (6): Trayvon Mullen, Casey Hayward, Nate Hobbs, Damon Arnette, Keisean Nixon, Amik Robertson
OUT: Nevin Lawson (Suspended), Isaiah Johnson, Blidi Wreh-Wilson, Rasul Douglas
IN (4): Johnathan Abram, Tre’von Moehrig, Tyree Gillespie, Karl Joseph
OUT: Dallin Leavitt, Roderic Teamer
IN (3): K Daniel Carlson, P AJ Cole, LS Trent Sieg
OUT: Corliss Waitman
*Predicted roster addition
