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MaWil's 53 Man Roster Prediction



I've always enjoyed seeing how the roster shakes out, so here is my prediction for what it will look like on Saturday, provided we add no one else of course.

QUARTERBACK (2):

In - Joe Flacco, Tyrod Taylor

Out - Keith Wenning

Wenning isn't playing for a reason. He's headed to the practice squad unless he gets some time in against the Saints and lights the world on fire. Training camp hasn't been pleasant for him, and there doesn't seem to be any reason to hold a roster spot for him.

RUNNING BACK (4):

In - Bernard Pierce, Justin Forsett, Lorenzo Taliaferro, Kyle Juszczyk

Out - Fitzgerald Toussaint, Ray Rice (suspension)

Is there really any question here? These 3 guys have been the top dogs all throughout training camp with 0 push from the recently cut Wood or Fitz T. This is probably the safest and easiest prediction on the team. Juice is the only FB on the roster and looks like he's going to be a huge part of the offense.

WIDE RECEIVER (6):

In - Torrey Smith, Steve Smith, Marlon Brown, Jacoby Jones, Michael Campanaro, Kamar Aiken

Out - Deonte Thompson, Jeremy Butler

The question here is Aiken vs. DT. I went with Aiken because he's a fresh face and has been playing on the punt and kick teams on ST. While DT has had a standout preseason, he hasn't really developed much over the past 3 years. I think we'll opt for the fresh face, although it wouldn't be terribly surprising to see DT make it instead.

TIGHT END (3):

In - Dennis Pitta, Owen Daniels, Crockett Gillmore

Out - Phillip Supernaw, Nathan Overbay

This was a big question mark up until 2 days ago, but Daniels has finally returned to practice and it sounds like the team still has plans for him. Supernaw has quietly done well in camp and could factor back in if Daniels starts to feel the soreness again.

OFFENSIVE LINE (9):

In - Eugene Monroe, Kelechi Osemele, Jeremy Zuttah, Marshal Yanda, Rick Wagner, Jah Reid, Gino Gradkowski, John Urschel, AQ Shipley

Out - James Hurst, Ryan Jensen, Parker Graham, Reggie Stephens

I so badly wanted to give Hurst a spot, but I don't see it. Shipley is the top backup at G. Reid is the top backup at T. Gino is the top backup at C. That leaves one spot which I gave to the draft pick in Urschel. Hurst may be deserving, but it's a numbers game and he looks to be the odd man out. Jensen has had a terrible preseason and looks likely to go to the practice squad.

DEFENSIVE LINE (5):

In - Haloti Ngata, Brandon Williams, Chris Canty, DeAngelo Tyson, Timmy Jernigan

Out - Derrick Hopkins, AJ Pataiali'i, Jamie Meder, Levi Brown, Terrence Cody (PUP)

We can afford to go with 5 here since both McPhee and Upshaw played a lot with their hands in the dirt on Saturday. None of the UDFAs have done anything to suggest they deserve a spot. Cody could factor in but still hasn't practice, so he's out for now. He should be back midseason though.

INSIDE LINEBACKER (5):

In - Daryl Smith, CJ Mosley, Arthur Brown, Josh Bynes, Albert McClellan

Out - Zach Orr

The top 3 are locks. Bynes is a quality backup with plenty of experience here. He's the best run stopper we have so he's safe. McClellan is a quality special teamer that gets a spot due to injuries up front.

OUTSIDE LINEBACKER (5):

In - Terrell Suggs, Elvis Dumervil, Courtney Upshaw, Pernell McPhee, John Simon

Out - DJ Roberts

Simon is the wildcard here, but should stay because of his draft status from last year. The other 4 are clear contributors this year and there's no question that they'll be on the team.

CORNERBACK (5):

In - Jimmy Smith, Lardarius Webb, Asa Jackson, Chykie Brown, Dominique Franks

Out - Derek Cox, Tramain Jacobs, Sammy Seamster

I'm not ready to give Cox a spot yet. We have a small evaluation period tomorrow night to see what he has and if he's worth keeping around. If he goes in and doesn't let anything big happen, I imagine he sticks around. Franks has looked alright in preseason which is why he gets the spot for now. As has been the case all preseason, CB could go in pretty much any direction after the top 3.

SAFETY (6):

In - Matt Elam, Darian Stewart, Terrence Brooks, Anthony Levine, Brynden Trawick, Jeromy Miles

Out - Will Hill (suspension)

It felt weird to put 6 safeties, but the special teams contributions can't be denied. Levine, Trawick, and Miles are all key ST guys. They've all played pretty well this preseason too. Any of the 3 could be on the chopping block if we need a spot midseason, but I think they're safe for now.

SPECIAL TEAMS (3):

In - Justin Tucker, Sam Koch, Morgan Cox

WOLFPACK!

The opinions posted here are those of the writer of this article. They are in no way official comments from the team, the editors of this site or SB Nation as a whole, and should not be misconstrued as such.

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