3 Unknown Players that have a Good Chance at Making the Roster

[Superman]

Watching Justin Anderson like I did today I think he is in serious danger of getting cut, he looked very slow today and dropped down to one knee in the end zone a time or two after doing some jogging from the left side of the end zone to the right, I know he is still recovering but in my opinion it doesnt look good for him, Seth Olsen looked good today as well

I never expected Anderson to make the team. If there's one pick I think Grigson totally whiffed on, it's Anderson. The scouting reports on him are much more negative than positive.

[Gavin]

I never expected Anderson to make the team. If there's one pick I think Grigson totally whiffed on, it's Anderson. The scouting reports on him are much more negative than positive.

Perhaps he will make the team. Who knows, out of my control. Im hoping Fleener and Allen show why we drafted them so high,

[Dr. T]

Chig is going p.s

Chig won't clear waivers. NTs with the perfect body type and show they can play are hard to find.

[Buck Showalter]

At one point, almost everyone counted them out, but now after a solid training camp and a good preseason game against the Rams, the chances of making it are in their favor.

Jerell Freeman -- Linebacker

Chances of Making the Roster: 80%

DJ Johnson -- Cornerback

Chances of Making the Roster: 55%

Chigbo Anunoby -- Nose/Defensive Tackle

Chances of Making the Roster: 50%

the breakdown on these three players was nice, but where'd you get these percentages for their chances of making the roster???

[ztboiler]

Chig won't clear waivers. NTs with the perfect body type and show they can play are hard to find.

That logic sounds right, and I hope it is right, because that will mean he has shown a LOT in camp and preseason. If he shows so much that he won't clear waivers, then I hope we'll keep him, and that would excite me a lot given his potential. However, if the Colts cut him you have to consider the market. There will be a 22 players X 32 teams entering the market on Sept 2. That is 704 players that all have the ability to play in the league available at a moment when everyone's roster is saturated at 53. Given those odds, there is a chance you are right, but the odds are overwhelmingly against another team pulling him out of the stack and dismissing one of the 53 who just made their roster. He'll clear waivers.

[jbaron04]

Chig won't clear waivers. NTs with the perfect body type and show they can play are hard to find.

Perfect body type don't know bout that we don't need 4 Nt

[Gavin]

I agree we dont need 4 but we do need three and as of right now thats what we have, Chapman wont be ready week 1. If we cut a Defensive Tackle it will likely be Ricardo Matthews, he hasnt shown that much in my opinion in camp or the first game and is better suited as a defensive end in a 3-4 in my opinion, I would try him out there and if he dont work by cut time then, I'd have to cut him

[Superman]

I agree we dont need 4 but we do need three and as of right now thats what we have, Chapman wont be ready week 1. If we cut a Defensive Tackle it will likely be Ricardo Matthews, he hasnt shown that much in my opinion in camp or the first game and is better suited as a defensive end in a 3-4 in my opinion, I would try him out there and if he dont work by cut time then, I'd have to cut him

Matthews is more of an end than a tackle. Good fit as a three-tech/five-tech hybrid, and can even play some 4-3 end. I obviously haven't seen him in camp (I asked you to take good notes; where are they??? ;)) so I'll take your word for it that he hasn't shown much. But he is a player that has proven he can handle the rigors of the NFL, and he's versatile, which is a plus for our scheme. I'm assuming he has an inside track on making the team over guys like Anunoby and Shirley, for instance.

[ztboiler]

I agree we dont need 4 but we do need three and as of right now thats what we have, Chapman wont be ready week 1. If we cut a Defensive Tackle it will likely be Ricardo Matthews, he hasnt shown that much in my opinion in camp or the first game and is better suited as a defensive end in a 3-4 in my opinion, I would try him out there and if he dont work by cut time then, I'd have to cut him

There is a case for keeping 2 NT's, just as there is a case for keeping 3. Baltimore kept 3, but one of them was a hybrid. Rico already is a DE. Someone will have to beat him out as a backup DE if he is to be cut. I wouldn't rule out Shirley doing that, but we know so little about him yet. I'd love to see Anunoby given a chance at DE and ultimately groomed in the Ngata hybrid role, but all of that seems far fetched today when the time to play real football is nearly upon us. I think that means Rico stays - we need the depth and he has played in the NFL.

[Superman]

There is a case for keeping 2 NT's, just as there is a case for keeping 3. Baltimore kept 3, but one of them was a hybrid. Rico already is a DE. Someone will have to beat him out as a backup DE if he is to be cut. I wouldn't rule out Shirley doing that, but we know so little about him yet. I'd love to see Anunoby given a chance at DE and ultimately groomed in the Ngata hybrid role, but all of that seems far fetched today when the time to play real football is nearly upon us. I think that means Rico stays - we need the depth and he has played in the NFL.

I'm not a dogmatic person, but I'm pretty sure neither Shirley nor Anunoby are going to make the team because of their ability at end. Haloti Ngata is a freak of nature. He shouldn't be able to play four positions on the defensive line, but he does, and he does it well. No sense comparing our two castoffs to him. Like you, I think Matthews stays as a backup hybrid end/tackle.

With Redding, Moala, McKinney, AJ and Nevis, we'd have a mean goal line front. Put Matthews in instead of Moala if you want. Either way, we don't need Shirley or Anunoby to go with a big line. If they make it for depth, good for them, but I'm pretty sure it will be as backup tackles, not ends.

[ztboiler]

I'm not a dogmatic person, but I'm pretty sure neither Shirley nor Anunoby are going to make the team because of their ability at end. Haloti Ngata is a freak of nature. He shouldn't be able to play four positions on the defensive line, but he does, and he does it well. No sense comparing our two castoffs to him. Like you, I think Matthews stays as a backup hybrid end/tackle.

With Redding, Moala, McKinney, AJ and Nevis, we'd have a mean goal line front. Put Matthews in instead of Moala if you want. Either way, we don't need Shirley or Anunoby to go with a big line. If they make it for depth, good for them, but I'm pretty sure it will be as backup tackles, not ends.

Hang on now - you saw all my qualifiers in there, and at that level, none of it is unreasonable. I don't have any tape of the game, only watched live, but none of Shirley's considerable playing time was at NT that I recall. If you aren't a nose then DE and DT are a bit fluid in this D as it is set up. So, saying that he is competing with Rico as a DE is not a stretch, but I already suggested that beating him out is. I don't know what to expect of Shirley, but at this point it isn't much. As for my hybrid comments on Chigbo, that is just dreaming out loud because I love his body type and athleticism - nobody is comparing him to a future hall of famer. He is the only player on the roster today that has the physical potential to move along the line like Ngata does, though he is still only 50/50 to make the team. I've stated here and elsewhere that I'd like to see him get a shot at DE to see if he has the versatility, while realizing it is just the improbable dream of a fan on a message board that an undrafted fluid moving 6'4" 325# lineman could change his stars and become the kind of story that Jeff Saturday did. I am cursed with a fascination about every angle of building this team at the moment....which also leads me to some pretty unbalanced dreams! I am ready to resume my regularly scheduled programming sometime soon...but for now the dream is a lot of fun.

[Superman]

Hang on now - you saw all my qualifiers in there, and at that level, none of it is unreasonable. I don't have any tape of the game, only watched live, but none of Shirley's considerable playing time was at NT that I recall. If you aren't a nose then DE and DT are a bit fluid in this D as it is set up. So, saying that he is competing with Rico as a DE is not a stretch, but I already suggested that beating him out is. I don't know what to expect of Shirley, but at this point it isn't much. As for my hybrid comments on Chigbo, that is just dreaming out loud because I love his body type and athleticism - nobody is comparing him to a future hall of famer. He is the only player on the roster today that has the physical potential to move along the line like Ngata does, though he is still only 50/50 to make the team. I've stated here and elsewhere that I'd like to see him get a shot at DE to see if he has the versatility, while realizing it is just the improbable dream of a fan on a message board that an undrafted fluid moving 6'4" 325# lineman could change his stars and become the kind of story that Jeff Saturday did. I am cursed with a fascination about every angle of building this team at the moment....which also leads me to some pretty unbalanced dreams! I am ready to resume my regularly scheduled programming sometime soon...but for now the dream is a lot of fun.

I did see your qualifiers. Like I said, I'm not stating anything for 100% certain, and I hate to bust your bubble, but it's unlikely that either of those guys make the team as a 3/5 hybrid. I didn't pay much attention to Shirley in the Rams game, but everything about him says nose tackle to me. Nothing says five-tech end.

If we come out of camp with a guy that can play three or four positions in our defense like Ngata does for the Ravens, I'll be right there dreaming with you.

[LUCKyday]

I like Steven Baker OT and Jabin Sanbarno WR