I did one when training camp opened, and now that the Titans have played the first of their five preseason games, it’s time to take my second crack at predicting the 53-man roster. Some of these changes are based on the results of the first preseason game, while others were the result of me changing my mind.
QB: Kerry Collins, Patrick Ramsey, Vince Young
RB: Quinton Ganther, Ahmard Hall, Chris Johnson, Javon Ringer, LenDale White
TE: Jared Cook, Alge Crumpler, Bo Scaife, Craig Stevens
WR: Kenny Britt, Justin Gage, Lavelle Hawkins, Nate Washington
OL: Eugene Amano, Ryan Durand, Leroy Harris, Troy Kropog, Kevin Mawae, Mike Otto, Michael Roos, Jake Scott, David Stewart
DE: David Ball, Jacob Ford, William Hayes, Jevon Kearse, Kyle Vanden Bosch
DT: Tony Brown, Jovan Haye, Jason Jones, Sen’Derrick Marks
LB: Keith Bulluck, Ryan Fowler, Stanford Keglar, Gerald McRath, David Thornton, Stephen Tulloch
CB: DeMarcus Faggins, Cortland Finnegan, Nick Harper, Jason McCourty, Ryan Mouton, Cary Williams
S: Vincent Fuller, Michael Griffin, Chris Hope, Donnie Nickey
K: Rob Bironas
P: Craig Hentrich
LS: Ken Amato
Added to this roster:
QB Patrick Ramsey, RB Quinton Ganther, DE Jevon Kearse, CB Jason McCourty
Cut from the previous roster:
WR Mark Jones, DT Kevin Vickerson, LB Josh Stamer, S Tuff Harris
QB: Same question-do you trust VY to be the backup quarterback and come in and lead the team if Collins gets hurt? It’s tough to see that level of trust right now, but at the same time I don’t think he gets cut. Ergo, 3 QBs.
RB: Ganther makes it as much for special teams experience and ability to backup Hall as for any other factor. Adding him also balances out offense and defense-I was a little skewed toward the defense in terms of numbers in the previous stab.
TE: Unchanged.
WR: Mark Jones’s injury kills his chances of making the team, I think. Chris Davis was my last cut, not that I’m particularly enthused about him or Hawkins. Andrew wrote recently that none of the Titans’ marginal wideouts is a particularly good blocker, and that’s something the Titans may look for among other teams’ castoffs-a veteran who can block. As long as that doesn’t become Justin McCareins, I’d be fine with that.
OL: Unchanged, but I’m very uncertain on the #9 guy, currently Durand. Mawae’s health may determine that. I saw too much of Doug Datish to enjoy the prospect of him being the backup center, but that may be the contingency plan if Mawae’s out and they don’t want to possible move Amano.
DE: With Ford’s injury and his strong performance thus far, Kearse makes the team.
DT: Which means I need to delete one defensive lineman, and Vickerson was the #9 guy on my previous stab.
LB: Stamer essentially is replaced by Ganther. Yes, Fowler is still on my roster. Play the injury game: if Bulluck goes down, Keglar may be the guy to replace him. If Thornton goes down, though, who steps in? I doubt they’re willing to start McRath as a rookie and Keglar is more of a Will than a Sam. Tulloch is the logical guy, and played there W17 against the Colts last year. Also, if Tulloch gets hurt, who plays? Maybe McGinnis goes back on his word and plays McRath inside as just a guy, but Fowler just makes the most sense to me. I don’t see a roster space for Boiman.
CB: McCourty makes it as much for his return skills as for his cover ability, but with Tuff Harris off he provides additional depth at DB. He’s also a guy who may well get picked up by another team if he gets cut.
S: Tuff Harris out. I needed a roster space to keep Ramsey, and Harris was #53 on the roster.
K/P/LS: Unchanged.
So, tell me how much I’m wrong.
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