Current Roster

[rake]

In my humble opinion here are the 72 "frontrunners" on our roster.

Pick the 19 that go bye-bye -



QB (3)
1 – Peete
2 – Delhomme
3 – Weinke
4 – Fasani

RB/FB (6)
1 - Davis
2 - Brown
3 – Foster
4 – Hicks
5 – Goings
6 – Smart
7 – Bates
8 – Hoover
9 – Moore

WR (5)
1 - Muhammad
2 – S. Smith
3 – Dyson
4 – Proehl
5 – Hankton
6 – Black
7 – Yamini
8 – Young

TE (3)
1 – Mangum
2 – Wiggins
3 – Heinrich
4 – McMullen
5 – Seidman

OL (8 or 9)
1 – Steussie
2 – Donnalley
3 – Mitchell
4 – Brzezinski
5 – Tuten
6 – James
7 – Fletcher
8 – Williams
9 – Gross
10 – Nelson


DT (4 or 5)
1 – Jenkins
2 – Buckner
3 – Burton
4 – Fatafehi
5 – Moorehead
6 – E. Manning

DE (4 or 5)
1 – Rucker
2 – Peppers
3 – Wallace
4 – Taves
5 – Rasmussen

LB (7 or 8)
1 – Morgan
2 – Fields
3 – Witherspoon
4 – Allen
5 – Favors
6 – Towns
7 – Kyle
8 – M. Smith
9 – Flugence
10 – Price

CB (5)
1 – Cousin
2 – Howard
3 – Wesley
4 – Franklin
5 – Anderson
6 – R. Manning

S (5)
1 – Minter
2 – Grant
3 – J. Cooper
4 – D. Cooper
5 – Richardson
6 – Branch

K/P (2)
1 – Kasay
2 – Graham
3 – Sauerbrun



We probably go with 25 on offense and 26 on defense (plus one K & one P).
BTW - I am assuming that DBs Fair and McDaniel, LBs Minor and Jackson, and DLs Leroy and F. Smith are not going to be resigned.

 

[Wp28]

Wow, I thought we were deep at LB.

But we really are not.

QB (3)
1 – Peete
2 – Delhomme
3 – Fasani
Weinke – Gone

RB/FB (6)
4 – Davis
5 - Brown
6 – Foster
7 – Hicks
8 – Hoover
9 – Moore
Goings Gone
Smart Bubble
Bates Bubble

WR (5)
10 - Muhammad
11 – S. Smith
12 – Dyson
13 – Proehl
14 – Young
Hankton ST Bubble
Black Gone
Yamini Gone


TE (3)

15 - Wiggins
16 – Heinrich
17 – Seidman
Mangum Cap casualty
McMullen PS unless they cut Kyle and keep him to LS.

OL (8)
18– Steussie
19 – Donnalley
20 – Mitchell
21 – Brzezinski
22– Gross
23 – Nelson
24-
25-
Tuten - 2 of these 3 make it.
James
Fletcher
Williams Gone


DL (9)
26 – Jenkins
27 – Buckner
28 – Burton
29 – Moorehead
30 – Rucker
31 – Peppers
32 – Wallace
33 –
34 –
Taves 2 of 4 make it (Manning could go to PS)
Rasmussen
Fatafehi
Manning

LB (7 or 8)
35 – Morgan
36 – Fields
37 – Witherspoon
38 – Favors
39 – Towns
40 – Allen

Kyle (Career LS ???)
M. Smith Bubble
Flugence Bubble (PS)
Price Bubble

CB (5)
41 - Cousin
42– Howard
43 – Wesley
44 – R. Manning
Franklin Bubble
Anderson Bubble


S (5)
45 - Minter
46 - Grant
47 – J. Cooper
48 – D. Cooper
49 – Branch
Richardson Cap Casualty

K/P (2)

50 - Graham
51 – Sauerbrun
Kasay - Cap casualty – Hurts to type that!

2 open roster spots
DB. Anderson – Franklin battle for 1.
LS. McMullen – Kyle battle for 1.

Will have to prove it (and could make it)
LB Flugence – Smith – Price (not nearly as deep at LB as I thought.)

 

[twentybelow0]

The coaches have been praising QB Chris Weinke. That may be an attempt to rebuild Weinke's confidence and get him to step up in training camp. Although he's behind Rodney Peete and Jake Delhomme, Weinke has the strongest arm of the three and could gain ground if he improves his decision-making. . . .

One player to keep an eye on is RB Skip Hicks. If RB DeShaun Foster hasn't fully recovered from a knee injury, Hicks could emerge as the top backup to RB Stephen Davis. The team also has RBs Dee Brown and Nick Goings, but Hicks has a more proven track record.

LINEBACKERS ANALYSIS: This should be an area of strength. If MLB Dan Morgan stays healthy—he has played only 19 games in his first two seasons—he can be a dominant playmaker. Like all of the club's starting linebackers, SLB Mark Fields is fast. He's solid against the run and a decent pass rusher. WLB Will Witherspoon is ready to start after getting plenty of playing time in the second half of his rookie season. MLB Lester Towns is a stout run defender. OLB Brian Allen played well last year and should be a top backup. Newcomer Greg Favors could be a quality reserve. .........
www.sportingnews.com

 

[Piper]

Yeah WP, I'd have rather used that 4th rounder on a backer than a safety myself. We need a backup weakside. Fox wanted one too he said, but our targets were gone.





QB (3)
1 – Peete
2 – Delhomme
4 – Fasani

RB/FB (6)
1 - Davis
3 – Foster
4 – Hicks
6 – Smart
8 – Hoover
9 – Moore

WR (5)
1 - Muhammad
2 – S. Smith
3 – Dyson
4 – Proehl
5 – Young

TE (4)
1 – Mangum
2 – Wiggins
3 – Heinrich
4 – Seidman

OL (9)
1 – Steussie
2 – Donnalley
3 – Mitchell
4 – Brzezinski
5 – Tuten
6 – James
7 – Fletcher
8 – Gross
9 – Nelson


DT (4)
1 – Jenkins
2 – Buckner
3 – Burton
4 – Moorehead


DE (4)
1 – Rucker
2 – Peppers
3 – Wallace
5 – Rasmussen

LB (7)
1 – Morgan
2 – Fields
3 – Witherspoon
4 – Allen
5 – Favors
6 Towns
7 – Kyle


CB (5)
1 – Cousin
2 – Howard
3 – Wesley
4 – Franklin
5 – R. Manning

S (4)
1 – Minter
2 – Grant
3 – J. Cooper
4 – Branch

K/P (2)

2 – Graham
3 – Sauerbrun


Moorehead can play DE or DT, so we can stick with 8, which is what we had on the def. line last year.

 

[Wp28]

Piper..

I was figuring the same with Moorehead and Burton able to play both, but the way Fox likes to rotate the DL we'd keep 9. You think Smart beats out Brown? is that based on ST's play? and you think Mangum hangs on and we keep 4 TE's?

 

[rake]

It looks like Fletcher and Favors really need to step up since without them we are in need of a backup OT and a backup OLB. One of the two rook LBs (Price or Flugence) might be able to improve LB depth but we might have to look to the wire for depth at OT. I don’t see us carrying 4 TEs. I am really hoping that Heinrich and Seidman can push Wiggins down the chart and get rid of Mangum altogether.

It looks like Brown Hicks and Smart will be battling for 2 spots . . . unless Fosters recovery collapses. I hope as much as any of you that he is ready to contribute by the opener. However, IMO we should shelf Foster for a second entire season unless he is at least able to spell Davis effectively on a regular basis. Why reserve a valuable spot for him if he is not useful and his prognosis for the future is so questionable. One preseason TD run might be clouding the issue. If Green tackled him last preseason I doubt we would give him two full seasons to rehab. At least Jeffers made us a better club for a full season. Put Foster on IR again unless he is solid and ready to PLAY by the opener.

 

[Piper]

Re: Piper..

Originally posted by Wp28
I was figuring the same with Moorehead and Burton able to play both, but the way Fox likes to rotate the DL we'd keep 9. You think Smart beats out Brown? is that based on ST's play? and you think Mangum hangs on and we keep 4 TE's?

This team values its special teams performers. Its kept Hankton on this team, and may yet still. I could see them doing that rather than 4 Tight Ends.

Henning would IMO like to use some 2 TE sets. We don't gear our passing game that way, but you can do a lot of motion out of that.

We had 8 DL last year. Unless some guys really impress, I don't see us cutting a special teams guy just for a 9th defensive lineman.

 

[Freakshow]

You CAN'T cut He Hate Me. Please...NO!!!!

 

[rake]

The RB competition should be fierce

It should be a very close call between Hicks Brown Smart and Goings for the 2 remaining spots. If Fosters knee is too forked for him to come back then only one will get cut.
Hicks must be really disheartened that we signed Davis. Hicks was in his prime when he had to play second fiddle to Davis in Washington. I remember him having a several chances to shine brilliantly there but the skins had way too much tied up in Davis to give Hicks anymore of a shot than he got. Either Hicks really pours it on this time and makes a name for himself here or he chalks another one up to bad timing, puts Davis’ picture on his dart board and tries yet another team. I see him catching on with us as a valuable backup. Brown proved last year that he can be “serviceable” (I hate that word) and I think his running style is an excellent complement to Davis. He stays as our 3rd down change of pace back. Smart and Goings are on the outside looking in IMO. One is a special teams asset but hasn’t shown much more. The other had his 15 minutes of fame with us on a Monday night against the Pack years ago. I love the way both of them hustle but we need to upgrade talent at the position. Unless Foster goes on IR before the last cut Smart and Goings are both probably gone.(

 

[Freakshow]

Hicks and Davis. I always wondered why the media didn't make a bigger deal out of this. I remember that Hicks was going to be the man and Davis kept stealing more time in Washington. Then Davis was the man and Hicks was gone. Now...Hicks comes to Carolina. Then we sign Davis...Bummer