The "25" on defense.

[Patler]

With a few question marks of relative insignificance, it seems fairly easy to come up with 25 for the final roster on offense. However, I find the 25 for defense a little more of a head-scratcher. Start out with the "safe bets" absent a trade (Bishop, perhaps).

D line - Picket, Raji, Jenkins, Neal, Harrell
LBs - Mathews, Hawk, Barnett, Jones, Chillar, Bishop
CBs - Woodson, Williams, Shields, Lee
Safeties - Collins, Burnett

That's 17, with room for 8 more.

I purposely left Underwood off. I think there is more of an issue there than they have let on. The shoulder injury might be an excuse to move him to IR, sort of like they did with Lee last year. Tuck him safely away for a year, to get his potential legal issue behind him or at least clarified, and to develop as a player, hopefully.

Need 1 or 2 more D-line. Is it Wilson? Wynn? Both?

Need 2 or 3 more LBs. Poppinga? Zombo? Obiozor? Francois/Josephs? (don't forget Havner here as well, making 8 more likely)

Need at least 1 more corner, maybe 2. Bush is the next man up.

Need at least 1 more safety to get you through the first six weeks until Bigby is available, but you might keep as many as three, Peprah, Martin and Blackmon. Blackmon can at least line up at corner in a pinch.

Is Wilson more valuable now and in the future than Zombo, or Obiozor, or Balckmon (with his NFL injury history)? Is Wynn? How about Peprah vs. Martin? Either or both relative to a 9th or 10th LB? etc. etc.

There are a lot of possible variations, with 6 or 7 D-line, 8-10 LBs, 9-11 DBs divided somehow between corners and safeties.

[vince]

I'm not so sure Lee's a safe bet. He was playing behind Bush and Shields on 3rd team with D.J. Clark in practice yesterday.

DL - One more. Wilson or Wynn. Impossible to know which one has distinguished himself over the other. Toribio has had his moments, but would appear to be a longshot.

LB - Pops, Zombo and Obi

DB - I'd give it to Peprah, Martin, and Blackmon - assuming he's healthy enough. Unfortunately, there's room for Bush.

[Patler]

I'm not so sure Lee's a safe bet. He was playing behind Bush and Shields on 3rd team with D.J. Clark in practice yesterday.

Not sure if this was a demotion of Lee (especially relative to Bush). Sometimes I think that is done when they are undecided about the guys they "move up" Just an opportunity to see them with better players and perhaps against better players.

Lee was playing well last year before he was injured. He seems to be coming around slowly this year. He hasn't looked "bad", but hasn't really done anything to stand out either. Maybe he isn't a good fit in Capers' defense. I hope he plays a lot this week.

Has Lee returned kicks at all this year? He looked decent at it in the past.

[vince]

I'm not so sure Lee's a safe bet. He was playing behind Bush and Shields on 3rd team with D.J. Clark in practice yesterday.

Not sure if this was a demotion of Lee (especially relative to Bush). Sometimes I think that is done when they are undecided about the guys they "move up" Just an opportunity to see them with better players and perhaps against better players.

Lee was playing well last year before he was injured. He seems to be coming around slowly this year. He hasn't looked "bad", but hasn't really done anything to stand out either. Maybe he isn't a good fit in Capers' defense. I hope he plays a lot this week.

Has Lee returned kicks at all this year? He looked decent at it in the past.

I seem to recall him returning one kickoff late in the first or second preseason game, but it was a nondescript return obviously. It may have even been Family Night I'm remembering. I feel the same way about Lee. Based on what I've seen, he hasn't done much, but hasn't been overly bad eitehr - but he just seems to have fallen out of favor with the coaching staff. Depending on Underwood's status, he's probably safe.

[vince]

I'm looking forward to seeing more of Sam Shields. We're going to get some bad with him. Hopefully, we also get some good.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Lee had a kickoff return. I remember thinking he looked pretty fast.

[vince]

I went back and looked. Lee returned the last kickoff with about 1:20 left of the Cleveland game. He dropped the kick before returning it to about the 24 yd. line. Not real memorable.

[red]

i've said it before and i'll continue to say it. if bush makes this team as a CB, then TT has failed big time this offseason IMO

the guy is just a walking disaster on defense

[Tony Oday]

i've said it before and i'll continue to say it. if bush makes this team as a CB, then TT has failed big time this offseason IMO

the guy is just a walking disaster on defense

Except getting the Starting SS in the draft and the future LT...yeah failed

[Brandon494]

Don't forget about Underwood also at CB.

[Fritz]

Lee has been the big, big mystery for me. Two years injured, yes, but two years in the NFL, a year to study Capers's system. And maybe he's not a "fit" since they drafted him as a press corner, but somehow I think if you're athletic you can make that switch - Al Harris did. I mean, if you're a corner drafted in the second round, you should be pretty athletic.

My hope is that Patler is right - he's safe, they know what they have, they need to find out about Underwear and Shields.

My impression in very limited viewing is that Lee looks....okay. Just kinda there. Not horrible, no huge bombs-over-my-head-for-a-touchdown, but no playmaking and not even tight coverage where he bats a ball away.

So I don't know what to make of him. I'd love to be a fly on the wall and listen to what the coaches have to say about him..

I kinda think they keep Peprah and Martin. If Chery shows good hands and decent decision-making and even a little wiggle as a returner Thursday, I think Blackmon will be in real danger. His knee keeps swelling up on him..

I have to think they keep Poopinga because they know what they've got and he can plug in and do a couple things okay enough. I'm fascinated by the Obiozor/Zombop/maybe Francois battle. Hope someone who gets to see the game will keep en eye on Francois and report to us.

I'm going to guess they keep Wynn and try to get Wison on the PS.

Jarrett Bush. Wow. Maybe he sticks, at least until Harris and/or Bibgy come back. But it may come down to Blackmon OR Bush.

[HarveyWallbangers]

I actually wouldn't be scared shitless if we had to roll with Martin or Peprah. I think those guys are veteran enough and athletic enough that we can at least hide them.


The nickel/dime situation scares me. So does the situation at OLB--with both Matthews and Jones missing most of camp.

Neal and, to a lesser extent, Harrell have actually alleviated some concerns on the DL for me.

[retailguy]

I think Bush is our new nickel back. Safety is going to have to help, which will impact both corner blitz and safety blitz. Makes the line play more important.

[Joemailman]

I actually wouldn't be scared shitless if we had to roll with Martin or Peprah. I think those guys are veteran enough and athletic enough that we can at least hide them.


The nickel/dime situation scares me. So does the situation at OLB--with both Matthews and Jones missing most of camp.

Neal and, to a lesser extent, Harrell have actually alleviated some concerns on the DL for me.

Just rewatched the 1st half of the Indy game. Mike Neal was the best D-Lineman on the field. He should play quite a bit in the nickel, as well as giving Jenkins a break from time to time in base. He has more pass rush ability than I expected him to have as a rookie.

[Lurker64]

Just rewatched the 1st half of the Indy game. Mike Neal was the best D-Lineman on the field. He should play quite a bit in the nickel, as well as giving Jenkins a break from time to time in base. He has more pass rush ability than I expected him to have as a rookie.

Neal was really, really good in that game. I wouldn't be surprised if he is pushing for a starting job at some point in the midseason. But I feel really good about having him as the first man in on the DL, and having him be one of the two in the nickel.