ROSTER RESHAPEN

Back on July 11, I set forth a baseline lineup — not a prediction of the eventual roster, but rather “what might happen if everything goes according to form.” With the 53-man roster and practice squad now set for opening day, here’s the follow-up, so we can see how much and how little changed in eight-and-a-half weeks. The original projection is reposted here, with strikethroughs and italics providing correction to what ultimately transpired. In several cases (i.e. ILB, S), the starter/backup remains unclear, so I’ve left those alone.
QB
Starter: Charlie Frye
Backups: Ken Dorsey or veteran FA (e.g. Vinnie Testaverde), Derek Anderson
Practice squad: Darrell Hackney
Cut: Lang Campbell, Dorsey (if veteran is signed), Darrell Hackney
RB/FB

Starters: Reuben Droughns, Terrelle Smith
Backups: Jerome Harrison, William Green, Lawrence Vickers, Jason Wright
Practice squad: Chris Barclay
Cut: Corey McIntyre, Lee Suggs, Jason Wright, William Green
TE

Starter: Kellen Winslow
Backups: Steve Heiden, Darnell Dinkens
Practice squad: Buck Ortega
Cut: John Owens, Paul Irons
OL

Starters: Kevin Shaffer, Joe Andruzzi, LeCharles Bentley, Hank Fraley, Cosey Coleman, Ryan Tucker
Backups: Nat Dorsey, Bob Hallen, Lennie Friedman, Isaac Sowells, one more T (most likely Jon Dunn, Kirk Chambers, or Pete McMahon Kelly Butler)
Practice squad: Walter Stith, Dunn and/or McMahon Rob Smith, Andrew Hoffman
Cut: Dave Yovanovits (unless a starting G/C is injured), Ben Brielmaier, Atlas Herrion, Rob Smith, possibly Chambers, Jon Dunn, Pete McMahon, Walter Stith
IR: LeCharles Bentley
Suspended list: Alonzo Ephraim
WR

Starters: Joe Jurevicius, Dennis Northcutt
Backups: Travis Wilson, Josh Cribbs, Braylon Edwards, Frisman Jackson
PUP list: Braylon Edwards
Practice squad: Steve Sanders, Kendrick Mosley
Cut: Brandon Rideau, Carlton Brewster (traded, actually), Brent Little, Frisman Jackson, Kendrick Mosley
DL

Starters: Orpheus Roye, Ted Washington, Alvin McKinley
Backups: Nick Eason, Simon Fraser, Ethan Kelley, Babatunde Oshinowo, Jovan Haye
Practice squad: J’vonne Parker(signed by Dallas first), Babatunde Oshinowo, Ulrich Winkler
Cut: Darrell Campbell, Andrew Hoffman(see OL), Ja’Waren Blair
OLB

Starters: Willie McGinest, Matt Stewart
Backups: Kamerion Wimbley, David McMillan
Cut: Nick Speegle, Jermial Ashley
ILB

Starters: Andra Davis, Chaun Thompson
Backups: D’Qwell Jackson, Leon Williams, Mason Unck
Cut: Kenny Kern, Justin Kurpeikis, Clifton Smith
CB

Starters: Gary Baxter, Leigh Bodden
Backups: Daylon McCutcheon; Ralph Brown; two of these three: Pete Hunter, Antonio Perkins, Chris Thompson
IR(PUP): DeMario Minter
Practice squad: Blake Farris or Andrew Pace; Jereme Perry, Therrian Fontenot
Cut: Willie Hughley; Jereme Perry; James Thornton; Farris or Pace; Hunter, Perkins, or Thompson
Suspended list: Daven Holly
IR: Jeremy LeSueur
S
Starters: Brian Russell, Brodney Pool

Backups: Sean Jones; Shawn Mayer or Justin Hamilton
Practice squad: possibly Hamilton
Cut: possibly Mayer

Specialists
K Phil Dawson
P Dave Zastudil
LS Ryan Pontbriand

Cut: Jeff Chandler, Kyle Basler.

So, in summary, the biggest surprises of camp were the tumult at center (folks like Todd Washington and Ross Tucker came and went in the interim), Braylon’s early return to health, Wright beating out both Green and Suggs, and the linebacker situation playing out precisely as I thought it might. A less-surprising but still unusual spin-off from this is that five players on the active roster (9%) were not even on the team at the outset of training camp, including three who arrived after the final exhibition game.
Players who showed more or developed faster than expected, and thus qualify as mild but pleasant surprises: Kamerion Wimbley, Justin Hamilton, Jereme Perry, Derek Anderson, Kendrick Mosley.
In terms of positional strength and depth as we stand right now, it’s probably stating the obvious, but here goes:

  • Above average — TE, DL, Specialists

  • Average — WR, RB/FB, CB, OL, OLB, ILB

  • Below average — QB, S