How many rookies crack the 53?

[MizzouHawkGal]

Locks (barring injury):

Christine Michael: Very bright future. IIRC, Seattle has only cut a second round pick during their rookie preseason once in their history.

Jordan Hill: We are very thin at DL to start the season, and Hill is (IMO) the only well rounded 3-tech currently on the team. 3rd round pick. He's a lock on a lock for the roster at this point.

Jesse Williams: Williams is the only viable Red Bryant replacement currently on the roster. And though I don't like it, Pete loves run stuffing specialists at the 3-tech. Also, he has 1st round talent (IMO). Lock.

Luke Willson: Even before the McCoy injury I would have said lock. JS indicated that Willson was the most indispensable pick in the 2013 group.

At least one O-lineman: Not sure which one it will be, but at least one lineman from this rookie group will make the 53. Seattle has no other options, they all could suck and one gets a golden ticket.

Highly probable:

Tharold Simon: Browner and/or Thurmond could be playing their final season in Seattle. Maxwell is expendable. Simon has elite physical talent by the criteria PC/JS go by. Traded up to get him.

Chris Harper: All Harper has to do is beat out three of the following four players: Stephen Williams, Phil Bates, Greg Herd, and Jermaine Kearse. Even if he sucks, odds are he'll make it anyway.

Solid chance:

Spencer Ware: He has way too much talent to be PS safe, IMO. Seattle kept 5 RBs early last season and Ware is far more gifted than Lumpkin was.

Underdogs to keep an eye on:

John Lotulelei: Biggest signing bonus of UDFAs. LB is very open to competition. 5th round grade.

Craig Wilkins: Terrific college tape and above average measurables. Offers legit depth for Wagner.

Michael Bowie: His resume is a lot better than your typical 7th rounder and he's the closest thing to a pure offensive tackle that Seattle brought in.

From this group, I think 8-10 will make the final 53.

Looks right to me. Maybe not the O-lineman though. ..maybe.

 

[themunn]

10 seems like a lot.

Do me a favor...can you give me the list of which 10 currently on the roster will get dislodged? I'm curious.

It's a tough one, but players that ended this season with us last year on the 53 man roster that either won't or I do not expect to make the roster are:

Butler (Harvin)
Branch (Bennett)
Chukwurah (Clemons return from IR)
Hill (Avril)
Omiyale (Carpenter return from IR)
Trufant (Winfield)
Leon
Flynn
McCoy
Person

Players fighting for the remaining roster spots:
Bradford
Morgan
Smith
(I expect we'll keep 2/3/maybe 4 of the above, but I'll be honest and say I'm not entirely sure who is looking the most capable)
Maragos
Maxwell
Shead
Rishaw Johnson
Kearse
McGrath

That's anywhere between 10-14 roster spots up for grabs (although that doesn't allow for IR returns of Toomer and Thurmond who will also be fighting for those spots, and whichever backup QB makes the final roster).

I reckon 7 rookies make the team, with the likely casualties from that list McGrath, Johnson, Shead, and Maxwell.
(Probably Michael, Hill, Williams, Willson, Simon, Harper & an O-Lineman. Ware will get PS'd and probably stay there - you can say he's too talented all you want, but if he was THAT talented he wouldn't have made it to the 6th round)