The preseason is all about answering questions, particularly at depth positions, and that's exactly what we started to see last week in Houston.
The clearest answers came at backup quarterback, the RB3 race and depth linebacker. And with the first-team offense and defense looking to be in mid-season form against the Texans even without key starters, the majority of the difficult roster decisions will hinge on special teams performance and general upside.
So without further preamble, here is my updated roster projection after the first week of the preseason, as well as a list of players who are right on the edge and would be prime candidates to stash on the practice squad.
Click here to see pre-training camp projection (6/29)
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JEFF'S ROSTER PROJECTION, 8/17
QUARTERBACKS (2)
- Jameis Winston
- Andy Dalton
In 2021: 3 kept
NOTES: When I did my first roster projection, I was teetering on whether it made sense to keep more than two true QBs on the active roster. And after what I saw in the preseason opener, that now feels like a pretty easy decision. Even if it got down to Ian Book as an option, wouldn’t it feel like you had a better chance if you ran a slimmed down Taysom Hill offense? I think you would. I have no questions left about Andy Dalton’s ability to lead this team if needed. Book probably should still land on the practice squad.
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RUNNING BACKS/FULLBACKS (4)
- Alvin Kamara
- Mark Ingram
- Dwayne Washington
- Abram Smith
In 2021: 4 kept
NOTES: I’m not going to overreact to a fumble in a rookie’s first preseason action, but I am going to overreact to Dwayne Washington’s workload and space with the first-team offense. I see Abram’s upside as the highest among the four (Smith, Washington, Tony Jones Jr. and Devine Ozigbo), and I think he’s likely the only one that might be a threat to get claimed by another team on waivers. If you’re keeping Dwayne as the RB3, Abram makes a lot of sense as the RB4. If Dwayne drops the ball on that slot over the next two preseason games, it opens the door for Ozigbo and TJJ, as you'd trust them more if they were thrust in a featured role early on. But as of now I think the four-man room above would make the most sense. I’m kind of cheating here by leaving the fullback off the roster, but that’s a position that I think you can figure out as you go.
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TIGHT END (4)
- Adam Trautman
- Nick Vannett
- Juwan Johnson
- Taysom Hill
In 2021: 4 kept
NOTES: Nothing has really changed for the four names above, but there seems to be a bigger distance between the top four and the bottom two (JP Holtz and Lucas Krull). I think Holtz might truly be competing more for the fullback/H role than anything else, but I see no reason to go away from Adam Prentice if you choose to keep one at all. Krull has been trending the wrong direction for a while and wasn’t active against the Texans. That’s not a great sign for a young player who isn’t working through any known injury.
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WIDE RECEIVER (6)
- Michael Thomas
- Jarvis Landry
- Chris Olave
- Deonte Harty
- Marquez Callaway
- Tre'Quan Smith
In 2021: 5 kept
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NOTES: This is another position that still hasn’t changed for me, though I think the gap between Tre’Quan and the rest of the receivers has narrowed. That list includes Kevin White, who might have a chance to sneak onto the roster as a special teams standout. He served in the first-team gunner role against Houston and he has the athleticism to shine in that role. As a receiver I think Dai’Jean Dixon had the most impressive performance as a pass-catcher, but the depth WR spots are more about special teams than anything else. So when Dennis Allen says “that’s an area he’s got to improve,” that’s not something to be taken lightly. I still think Tre does a lot of the dirty work that makes you want to keep him on the roster. He converted a third down on the opening drive against the Texans, and he’s the one who chased down a tackle after Ian Book’s interception. But the ugly drop in the end zone stands out. He really needs to flash in the next two preseason games, I think, to solidify his spot.
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OFFENSIVE LINE (9)
- Ryan Ramczyk
- Andrus Peat
- Erik McCoy
- Cesar Ruiz
- James Hurst
- Trevor Penning
- Calvin Throckmorton
- Landon Young
- Nick Martin
In 2021: 9 kept
NOTES: Not a ton changes here other than the inclusion of Nick Martin. With Cesar Ruiz able to play the position if need be, you don’t technically need a backup center, but I think this is an important season for Ruiz and you want to make sure he can focus on guard. Everyone else stays the same, and Hurst’s grasp on the starting LT role feels solid.
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DEFENSIVE LINE (9)
- Cam Jordan
- Marcus Davenport
- Payton Turner
- Carl Granderson
- Tanoh Kpassagnon
- David Onyemata
- Malcolm Roach
- Shy Tuttle
- Kentavius Street
In 2021: 8 kept
NOTES: This position hasn’t changed at all from my initial mock, but I think the interior spots are still up for grabs behind Onyemata. The run defense was suspect against Houston, not exactly a dynamo in that regard. No one really stood out beyond Roach’s impressive hustle to chase down a screen. So for now I’ll go with the status quo, and that means trying to stash 6th-round pick Jordan Jackson on the practice squad.
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LINEBACKER (6)
- Demario Davis
- Pete Werner
- Kaden Elliss
- Zack Baun
- Chase Hansen
- Andrew Dowell
In 2021: 6 kept
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NOTES: One of the changes at this position came before the game, with 5th-round rookie D’Marco Jackson landing on injured reserve. That made it easy to slot in the newly signed Chase Hansen after he looked impressive starting with Pete Werner and Demario Davis both inactive. He made the initial roster last season before an injury cut his year short. He’s healthy now and I think he makes it, barring another issue with health. I was tempted to make another change to swap Eric Wilson in for Zack Baun, but I’m just not ready to cut a third-round pick from two seasons ago just because he’s hurt right now. If he can’t get back on the field this week and against the Packers, Wilson is breathing down his neck for that spot. Another name who could be in play is Nephi Sewell, a UDFA who had a solid day against Houston, but struggled a bit against the run. The latest wrinkle is the signing of veteran Jon Bostic. We'll get a better picture of what he has to offer throughout the week, but I'm not ready to pencil him in anywhere just yet.
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CORNERBACK (4)
- Marshon Lattimore
- Paulson Adebo
- Bradley Roby
- Alontae Taylor
In 2021: 4 kept
NOTES: This position is so remarkably strong that I have no qualms about keeping just four. I’m not sure you can find another team with a better 1-3 at the outside corner position, and the 4th option is a second-rounder who gets to learn from elite players ahead of him. And even if you face a crazy rash of injuries, PJ Williams can move outside in an emergency. It’s hard to feel as good about a position group as the Saints do at outside corner right now.
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SAFETY (6)
- Tyrann Mathieu
- Marcus Maye
- CJ Gardner-Johnson
- PJ Williams
- JT Gray
- Justin Evans
In 2021: 5 kept
NOTES: The depth at corner also means you can load up at safety, and I think that’s important considering the potential for a Marcus Maye suspension. Everyone has a clear role. CJ is an elite slot corner, PJ provides depth there and can play free/strong as needed, and JT Gray is an All-Pro special teamer. Justin Evans is the only real question mark, but I think he’s played more than well enough to earn this spot. Smoke Monday and Bryce Thompson would’ve also been in consideration, but they’ve both landed on injured reserve.
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SPECIALISTS (3)
- K Wil Lutz
- P Blake Gillikin
- LS Zach Wood
In 2021: 4 kept (Lutz to PUP/IR)
NOTES: Not much needed to discuss here. Set it and forget it.
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CLOSE/PRACTICE SQUAD
- QB Ian Book
- WR Dai’Jean Dixon
- WR Rashid Shaheed
- WR Easop Winston
- WR Kirk Merritt
- RB Devine Ozigbo
- RB Tony Jones Jr.
- S Daniel Sorenson
- OL Forrest Lamp
- OL Ethan Greenidge
- DT Jordan Jackson
- LB Eric Wilson
- LB Nephi Sewell
- FB Adam Prentice
NOTES: This year's practice squad expands to 14 and there are a lot of notable inclusions. We still haven't gotten to see Shaheed in game action, but he's a return ace who has obvious upside to keep around. The other three WRs are all intriguing options, but end up on the outside due to the sudden depth at the position. Any of those four could climb onto the final roster if there's an injury or other issues, though it's tough to see a scenario where the team justifies carrying seven WRs onto its final roster. Eric Wilson and Nephi Sewell are also interesting options if the team decides to up its linebacker number to 7, but that’d mean a tough cut elsewhere. Ian Book is a no-brainer here if he clears waivers.
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