2023 Official Roster Build Thread - The Initial 53 / Practice Squad

[dmac_bolt]

Yes, i think so.

Joiner was a 7 year vet coming to the Chargers, and a decent complement to Isaac Curtis on Bill Walsh's offense.
Two 35 catch type seasons, and not much else.

Even his first 3 years on the Chargers, nothing to write home about.
It took off when Coryell had an offseason to figure out how best to use him, or when C.J. learned Coryell;s offense

2nd part is key - Joiner was smart - he quickly learned, understood, and was able to execute Doin’s timing-based route system to always be where MFIC expected him to be. MFIC’s trust to throw before CJ was open was paid off by Charlie’s reliable execution. they combined to baffle defenses.

[Boltjolt]

True.
It just talks about all the ones he made -proof that he CAN tackle- and how he was highly thought of by Big 12 coaches who watched his games.
He plays free safety, a position that isn't expected to make a lot of tackles. He had 4th most for Baylor..
His skill set is a good fit for that position. I don't want to make excuses, he looked bad for us last year. I'm saying that wasn't typical for him.
He's a smart kid and very likely will look good in training camp. as always, we'll see.

Agree and I hope he can be a better tackler. Every player misses tackles and i just hope the front 7 is better in run defense because Woods is the last line of defense there.

[DerwinBosa]

Im just saying when he is done he could be in the HOF with the stats he will have. Winning a SB could help as well. You dont think so? Ok, Cool.

Also imo Swann doesnt belong in the HOF. He got there from his SB performances only. His stats are meager and he was hurt often. The HOF votes are made up of people IMO that shouldnt get a vote.....like Mike Greenberg. He doesnt know much about football as it is but gets a vote. Just wrong.

Burris stats arent that great and maybe the writers didnt like that he shot himself and missed 2 seasons due to league policy conduct he violated....who knows.
Barry Bonds wasnt the nicest guy to the media. Who the fuck cares, he was a great player and thats why i dont think the writers should be the voters.

Ward i think should be in. Why he isnt, IDK.The voting is stupid. Took Coryell forever to get in and he is the reason it is a passing league now.

I agree that the voting is stupid. I think Sterling Sharpe deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. A freak injury is keeping him out, but he accomplished more in seven years than many wide receivers who are currently in did in over a decade.

Patrick Wills should have been first ballot. A six-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler in eight years. Just because he had to finish his career early doesn't mean he shouldn't be in.

All I'm saying about Keenan is that there is a significant logjam at the wide receiver position and many of them are never getting in. I've given several examples, and there are plenty more: Andre Johnson, Steve Smith, Reggie Wayne, Torry Holt, Hines Ward, Anquan Boldin, Chad Johnson (Ochocinco), Jimmy Smith, Brandon Marshall, and Wes Welker are just a handful of wide receivers waiting to get in. I don't see how Keenan gets in over them. And then there will be Larry Fitzgerald, DeAndre Hopkins, Julio Jones, A.J. Green, Antonio Brown (probably won't get in, because he's a moron), Davante Adams, Mike Evans, and others who just retired or will be retiring around the same time or shortly after Keenan does. There are just way too many of them.

Unfair? Yes, especially with some of the quarterbacks projected to get in (Roethlisberger, Eli, etc.). You basically have to be Jerry Rice, Calvin Johnson, or Randy Moss to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer as a wide receiver now. Larry Fitzgerald will probably get in on the first ballot, too. Marvin Harrison had to wait two years, and that's not considered a long time. Cris Carter had to wait six years. It's ridiculous.

[DerwinBosa]

Swann had meager stats. Just had great SB games. He only has 336 regular season receptions.

Floyd Little shouldnt be in either IMO.

That's not uncommon for his era. Swann had 336 receptions in nine seasons. Paul Warfield had 427 receptions in his Hall of Fame career. He played 13 seasons. He was ranked as one of the top 100 players in NFL history. It's understandable why Warfield's numbers were so low. He played for the 1972 Dolphins undefeated Super Bowl winner. They threw the ball a total of 259 times that regular season, with 144 completions. In the playoffs they threw the ball 40 times in three games. Bob Griese completed eight of 11 passes for 88 yards in the Super Bowl win.

You can't expect the wide receivers of that era to have huge numbers when their quarterbacks were throwing the ball about a third of what the current passers do now.

[Ghost of Quacksaw]

You can't expect the wide receivers of that era to have huge numbers when their quarterbacks were throwing the ball about a third of what the current passers do now.

I agree. At the same time, the film shows that today's receivers are routinely making absurdly athletic catches we RARELY saw wideouts make in the 60's, 70's and 80's. I'm saying that receivers are better than they used to be.

On an only mildly tangential point, consider this question: Which player would you rather have in his prime? John Stallworth? Or Malcom Floyd?

The fact that there isn't a completely no-brainer answer speaks volumes. I would rather have Floyd, personally, and Floyd would never in a million years be considered for the HoF, even though Stallworth is in.

[Heatmiser]

Originally posted by sonorajim
True.
It just talks about all the ones he made -proof that he CAN tackle- and how he was highly thought of by Big 12 coaches who watched his games.
He plays free safety, a position that isn't expected to make a lot of tackles. He had 4th most for Baylor..
His skill set is a good fit for that position. I don't want to make excuses, he looked bad for us last year. I'm saying that wasn't typical for him.
He's a smart kid and very likely will look good in training camp. as always, we'll see.


Funny thing is, Woods was a pretty good tackler in college. Physical, too. I am hoping it is just mental/adjustment and that the light comes on for him. He is supposed to be very smart, football and generally intelligent, so it is troubling if he struggled with the mental part of Staley's defense. Perhaps worrying so much about where to be impacted what to do?

TG

[DerwinBosa]

I agree. At the same time, the film shows that today's receivers are routinely making absurdly athletic catches we RARELY saw wideouts make in the 60's, 70's and 80's. I'm saying that receivers are better than they used to be.

On an only mildly tangential point, consider this question: Which player would you rather have in his prime? John Stallworth? Or Malcom Floyd?

The fact that there isn't a completely no-brainer answer speaks volumes. I would rather have Floyd, personally, and Floyd would never in a million years be considered for the HoF, even though Stallworth is in.

I get what you're saying, although I think picking Floyd over John Stallworth is a stretch. And I love Floyd. The other side of the argument for that is Stallworth and the rest of the receivers from that era didn't have year-round training from their teenage years all the way through their entire careers. The weight training wasn't the same. There have been so many advancements they didn't have in comparison to Odell Beckham (who has what many consider the most impressive catch in NFL history) and the rest of the more gifted receivers now. What would Stallworth be if he had the same opportunities and training that today's receivers do now? We'll never know.

Regardless, Stallworth was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2002, two years before Floyd was drafted, 11 before Keenan. Back then Stallworth was considered a Hall of Fame wide receiver because there weren't that many to contend with. Jerry Rice, Tim Brown, and Cris Carter (he came back with the Miami Dolphins in 2002) were still playing. Michael Irvin and Andre Reed had just retired and weren't eligible yet (neither went in on the first ballot, and Reed had to wait seven years to be inducted). There were a bunch (Terrell Owens, Randy Moss, Isaac Bruce, Marvin Harrison, and so on) still in their primes. Are they supposed to remove Stallworth from the Hall of Fame because of that? Or does that mean they have to induct 10-15 Hall of Famers each year just so someone like Keenan can eventually get in? I say of course not to both. Keep it simple. Keenan in the era he's played is not a Hall of Famer.

[Ghost of Quacksaw]

I get what you're saying, although I think picking Floyd over John Stallworth is a stretch. And I love Floyd. The other side of the argument for that is Stallworth and the rest of the receivers from that era didn't have year-round training from their teenage years all the way through their entire careers. The weight training wasn't the same. There have been so many advancements they didn't have in comparison to Odell Beckham (who has what many consider the most impressive catch in NFL history) and the rest of the more gifted receivers now. What would Stallworth be if he had the same opportunities and training that today's receivers do now? We'll never know.

Regardless, Stallworth was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2002, two years before Floyd was drafted, 11 before Keenan. Back then Stallworth was considered a Hall of Fame wide receiver because there weren't that many to contend with. Jerry Rice, Tim Brown, and Cris Carter (he came back with the Miami Dolphins in 2002) were still playing. Michael Irvin and Andre Reed had just retired and weren't eligible yet (neither went in on the first ballot, and Reed had to wait seven years to be inducted). There were a bunch (Terrell Owens, Randy Moss, Isaac Bruce, Marvin Harrison, and so on) still in their primes. Are they supposed to remove Stallworth from the Hall of Fame because of that? Or does that mean they have to induct 10-15 Hall of Famers each year just so someone like Keenan can eventually get in? I say of course not to both. Keep it simple. Keenan in the era he's played is not a Hall of Famer.

This point has actually been widely discussed, at least from time to time, and not just regarding the NFL, but other pro Halls of Fame, too..

When players who aren't truly great end up in the Hall of Fame, it dilutes the entire institution. I'd support the idea of there being a 'Heritage Wing' in the Hall of Fame, for players who were legends of their eras but didn't produce epic numbers.

The idea has been advanced of there being a finite maximum number of players in the Hall of Fame, and for every new one inducted after that number is reached, one must be removed. The removed player could easily belong in the Heritage Wing. lol

[Maniaque 6]

I agree. At the same time, the film shows that today's receivers are routinely making absurdly athletic catches we RARELY saw wideouts make in the 60's, 70's and 80's. I'm saying that receivers are better than they used to be.

On an only mildly tangential point, consider this question: Which player would you rather have in his prime? John Stallworth? Or Malcom Floyd?

The fact that there isn't a completely no-brainer answer speaks volumes. I would rather have Floyd, personally, and Floyd would never in a million years be considered for the HoF, even though Stallworth is in.

Picking M. Floyd over J. Stallworth looks like an infamy to me !

[Boltjolt]

I'd easily take Stalleorth over Floyd, plus he was durable.

[sonorajim]

Agree and I hope he can be a better tackler. Every player misses tackles and i just hope the front 7 is better in run defense because Woods is the last line of defense there.

The front 7 never got together last year. Tillery was a d-bag vs run. We got better when he was cut and Fox signed. Meanwhile Bosa, Austin Johnson and Otito went out, K9 was rehabbing a sore ankle and Tranquill proved to be an ankle biter vs run.
All the key starters are back healthy. We added all pro MLB Kendricks, rookies DE/edge Tuli, LB Henley, DT Matlock, vet DT Williams, UDFA NT Clark, DC Ansley, ILB Coach Howard. It'll be different for sure, and in a good way IMO.

[SK21209]

The front 7 never got together last year. Tillery was a d-bag vs run. We got better when he was cut and Fox signed. Meanwhile Bosa, Austin Johnson and Otito went out, K9 was rehabbing a sore ankle and Tranquill proved to be an ankle biter vs run.
All the key starters are back healthy. We added all pro MLB Kendricks, rookies DE/edge Tuli, LB Henley, DT Matlock, vet DT Williams, UDFA NT Clark, DC Ansley, ILB Coach Howard. It'll be different for sure, and in a good way IMO.

It's an extremely small sample size, but I keep thinking about how the defense looked in those first two weeks against the Raiders and Chiefs. The front seven gave up some yards on the ground, but were good enough to execute Staley's philosophy. Bosa and Mack together were very disruptive and we held down the Chiefs in KC about as well as you can hope for. I'm pretty confident in our defense if our guys are actually healthy, the problem is we seem to suffer more injuries than other teams and we're less able to withstand injury than other teams.