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

[jamrock]

Man, if Fox and KVN would come back on the cheap... that would be ideal.
Salyer puts us in such a good position. He can play LG or RT.
I would love it if OT Broderick Jones were there @#21. I doubt if he'll be there @21... then again, Christian Darrisaw lasted until #23.
I have 7 OT's that should go in rounds 1-2. All of them are better than Pipkins. Immediate improvement... for 1/5 the price. 4-5 year long rookie contract @PON.
Even if none of the OT's are there @21 and @43... Salyer is already better than Pipkins. Shit, send Jamaree to Duke and see what happens. In that scenario, we start looking for IOL in the 3rd round to play the LG position. Maybe you draft a LG with #75... a guy that could also fill in for Linsley or even replace him in a couple of years. Would you pick OG/OC Joe Tippmann in the 3rd round...? I would!

Nutty's targets:
1st: OT Broderick Jones
2nd: OT/OG Cody Mauch
3rd: OG/OC Joe Tippmann

Like you, I want to get better along the OL. Other than the multitude of high-end injuries, the OL play was of most concern to me. We can't continue to have weak links along the OL. And unfortunately for 2023... we're not going to be able to buy our way out of this predicament. Wave goodbye to a lot of good/decent FA's... and draft accordingly.

4-6 rounds only

[Boltjolt]

Every year fans around here are way off on projections.

TT and Ed McGuire will implement a plan to all of ours surprise.

This is very true but it dont stop us from watching tape for some hours ONLY to be wrong lol.

One reason why i stopped doing it as much. But i do when im not working as much. Need to stop this working thing, it gets in the way of things i like lol.

[Boltnut]

The cap is basically zero for 2024 today if you include two draft classes and signing anybody of note this offseason and having a 53 player roster. So if you push too much money this season onto 2024 and beyond - it hurts the cap.

I don't think team should be looking at 2023 as the all in year. I think they should be looking at 2023 - 2026 as a window to win with players like Herbert, Slater, Salyer, Zion (meaning the QB and core of the OLine)

But you keep saying that if you push money on Allen or Mack their cap hits will still be modest. That is incorrect - their dead cap hits increase.

Actually, I think re-structuring Bosa and Mike Williams is the smarter move. They're younger and their contract structures suggest that the team values them more in the future. You can restructure them and still have $20+ million left for 2024... I've done it many times. Are you also considering that the cap will go up for 2023 and 2024. The cap space is very good for 2025 ($168 million).

If they're not "All-in" for 2023... then I don't understand their FA signs (and contract structures) at all.

Edit: And again, you can cut KA after 2023 and save yourself $23 million on the 2024 cap. I love KA (and would absolutely keep him for 2023). But 2024 becomes very do-able if you cut him after 2023.

[Boltnut]

Well, we'll see but i dont think CB is going to be high on the draft list but if that player is BPA, so be it. Thats where im at....BPA asside fom QB.

Callahan is all but gone... he was very good this year. He has earned a pay raise. I doubt it's with us (cap considerations).
JCJ had a catastrophic injury (patellar rupture) for any player at any position. At his position... it's a real concern. I wouldn't rely on him next year at all.
Ja'Sir Taylor got abused at the slot position when he subbed for Callahan vs. the Broncos. He's developing depth... definitely not starter in Staley's demanding scheme.

One of the biggest reasons I look at CB with the #21 pick... because I believe it will be BPA. That could change if an OT slips. I'm not one of the guys looking at RB or TE @#21. The R.O.I. @1st round RB and/or 1st round TE is not promising...

Some are looking @WR with the #21 pick. But again, historically the WR picks @#21 and beyond aren't promising. Look at the last 2 years of the draft. You're not getting immediate impact picks after the #21. Some are looking @Edge with the #21. But when you compare those players to the probable CB's @#21... IMO, the CB is the better player.

[Boltnut]

4-6 rounds only

Specifically...?

[dmac_bolt]

Yes, I believe Duncan could be added to my OT cluster (1st-2nd round). Duke could probably clean up some of those inconsistencies I keep seeing. Jaelyn has had a nice Senior Bowl. I'll wath him during the game.

I absolutely love CB Clark Phillips in the 1st round. I like a number of CB's in the 2nd round. Give me specific CB's you like in rounds 3-5... I'll start rolling tape on them. My initial viewings tell me that last year's round 3-5 CB prospects were better than this year's...

With the improved play of Gilman... and hopes for JT Woods... I've backed away from my wish for another safety.
My PON list: CB, OT, LB, IOL, IDL, WR depth, RB depth, TE depth... man, hardly any room for safety depth... although I wouldn't complain. Does your pastey-legged safety happen to return punts...? You're eye is keen, my man...

That non-skill focus will give us the same non-dynamic always-pressed offense we had in 2022 unless Moore is a complete magician. Able to beat bad teams, won’t compete with the elites. my strategy is the anti-nut draft. Sign Pipkins to solidify our OL and thats 3 starting caliber OTs - no team has 4 I know of. Go elite skill in 1 and 2 - Speed/slot WR, Power RB, and/or TE. Add depth at IDL, we already have starters we’re not going to cut. We also already have CBs on the roster, pending JCJ prognosis of course. We could use Edge, not on your list.

I agree on LB. Tired of betting on K9, Tranq is pretty good but not great and he’s a FA.

[jamrock]

Specifically...?

OL depth

[Boltnut]

That non-skill focus will give us the same non-dynamic always-pressed offense we had in 2022 unless Moore is a complete magician. Able to beat bad teams, won’t compete with the elites. my strategy is the anti-nut draft. Sign Pipkins to solidify our OL and thats 3 starting caliber OTs - no team has 4 I know of. Go elite skill in 1 and 2 - Speed/slot WR, Power RB, and/or TE. Add depth at IDL, we already have starters we’re not going to cut. We also already have CBs on the roster, pending JCJ prognosis of course. We could use Edge, not on your list.

I agree on LB. Tired of betting on K9, Tranq is pretty good but not great and he’s a FA.

I'd like to see your "elite skill" list of RB's, WR's, and TE's (post-21st pick) from the last 2-3 years of the draft. The post-21st picks @OT and CB are lengthy. I stand ready for the challenge, should you accept.

You may not recognize OT and CB as skilled-focus. But they make all of the players around them better.
Improve your run game... protect your QB better... balance your offense... and you'll see your skilled players (already on the roster) improve.
Mike Williams led the league in 40+ receptions in 2021... and that was with an inferior OL. Every part of the OL is ready to go (Salyer replaces Feiler). Improve your RT position with an OT (1st/2nd round)... and your whole offense will benefit. Pipkins was average (59.2 PFF) wasn't even as good at OT as Salyer (69.2 PFF). Paying him a 2nd contract makes no sense.

I expect scathing critiques of PFF to follow. But I watched both players rather closely this year. And while I might differ on specific numbers... my eyes tell me that Salyer is better. And you don't have to believe me or PFF. But the team seems to agree, also. The last few games of the season, they rolled extra protection toward Pipkins than they did Salyer...

[Boltnut]

OL depth

For sure!

OT in the 1st/2nd... and an IOL in the 4th/5th would be a strategy I could get behind.

[jamrock]

For sure!

OT in the 1st/2nd... and an IOL in the 4th/5th would be a strategy I could get behind.

No, OL includes OT.

i actually don’t care what rounds they get the necessary guys in. We all know what we need. RB, WR, LB, Etc. depth at OL and DL maybe edge IDK. Probably doesn’t matter

[Boltjolt]

I'd like to see your "elite skill" list of RB's, WR's, and TE's (post-21st pick) from the last 2-3 years of the draft. The post-21st picks @OT and CB are lengthy. I stand ready for the challenge, should you accept.

You may not recognize OT and CB as skilled-focus. But they make all of the players around them better.
Improve your run game... protect your QB better... balance your offense... and you'll see your skilled players (already on the roster) improve.
Mike Williams led the league in 40+ receptions in 2021... and that was with an inferior OL. Every part of the OL is ready to go (Salyer replaces Feiler). Improve your RT position with an OT (1st/2nd round)... and your whole offense will benefit. Pipkins was average (59.2 PFF) wasn't even as good at OT as Salyer (69.2 PFF). Paying him a 2nd contract makes no sense.

I expect scathing critiques of PFF to follow. But I watched both players rather closely this year. And while I might differ on specific numbers... my eyes tell me that Salyer is better. And you don't have to believe me or PFF. But the team seems to agree, also. The last few games of the season, they rolled extra protection toward Pipkins than they did Salyer...

To be fair, Pipkins played with a MCL injury which is a 6 week healing time in most cases. He played thru it, and in some games, had to come out of games. It won't heal if you keep playing.

Astounding how some don't consider he and Herberts injury when saying they weren't as good.

[blueman]

That non-skill focus will give us the same non-dynamic always-pressed offense we had in 2022 unless Moore is a complete magician. Able to beat bad teams, won’t compete with the elites. my strategy is the anti-nut draft. Sign Pipkins to solidify our OL and thats 3 starting caliber OTs - no team has 4 I know of. Go elite skill in 1 and 2 - Speed/slot WR, Power RB, and/or TE. Add depth at IDL, we already have starters we’re not going to cut. We also already have CBs on the roster, pending JCJ prognosis of course. We could use Edge, not on your list.

I agree on LB. Tired of betting on K9, Tranq is pretty good but not great and he’s a FA.

Co-sign all this. We can’t ignore weapons on O.