What To Watch For Tonight: 20 Players Fighting For 8 Spots

I, like most everyone, am hoping that we get to see a heavy dose of the first string players in tonights final preseason game. Not only am I hoping to see them play, but play well to boot. However, given how unfulfilling the first three preseason games have been I thought I better have a back up plan to keep me interested should things go the same way in this game. So I sat down last night to come up with a list of players to watch who might really be fighting for a roster spot in the game tonight.

First I took the players I thought are already a lock for the 53 man roster. I came up with 45. Then I eliminated everyone I thought had no chance. That left me with 20 players fighting for the final 8 roster spots.

I’ll tell you who they are after the break.

First off, these are the players I think are safe unless the teams signs someone new at their position.

QB – Cassel, Palko, Stanzi
HB – Charles, Jones, McCluster
FB – McClain
WR – Bowe, Baldwin, Breaston, Urban, Tucker
TE – Moeaki, Pope
OT – Albert, Richardson, Gaither
OG – Lilja, Asamoah, Harris
C – Weigmann, Hudson

DE – Dorsey, Jackson, Gilberry, Bailey
NT – Gregg, Powe
OLB – Hali, Studebaker, Houston, Sheffield
ILB – Johnson, Belcher, Williams
CB – Flowers, Carr, Arenas, Brown, Daniels
FS – Lewis
SS – Berry

K – Succop
P – Colquitt
LS – Gafford

Next, here are the guys I think are done for regardless of how they play tonight.

FB – Bannon (practice squad)
WR – Horne, Markshausen
TE – Gantt
OL – Greenwood, Harr, Ingersoll, Patterson
DL – Ayodele, Bair (practice squad)
LB – Walters
DB – Langford, Price, Washington (Demond)

That leaves these 20 players fighting it out for the last 8 roster spots.

HB – Battle
FB – Cox
WR – Copper, Colbert
TE – O’Connell, Becht, Slate
OL – Lewis, Mims
DL – Gales, Gordon, Toribio
OLB – Miller
ILB – Cole, Greenwood, M. Johnson, Kamara
S – McGraw, Washington, Piscatelli

Now of those 8 spots I think at least one will be a TE, one a DL, one a ILB, and two safeties.

If I had to pick 8 right now I think I’d go with:
Colbert, O’Connell, Gordon, Cole, Greenwood, and all three safeties (McGraw, Washington, and Piscatelli).

What do you guys think?