Nick Allegretti / Martinas Rankin / Greg Senat, offensive linemen
There’s no other way to put this: eleven offensive linemen is a lot of offensive linemen on a 53-man roster.
Regardless of the fact that starting left tackle Eric Fisher will be out for more time following hernia surgery, the burgeoning o-line room is a culpable candidate when you need a roster space. There are reasons for each that Reid and offensive line coach Andy Heck can sort out, but here are the possible routes in which they could take this:
•As the seventh interior offensive lineman on the depth, Allegretti is cut, in hopes that he can be kept on the Practice Squad. The team obviously likes Allegretti a lot, enough to keep him over last season’s redshirt rookie, Khalil McKenzie. But seven is a lot to keep for the interior three positions.
Reiter and Erving both have experience playing center at the NFL level already. Ryan Hunter appears safer than Allegretti based on the fact that he’s made the active lineup this season while Allegretti has not.
It’s an outside shot that veteran Jeff Allen could be cut instead of Allegretti, but based on Fisher’s injury and the fact Allen has been active for each game, it isn’t likely.
•After a couple weeks of allowing Rankin and Senat a chance to compete with each other in practice, only one earns the right to stay. Rankin was acquired at a price, in exchange for running back Carlos Hyde, so that could be an argument to keep the former third-round pick.
However, if Heck and Reid have already decided they prefer to keep the newest Chief, Senat, they won’t grieve too much having to release Rankin in order to make room for Claiborne.