Sports Trough: 53-man Roster Challenge, Tm 2

After sitting down, and looking over stats and strengths and weaknesses of hundreds of different NFL stars, one thing became pretty apparent to me: I didn’t know as much about football as I thought I did. I can tell you how teams play, what their strengths and weaknesses are, and anything about star players. But which linemen are better at pass blocking than run blocking? Which defensive linebackers are better at zone coverage than one on one? These were the questions I started to have, and had no answers to.

Well the research is done, and the roster is set. I feel I did a pretty good job of choosing my team, and hitting the salary cap dead on. And my coaching staff, while unconventional, will turn out to play a huge role in my team. So without further ado…my roster.

Background:

This team is built to bring football back to basics. The offense is designed for some smash-mouth football, while the defense is built for a lot of 4-3 zone coverage, with some blitzing involved. This may seem a bit un-creative to many folks, but it’s a proven method. My goal is to remind the world why the fullback position exists, and run a lot of single back and power I looks. Leading the charge in these areas is my coaching staff:

Head Coach: Kirk Ferentz

What? A college coach?! That’s right. Kirk Ferentz has been doing the smash-and-grab for over 13 years at Iowa. And his method works (when their starting running back doesn’t tear his ACL). Take a look at this offensive depth chart, and you can see why Ferentz can make sense here.

Offensive Coordinator: Mike Mularky

Since Peyton Manning is at the helm of offensive lineup, I didn’t really need a guy that had to make the “gut” calls. Peyton can run his own offense. Mularky will keep everyone in check, and especially bolster the line. With his experience, our run game can take off, and Peyton can take less hits.

Quarterback –

Peyton Manning is definitely a high risk/high reward pick here. After 3 neck surgeries, Peyton is still going strong, and I think he has a few years left in the tank. The hope here is to let Ricky Stanzi study Peyton, much like Aaron Rodgers studied Brett Favre. With all that experience on the field and in the locker room, Stanzi has a lot of room for improvement. He’s a bit more mobile in the pocket than Peyton, but with his prior experience with coach Ferentz, and a future hall of famer to study from, Stanzi can be a solid starter here in 2 or 3 years. Dan Persa is a guy added for a small amount of depth, and comes form another midwest scheme. He’s no stranger to Ferentz and Stanzi as well.

Running Back –

LeSean McCoy has proven he is an elite style running back. He’s nigh untouchable in the open field, and can come out of the backfield to make catches easily enough. With Peyton at the helm, and the short game being the focus here, McCoy is a strong pick. D.J. Ware has been added to allow for a bigger guy to step in on those third and short situations. John Clay is another midwest guy, playing at Wisconsin, and can definitely develop more and learn from the guys in front of him on the roster. He should be a solid RB2 in 2-3 years.

Wide Receiver –

DeSean Jackson leads the charge here, providing the deep threat that Reggie Wayne once played for Peyton. DeSean has far greater speed than Reggie, and the ability to make plays is outstanding. Anquan Boldin will lineup on the other side of the field, allowing lots of cuts, slants, and ins to a guy that can make the catch in traffic. Bess and Evans have been added as slot guys when necessary, and provide the experience and reliability of guys that can grind through and get the job done, without adding an immature locker room presence. McNutt will be returning kicks with Jackson, and hopefully will have the opportunity to lineup as WR1 or WR2 in a few years. Gilreath and Davis have been added for depth and special teams.

Tight End/Fullback –

Since this team is going to be seeing a lot of power I and singleback sets, I felt it a priority to try and get some guys that can click well in this scheme, and are versatile in terms of blocking and catching. Moeaki and Clark, both Iowa Alumni, can definitely be those guys. Clark and Manning certainly have a rapport as well. Vonta Leach is a big deal in this backfield. Leach will be able to fill gaps, and pick up blocks, allowing McCoy to get into the open field, and make big plays. Leach is one of the best in the game at the fullback position. While I would like to pull Mike Alstott out of retirement, and remind the world that fullbacks do exist, Leach can definitely help me make my point as well.

Offensive Tackle –

Loadholt and Albert provide experience and skill at the tackle position. This will be necessary to protect Peyton. The less hits that man takes, the more games I win. Their expertise will help immensely not only in keeping Peyton upright, but also in sealing off the outside, and allowing McCoy to work his magic. While their may be a lack of depth at other offensive positions, there is no such thing here with Jason Smith and J’Marcus Webb watching on. Smith and Webb may be able to be subbed in more often than not, keeping my entire tackle position fresh throughout the entire game.

Guard –

Rob Sims and Chris Kuper will hold the inside of this line down, allowing for McCoy to make a play on those single back sets. Sims provides better pass protection on Peyton’s blindside, while Kuper can plow the way for Leach and McCoy to bust through the gap. Harvey Dahl will be used often, keeping these interior guys as fresh as possible. Keeping the entire O-Line fully energized is going to pay dividends down the stretch, only inflating Peyton and McCoy’s statistics. This offensive machine is going to destroy opponents in an old-fashioned slug fest each Sunday.

Center –

Matt Birk provides some senior leadership on the line. While none are new to starting on an offensive line, Birk is a guy that is consistent, reliable, and knows how to get the job done. He should pair well with Peyton. Having to adjust to Flacco shows that Birk can be open to helping out any guy, young or old.

Defensive Coordinator: Dom Capers

The man has been a defensive coach for decades, namely with defensive backs. His experience will help my DBs in their coverage schemes. Since I plan on using a lot of zone, I want to make sure these guys know what they’re doing, and how to cover the seams, and read opposing quarterbacks. My D-Line is built to stop the run, so I’m really relying on my Linebackers to fall into coverage as well.

Defensive Line –

This line is going to receive some criticism based on their pass rushing abilities, but I’ll be damned if this isn’t the best rush defense in the league. Langford and Dockett cap the ends on this line, with Paul Soliai and Shaun Rogers clogging up the middle. All four men have intense, physical play and incredible block shedding and tackling abilities. Ellis and Pickett allow some depth at DE, and at 1.5 to cap space for the two, it’s worth the risk to see if either can bounce back this season. Haynesworth is a clear gamble here. An obvious problem in the locker room (and the only one on this team), Haynesworth will rotate in at DT to keep the line fresh, and may step in if we run a 3-4 scheme as well. Dixon has been added for further depth, and is purely a developmental player.

Linebacker –

This depth chart may seem unimpressive, but the main ability of these guys is their ability to drop into pass coverage, and prevent plays across the middle. They are quick, and Vilma can run the field as a true veteran should. After the mess in New Orleans, it seems many players took Vilma’s side, so hopefully the respect of his peers allows him to lead this young group effortlessly. Witherspoon and Lawson are both underrated linebackers that, with the opportunity to learn from Capers, will become the best at their position in pass coverage. Edds is another Iowa player, added for Depth. While he certainly isn’t used to the pass coverage, he knows what it is like to have a few big boys up front.

Defensive Backs –

This secondary has the speed and coverage ability to shut down WRs and TEs all around the field. Branch and Thomas playing deep takes away the big play factor that teams may get from a weakened pass rush. Samuel and Mathis can both play zone, or man up if necessary. Adding guys like Biggers, Foxworth, Carr, Harris allow nickel formations where the pass rush will come from the secondary. With the starting 4 able to cover the deep part of the field, it really opens up blitz options with the other cornerback.

Special Teams: Brad Seely

After watching the 49ers special teams last year, it’s easy to see that Brad Seely knows what he is doing. He’s been a special teams coach since ’89, and worked with the Patriots through 3 Super Bowls. The experience here is invaluable.

Bryant and Koch are the respected Kickers and Punters here. I went for accuracy, as I’m hoping this team can charge down the field, and not get stopped too far out. The offense is built to kill defenses by 1000 cuts, and wear them down, but eventually they will get tired as well. Bryant’s accuracy will be far more valuable than his power. Same goes for Koch. I need a punter that can accurately pin a corner within the 20.

Final Thoughts:

This is the roster I built. I am a better man than Al Davis (RIP) and  Jerry Jones, but I think I can put a team together with the best of them. As a side note, this style of play won’t last in a big market. Fans of New York or LA want to see big plays and creative schemes. This sort of style would work best in Texas or the Midwest, or maybe even the southeast. Fans there can recognize a solid game plan when they see one, and would follow the team more closely. Hopefully the age of some of these players isn’t a factor too much as well. I’ve tried to distribute young talent to start behind the veterans, but we will have to see what each draft class provides.

Tags: 53-man roster, NFL, Rookie Scouting Portfolio, RSP