**Official Cuts Thread** + 53 Man Predictions

[cogitans]

Give your educated guess at which 53 guys will be here after Saturday. This is mine:

Offense:

QB[3]: Tarvaris Jackson, Brooks Bollinger, Kelly Holcomb

RB[4]: Chester Taylor, Adrian Peterson, Mewelde Moore, Artose Pinner

FB[2]: Tony Richardson, Jeff Dugan

WR[6]: Troy Williamson, Bobby Wade, Sidney Rice, Aundrea Allison, Billy McMullen, Robert Ferguson

TE[2]: Visanthe Shiancoe, Jimmy Kleinsasser

OL[8]: Bryant McKinnie, Steve Hutchinson, Matt Birk, Anthony Herrera, Ryan Cook, Artis Hicks, Marcus Johnson, Norm Katnik

DL[9]: Kenichi Udeze, Kevin Williams, Pat Williams, Erasmus James, Ray Edwards, Darrion Scott, Spencer Johnson, Brian Robison, Fred Evans

LB[6]: Ben Leber, EJ Henderson, Chad Greenway, Donterrius Thomas, Heath Farwell, Vinny Ciurciu

CB[5]: Antoine Winfield, Cedric Griffin, Marcus McCauley, Dovonte Edwards, Charles Gordon

S[5]: Darren Sharper, Dwight Smith, Mike Doss, Greg Blue, Tank Williams

ST[3]: Ryan Longwell(K), Chris Kluwe(P), Cullen Loeffler(LS)


As you can see I'm gambling on the keeping 5 safeties. My secondary guesses will be either keeping an extra TE (Richard Owens) or a DE (Jaime Mitchell).

Let me hear your guess.

[Marrdro]

Very nice Cogs.


Only change/pickup I see happening is possibly finding someone who can punt/kickoff with any kind of reliability.
With that I mean, depth on Kickoffs along with hang time.


I went with Doss vice Tank just because of his relationship with the new D-coord.

I went with 3 TE's.
They take a beating and we still don't know about Shank.

Anyway, here's my take on who makes the cut:

Quarterback (3):
Tarvaris Jackson, Kelly Holcomb, Brooks Bollinger.
Cut:
Tyler Thigpen (practice squad).

Running Back (4):
Chester Taylor, Adrian Peterson, Mewelde Moore, Artose Pinner.
Cut:
Ciatrick Fason.

Fullback (2):
Tony Richardson, Jeff Dugan.
Cut:
Naufahu Tahi (practice squad).

Wide Receiver (5):
Troy Williamson, Bobby Wade, Sidney Rice, Robert Ferguson, Aundrae Allison.
Cut:
Billy McMullen, Cortez Hankton, Martin Nance, Jason Carter, Chandler Williams (practice squad).

Tight End (3):
Jim Kleinsasser, Visanthe Shiancoe, Richard Owens.
Cut:
Stephen Spach.

Offensive Line (8):
Steve Hutchinson, Bryant McKinnie, Matt Birk, Ryan Cook, Artis Hicks, Anthony Herrera, Marcus Johnson, Norm Katnik.
Cut:
Kyle Cook, Brian Daniels, Seppo Evwaraye, Chase Johnson, Jimmy Martin (Possibly two practice squad).

Defensive End (6):
Kenechi Udeze, Ray Edwards, Darrion Scott, Erasmus James, Brian Robison, Jayme Mitchell.
Cut:
Khreem Smith (practice squad).

Defensive Tackle (4):
Kevin Williams, Pat Williams, Fred Evans, Spencer Johnson.
Cut:
Howard Green, Conrad Bolston.

Linebackers (6):
E.J. Henderson, Ben Leber, Chad Greenway, Dontarrious Thomas, Heath Farwell, Vinny Ciurciu.
Cut:
David Herron, George Hall.

Cornerbacks (5):
Antoine Winfield, Cedric Griffin, Marcus McCauley, Charles Gordon, Dovonte Edwards.
Cut:
Ronyell Whitaker, Chad Johnson.

Safeties (4):
Darren Sharper, Dwight Smith, Mike Doss, Greg Blue.
Cut:
Tank Williams, Patrick Body.

Specialists (3):
K Ryan Longwell, P Chris Kluwe, LS Cullen Loeffler

[Capital_J]

Richard Owens was informed he'd be cut. Not really a surprise, he was invisible this pre-season.

http://vikingsnow.blogspot.com/2007/08/owens-informed-hes-among-cuts.html

[Capital_J]

The only thing I don't agree with is keeping 5 safeties, although we started last year that way. There's no point in keeping Tank, Doss, and Blue because they are all virtually the same player...run support safeteies who struggle in coverage. I think Tank is the odd man out.

As for WR's I'd be pissed if they kept both Ferguson or McMullen, pick one or the other and let Nance have the last spot. He had a great training camp (I was there almost every day).

[snowinapril]

"cogitans" wrote:

Offense:

QB[3]: Tarvaris Jackson, Brooks Bollinger, Kelly Holcomb

RB[4]: Chester Taylor, Adrian Peterson, Mewelde Moore, Artose Pinner

FB[2]: Tony Richardson, Jeff Dugan

WR[6]: Troy Williamson, Bobby Wade, Sidney Rice, Aundrea Allison, Billy McMullen, Robert Ferguson

TE[2]: Visanthe Shiancoe, Jimmy Kleinsasser

OL[8]: Bryant McKinnie, Steve Hutchinson, Matt Birk, Anthony Herrera, Ryan Cook, Artis Hicks, Marcus Johnson, Norm Katnik

DL[9]: Kenichi Udeze, Kevin Williams, Pat Williams, Erasmus James, Ray Edwards, Darrion Scott, Spencer Johnson, Brian Robison, Fred Evans

LB[6]: Ben Leber, EJ Henderson, Chad Greenway, Donterrius Thomas, Heath Farwell, Vinny Ciurciu

CB[5]: Antoine Winfield, Cedric Griffin, Marcus McCauley, Dovonte Edwards, Charles Gordon

S[5]: Darren Sharper, Dwight Smith, Mike Doss, Greg Blue, Tank Williams

ST[3]: Ryan Longwell(K), Chris Kluwe(P), Cullen Loeffler(LS)


As you can see I'm gambling on the keeping 5 safeties. My secondary guesses will be either keeping an extra TE (Richard Owens) or a DE (Jaime Mitchell).

The guys in bold seem most questionable.

I think they wanted to find someone that wanted Moore for a possible draft pick.
Seems like they have favored Pinner.
Unless they want Moore to return kicks like Darrin Nelson was saying, they might not want to pay Moore?
I don't know if he gets paid more than Pinner, probably doens't make much difference.
Depends on which one they like to make tackles on ST kick coverage.

Will Allison make the 53 man or be put on the practice squad.
TW was almost highlighted but I just couldn't do it because I think there is a 51% chance he deserves a spot on this team. JK!

Katnik?
Are Herrera and Johnson enough extra?
Practice squad guy?

Blue can help on ST.
Tank? Keep young blue or Tank or both?

[snowinapril]

Dugan can play both FB and TE, not surprised that Owens got cut.
It would be too much overlap.

[cogitans]

So much for the Owens pick. I kind of had the feeling he wouldn't make it. But someone here tried to convince me the other day that we could use just one more TE. I think the release of Owens could open up for a long shot possibility that they keep Spach. But it's more likely a practice squad guy.

Just to make it sure, if we only keep the 4 S, I also see Tank as the final cut.

[Capital_J]

Patrick body was cut per the STrib

[Garland Greene]

Mewelde Moore I belive will be the biggest surprise Cut
I don't see 5 safty's on the team. I do see See Sharper, Doss, Smith and Blue as the only ones being kept. Tank will get an injury settlement/release. We wil have at least 9 OL on the roster at the start of the season. Daniels and Johnson will at lest be on the practice squad. So unless there is a solid Veteran that gets released that we can pick up that we know will be able to step in and do well I just see that happening.

[Capital_J]

"Garland" wrote:

Mewelde Moore I belive will be the biggest surprise Cut
I don't see 5 safty's on the team. I do see See Sharper, Doss, Smith and Blue as the only ones being kept. Tank will get an injury settlement/release. We wil have at least 9 OL on the roster at the start of the season. Daniels and Johnson will at lest be on the practice squad. So unless there is a solid Veteran that gets released that we can pick up that we know will be able to step in and do well I just see that happening.

I can't see us cutting Moore. He's too valuable and too versatile to keep off this team. If anything maybe we could get something for him in a trade. I agree with everything else though. Tank will probably be the odd one out at safety.