Rank the Roster 2020: #29

[Waldo]

Rank The Roster: 2020 Edition

1. Aaron Rodgers (48%)[--]
2. Za'Darius Smith (70%)[+5]
3. Aaron Jones (43%)[+3]
4. Davante Adams (45%)[--]
5. David Bakhtiari (59%)[-3]
6. Kenny Clark (100%)[-3]
7. Jaire Alexander (74%)[-2]
8. Preston Smith (58%)[+5]
9. Elgton Jenkins (75%)[+15]
10. Kevin King (47%)[+4]
11. Adrian Amos (78%)[-1]
12. Corey Linsley (63%)[-1]
13. Christian Kirksey (56%)[FA]
14. Darnell Savage (81%)[+2]
15. Rick Wagner (38%)[FA]
16. Jace Sternberger (44%)[+16]
17. Rashan Gary (47%)[+3]
18. Alan Lazard (54%)[+27]
19. Dean Lowry (31%)[+3]
20. Chandon Sullivan (50%)[+25]
21. AJ Dillon (35%)[R]
22. Devin Funchess (44%)[FA]
23. Billy Turner (68%)[-5]
24. Jamaal Williams (40%)[-1]
25. Equanimeous St. Brown (27%)[-6]
26. Mason Crosby (50%)[+9]
27. Raven Greene (40%)[+6]
28. Marquez Valdes-Scantling (28%)[-11]
29. Current

Percent of vote the winner got will be in parenthesis, position change vs. 2019 will be in brackets.

Here's how this works:

Each day there is a new thread/poll, starting at #1, on down to whereever we get. The whole point of this exercise is to have something to talk about in the lean news months to carry us to camp. Each poll will be open for voting for 24 hours. New threads will only be created on weekdays. Ties will cause a runoff poll.

Simply voting is not enough!

Post why you voted for who you did and provide a player to add to the next poll (every poll will be a list of 10 guys, a new player is added to the list each day).

Here's the thing. There is no criteria. This is an exercise to foster discussion therefore there are no clear criteria for ranking. Who is better right now? Who will have the best season? Who was better last year? Sort of a combo of them all? Do you take positional value into account? It really doesn't matter.

Previous Years:
Rank the Roster: 2014-2019

[Waldo]

Lancaster seemed to be the consensus #2 last time and seems likely to go this time, he'd not someone I have much opinion on.

Why Lancaster over Keke? Neither has really proven much one way or the other, Keke has more upside, and also an easier path to #2 snaps.

If you assume he is a rotational DL, why pick him over someone like Deguara, who is likely to play a significant number of snaps on offense (mostly in a FB role, but I suspect they will have some pass plays drawn up too)? We know that MLF is seriously infatuated with Deguara.

How much do we value Lewis' intangible off the field role?

[Packfntk]

Lanny, but Love is there as well. He is very important to this roster.

[YoHoChecko]

Whoof, getting tough.

Who's going to have a bigger role next year: Keke or Lancaster? (Or Hester? Or Willis?)

Who's going to earn the BJ Goodson snaps, Burks or Martin? (or Bolton? Or Summers?)

Who's going to be the top backup outside CB? Hollman or Jackson? (or Ento? or an UDFA?)

Who's going to be the swing OT? Taylor or Light? (or Nijmen? or Leglue? or RUNYAN?)

Who's going to get the most TE2 snaps? Tonyan or Deguara (or Lewis!)

When does our top iOL reserve go? (Lucas Patrick) or our punt returner? (Tyler Ervin)

Usually my short list is about 2-4 names long. At this point, it's at least a baker's dozen

[YoHoChecko]

Lanny, but Love is there as well. He is very important to this roster.

I don't think he's even the #2 this year, honestly. I think he's pure development in year one. Tim Boyle gets rostered and is the first off the bench. We have zero need or incentive to push a guy in who isn't ready and enshrine those bad habits into his play.

[NCF]

Lanny, but Love is there as well. He is very important to this roster.

I don't think he's even the #2 this year, honestly. I think he's pure development in year one. Tim Boyle gets rostered and is the first off the bench. We have zero need or incentive to push a guy in who isn't ready and enshrine those bad habits into his play.

I mean, I could see it, but I think he beats out Boyle. It certainly won't take long to top Boyle's system advantage given the talent lean to Love.

[Drj820]

After Lancaster, its almost time to look at the overlooked guy. The old guy that plays many snaps, improves the culture, is a leader, blocks great, and never gets hurt...marcedes.

[BF004]

Lancaster then Mercedes Lewis

[Labrev]

I am gonna take a chance on Deguara. Rookie TEs do not contribute much early but Deguara looks like he could buck that trend. 'Sounds like he is smart, experienced, versatile, and will be altogether very hard to keep off the field.

I would like to think that Tonyan is ready to take the next step but I just don't really have anything to justify having optimism for it. Lewis as a blocking specialist and team leader has value but to me, role-players who specialize in blocking and intangibles should go in the 30's. You can find guys like him or John Kuhn on the open market.

[YoHoChecko]

I am gonna take a chance on Deguara. Rookie TEs do not contribute much early but Deguara looks like he could buck that trend. 'Sounds like he is smart, experienced, versatile, and will be altogether very hard to keep off the field.

I would like to think that Tonyan is ready to take the next step but I just don't really have anything to justify having optimism for it. Lewis as a blocking specialist and team leader has value but to me, role-players who specialize in blocking and intangibles should go in the 30's. You can find guys like him or John Kuhn on the open market.

I expect Deguara to contribute similarly to Foster Moreau last year on the Raiders:
Moreau played 371 offensive snaps (36%) and a bunch on STs.
Moreau had 21 catches for 174 yards, with pretty high TD production, 5 TDs

[Labrev]

I am gonna take a chance on Deguara. Rookie TEs do not contribute much early but Deguara looks like he could buck that trend. 'Sounds like he is smart, experienced, versatile, and will be altogether very hard to keep off the field.

I would like to think that Tonyan is ready to take the next step but I just don't really have anything to justify having optimism for it. Lewis as a blocking specialist and team leader has value but to me, role-players who specialize in blocking and intangibles should go in the 30's. You can find guys like him or John Kuhn on the open market.

I expect Deguara to contribute similarly to Foster Moreau last year on the Raiders:
Moreau played 371 offensive snaps (36%) and a bunch on STs.
Moreau had 21 catches for 174 yards, with pretty high TD production, 5 TDs

That's a solid comp/expectation. I actually see him a bit more like Irv Smith (similar size/versatile skill-set), who logged 36-311-2 -- also pretty good for a rook.

[YoHoChecko]

That's a solid comp/expectation. I actually see him a bit more like Irv Smith (similar size/versatile skill-set), who logged 36-311-2 -- also pretty good for a rook.

Not bad; Irv Smith was faster and seemed more likely to be a slot receiver early in his career than a versatile blocker and catcher from all over the formation, but also not a bad comp for rookie years.

Fittingly, neither guy was the starting TE (Rudolph and Waller), but both still found ways into the game. Irv Smith played 60% of the snaps as a rookie, though, and that seems like a pretty high expectation to me (hence you voting for him before me)

[Pckfn23]

Didn't we decide Degura is going to be more of an H Back?

[YoHoChecko]

Didn't we decide Degura is going to be more of an H Back?

I mean, I don't know if/what "we" decided. But I think he's going to line up in a variety of places, take the FB role entirely, and take some TE2 role, as well. I think he'll line up in-line, in the backfield, and occasionally split. I think he'll be primarily a run-down player early, but with a very good release-valve skillset as a receiver, and grow into a bigger, broader TE role as he progresses. At the presser, MLF said that yes, we would use him a lot like the 49ers use Kyle Juszczek, but also that Deguara will "be on the field a lot more." This hints at him being the FB role and ALSO a move-able TE role.

I used Moreau for that purpose. He's a guy who lined up around the formation, usually in tight, while Waller could split out or play in line, he could play in the backfield, as an H-back, or in-line. He was used in run situations, like the red zone, but because he has a smooth and athletic receiving skillset (rather than a stretch the seems skillset), he can still make those underneath conversions for 1st downs or TDs in the red zone.

Moreau was the TE I most wanted for our offense last year, and Deguara was my guy this year. I see them as similar players who add something we need. I just don't think it's reasonable to expect him to master all those roles as a rookie. So he'll split time with the other TEs for some of those roles. We'll use him at what he picks up early, and throw Tonyan and Lewis in for the others.

[YoHoChecko]

I guess I've settled with the consensus. I think Lancaster is someone who could step up... or someone who could step back and get beaten out by guys whose names we barely know.

But I do think the NT has more shots to see the field than Keke, and I think he's a safe choice for this spot.

Next round, I dunno. I'm wondering about Kamal Martin and I think we need to really consider CB4. It's not like King is going to play every game for us. Who comes in? Hollman? Jackson? Ento? and UDFA?