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Only things I saw as realistic moves is a vet OT (which we just added) and perhaps another option at backup QB instead of Kyle Allen. Everyone wants a LB, but I don't see it. Wouldn't be against it. But I think we're gonna roll with what we have there rather than have a guy learning the Defensive QB position on the fly.

Poona has experience and good game film for what they're looking for. Too often we put too much stake in Pre-Season play. The plays we see during the Pre-Season are not even a sniff of the actual playbook.

It's underwhelmed or Kyle Allen. There isn't going to be a backup right now that invokes excitement.

Now that he's signed, I think Alec Anderson is Practice Squad bound. Not sure we keep 10 on the OL.

Germain Ifedi is now signed. We will now see if Anderson sticks. I don't know that we keep 10 OL or not.

We visited with a vet OT today in Germain Ifedi. So we are looking. As I've said, I would be shocked if McDermott goes into the season with two guys who have never played a regular season snap as the backups.

I wouldn't be so sure Anderson is safe. There was no post saying he's solidly made the 53. They visited with Germain Ifedi today. I think it's safe to assume they want at least one OT with experience. If or more likely when they make a move for a vet, he's probably out.

When Q was cut, I expected a move. I don't see any way McDermott would be comfortable with having our Backups at OT being two guys who have never played a regular season snap before. Though a 1st Round Pick who didn't get his 5th year option picked up and then was released early by 2 teams already this offseason doesn't invoke a lot of faith in me. But at least he has starting experience and has attributes that made him a 1st Rounder.

Klein may be brought back after guys are IR'ed. At the very least, I'd expect him back on the Practice Squad and called up quickly if things really deteriorate. Bernard returned to practice recently. So they'll roll with Bernard and Dodson for the time being, maybe Klein too if he's brought back tomorrow. The level of "concern" must not be as great as fans are reading into it. Or else they'd have made a move right then. I suspect it was more of a message to Dodson after his freak out and about the injury to Bernard. Message sent to Dodson and Bernard is back from injury. We'll see what happens. You may be right. Or they may scheme the Defense in a way that helps out whoever starts. Maybe Rapp playing up the field some with 3 Safeties. Maybe switching guys in and out to keep them fresh.

Who would that be? Christian Kirksey is still coming off a hamstring injury. And if he were playing at an all time level the year before, they wouldn't have released him. Good MLB's aren't available for trade. Even if there were a guy, you're operating under how you'd handle things. Not how McDermott operates. As I said in another thread, he wasn't comfortable playing a RUNNING BACK months after trading for him because he "needed time with the playbook". RB is maybe the easiest position to transition teams with. MLB is one of the hardest. Especially in McDermott's complicated Defense. He's not going to plug and play a guy there.

The reason we have Williams at OLB is because we have absolutely no one else that can play the position behind Milano. Zero. Nada. Zilch. And before this season, we never had anyone of quality to replace Milano if he got injured or needed a breather. Now we do. We could have gotten a MLB on FA or the Draft. But during that time, we valued weapons, O-Line, and D-Line help more. And rightfully so. It's frustrating to have seen so many around Draft time say we can get by with what we have and we should focus on other positions. And now that we did, people are freaking out about MLB. Like it or not, the plan for MLB this season was to see if the 3rd Round Pick we spent on Bernard could pay off. Or if Dodson could do more after showing some good stuff for years in a relief role. One of the would either work out or we'd re-evaluate next season. Now it's too late to train a new player to be the Quarterback of the Defense. It just is what it is.

When you don't have quality, you need quantity. Extra bodies that you can cycle in and out to keep players fresh to mitigate talent level a bit. Like I've said before, I'd be surprised if they make a move at LB. McDermott is only going to play guys who have experience in his system and know the playbook in and out. MLB in his Defense is extremely complicated. He's not going to play guys learning on the fly. Kirksey was brought in for a tryout years ago and they passed on him then. I don't think they're going to choose him now years later when he's coming off an injury where he missed the Offseason and will be switching teams at the start of the year.

He'll be back tomorrow. It's just a salary move.

When Harty took all the 1st Team Return reps in the final Pre-Season game, that was that. His only path to the roster was playing Returner so that Harty could focus on offense. He was your yearly Pre-Season underdog darling. In the end, Pre-Season performance really matters little compared to the numbers game and what developmental plans and investments he's put in on guys above them.

It's actually 56. We need to make 3 moves. You forgot Spector from your list.

With the cuts, trade, and IR's announced we're still not at 53. Must be a few that haven't leaked out yet.

Elam won't be traded. They aren't giving up on a 1st Round Pick after one season. Shaq Lawson on a 1 year deal isn't getting us anything. He signed for league minimum just before the Draft after weeks on the market. He has no value.

It's Keenum returning, in my opinion. They want to hold on to that 3rd Round compensatory pick and this late into the game, they'll value his knowing the system, players, and coaches.

When it comes to Linebacker, as I've said in the past, I think it's extremely unlikely that a.) a Starting caliber player is going to become available and b.) that McDermott is going to start a guy there that would be learning on the fly. This is a coach who notoriously brings new players along very slowly. He was saying Nyheim Hines needed more practice time and more time with the playbook months after getting him, as to why he wasn't getting more reps. And RB is one of the easiest positions to transition. Play calling MLB is one of the hardest. I think one of the main reasons we went with the guys we went with and re-signed AJ Klein amongst other FA options is because they all have familiarity in the system. Dodson won't be cut. He started both Pre-Season games. After he was pulled in favor of Klein in Game 2, he was back in the Starting Lineup for Game 3. At worst, he'll be a reserve. You don't go from Starting to cut. Quessenberry also won't be cut. Save for a unlikely veteran OT signing just before the start of the season. They aren't going to go with two players who have a combined 0 snaps in Regular season play as the backup OT's. Basham being moved is a possibility. His starting the game may have been a showcase move. Though I wouldn't be surprised, I don't necessarily expect it as Floyd, Epenesa, and Lawson are all on the last years of their deal. On Q - as I said above, regardless of how he's looked, the team isn't going to go with two OT's who have never played a down in the league as the backups. If Shell hadn't retired or Doyle hadn't gotten hurt, maybe they'd cut him. But at this point, they're going to keep him. Miller is definitely going to stay on PUP, in my opinion. There was a tweet from a Doctor like a week ago commenting on the work he was doing and said that he's not far enough along as he expected and even pontificated he may have had a minor setback. They're going to take their time with him. Cam Lewis comes down to a numbers game. I don't see us keeping 11 DB's on the 53. And he's the 11th DB, in my opinion. I don't agree that we can't sneak him on the Practice Squad. Fans play the "there's no way they'll make the PS" game every offseason and 99 times out of 100, we do. It isn't as prevalent that teams sign players from other teams to their 53 before the start of the season as is made out to be. And I don't think Cam would be one of those players. He's been a PS guy first for us for years. He gets a lot of usage because he's the first guy up if there's an injury at any position on the Secondary. I think it will be the same for him this season. Baylon Spector.... I don't know. Honestly, I think his injury is a blessing in disguise for him. Otherwise, I saw him as a cut that would end up on the Practice Squad. We aren't going to keep more than 6 LB's. Going into Training Camp, I felt drafting another LB this year as well as re-signing Dodson and Klein had him on the outside looking in. Obviously Milano isn't going anywhere. Bernard and Williams being Day 2 Draft Picks over the past two seasons are going to get time and are safe. Matakevitch is our Special Teams captain, in a year where we lost multiple Special Teamers, so he's safe. So that leaves 2 spots for Dodson, Klein, and Spector. Spector did get a run with the 1's early in Camp when they were giving all the guys who weren't Milano or Dorian a shot. But after that, he was exclusively running with the 3rd or 4th teams. Which given how Dodson has performed and what Klein is, really isn't saying much for how they viewed him. And with Bernard missing most of Camp and all of the Pre-Season and Dodson underperforming, Klein needs to be on the 53. Can't have just Dodson and a returning from injury Bernard there. With PUP though, there's a chance after 4 games there's an injury somewhere and Baylon Spector gets put on the 53 instead of the PS. Kingsley is a decent player. But he's like Cam Lewis for us or Brandin Bryant when he was here. A decent hand that we call upon first if there's an injury. But there's 5 DE's on the roster who are valued more right now, 6 when Von returns and we only keep 5 max there. It's a numbers game with him too. Save for a surprise trade of Basham, there's no spot for him.

Hearing that Case Keenum is #3 on Houston's depth chart and that him being cut could cost the Bills their 3rd Round compensatory, I'd be surprised at this point if he isn't brought back on a Trade.

Final Prediction including Practice Squad: - This is only based on players who are here and not potential moves. At the very least, there will be a surprise or two on the Practice Squad from somewhere else. I believe it's also very likely Case Keenum will be brought back from Houston to be the Backup and also possible a vet is signed in Van Demark's roster spot. QB: Josh Allen #17 Kyle Allen #9 RB: James Cook #4 Damien Harris #22 Latavius Murray #28 - Reggie Gilliam #41 WR: Stefon Diggs #14 Gabe Davis #13 Deonte Harty #11 Trent Sherfield #16 Khalil Shakir #10 Justin Shorter #18 TE: Dawson Knox #88 Dalton Kincaid #86 Quintin Morris #85 OL: Dion Dawkins #73 Connor McGovern #66 Mitch Morse #60 O'Cyrus Torrence #64 Spencer Brown #79 - Ryan Bates #71 David Edwards #76 David Quessenberry #77 Ryan Van Demark #74 DE: Leonard Floyd #56 Greg Rousseau #50 Shaq Lawson #90 A.J. Epenesa #57 Carlos Basham Jr. #55 DT: Ed Oliver #91 DaQuan Jones #92 Poona Ford #98 Jordan Phillips #97 Tim Settle #99 LB: Matt Milano #58 Tyrel Dodson #53 Terrel Bernard #43 Dorian Williams #42 A.J. Klein #52 Tyler Matakevitch #44 CB: Tre'Davious White #27 Kaiir Elam #24 Dane Jackson #30 Taron Johnson #7 Christian Benford #47 Siran Neal #33 S: Jordan Poyer #21 Micah Hyde #23 Taylor Rapp #20 Damar Hamlin #3 ST: Tyler Bass #2 Sam Martin #8 Reid Ferguson #69 PUP Reserved: DE Von Miller #40 LB Baylon Spector #54 Practice Squad: QB Matt Barkley RB Darrynton Evans WR Andy Isabella WR KeeSean Johnson WR Tyrell Shavers OL Alec Anderson OL Ike Boettger OL Nick Broeker OL Richard Gouraige DE Kingsley Jonathan DT Eli Ankou LB Travin Howard CB Cam Lewis CB Alex Austin CB Ja'Marcus Ingram S Dean Marlowe

Honestly, I'd be very surprised if Case Keenum isn't brought back to be our Backup. With his status with the Texans in doubt, the performance of K. Allen and Barkley, the stakes of the compensatory pick, and his familiarity with the team, playbook, and coaches - it makes too much sense for it not to happen.

Much like Khalil Shakir, the fans are the only ones putting Justin Shorter on the bubble. Overvaluing Pre-Season games over investments and development plans way too much, as always. There is an almost zero possibility that Beane is going to outright cut a 5th Round Pick developmental WR without giving him at least one season to develop. They drafted him with a plan to see if they could develop his attributes into a good NFL player. They knew that would take time. And Beane has never outright cut a Draft Pick higher than the late 6th or 7th Round in their Rookie season. Andy Isabella's chances really went out the window to me when Deonte Harty took all the first team Return reps in the last game. Keeping him as the Return man so that Harty could focus entirely on the Offense was Isabella's only route to the 53. Ultimately, he's a guy who was a 2nd Round Pick that was given up on after two seasons. That doesn't happen often and that message is heard loud and clear throughout league circles. Especially when his second chance in Baltimore ended with him being released from there as well, where he then stayed unsigned up until Training Camp. That stink doesn't go away with one halfway decent Pre-Season. The league knows who he is and he's a Practice Squad guy right now. Regardless of how he looked in the Pre-Season, no one is signing him to a 53 man roster spot. There's a much better chance that someone would with Shorter, given his attributes and the fact that he has yet to play a down in the League and still could develop into something. Whereas in Isabella, we will be the 2nd team releasing him in a span of months after being declared a bust by his Drafting team. I believe Isabella was signed as a Camp Body with his ceiling being a Practice Squad player if he showed something. I think he's earned that. But I don't see them keeping him over other guys they invested in and had plans for. Ultimately, every season there's a guy or two that fans get excited about because of Training Camp or the Pre-Season. But both those things mean very little unless there's a path to the roster. And there really isn't for him. Every year fans say "this person has outplayed this person" or "there's no way we can sneak them on the Practice Squad". And every season, long term plans and investments outweigh that and they do end up sneaking those offseason underdogs on to the Practice Squad.

What has he shown that would make him a "great backup"? Like the OT position, I see we're at a point with Backup QB where anyone released is a great option. He's played in a total of 2 games. Starting and losing in both, throwing for a combined 228 yards, 0 TD's and 4 INT's. Since then he's been behind Cooper Rush, not even the backup in Dallas. And he'd have to learn the playbook on the fly. There is ZERO chance they see him as an upgrade and would sign him to replace the guys who have been with us all offseason learning the Playbook. Our Backup will either be Kyle Allen or Case Keenum, if any move is made.