Let's talk 2025 roster build (12/7)

[pugsnotdrugs19]

I know we got a threepeat to complete, but I'm thinking ahead today... let's take this position by position:


QB: I'd bring Wentz back. Perfect backup and IDK where else he can go and find a better job unless (God forbid) he plays this year.

RB: I'd bring Hunt back on a minimum deal. Go into the draft with Pacheco and Hunt, find a speed back in the draft who is capable of taking the job post-2025.

WR: If not for Rice's impending suspension, I'd feel good here. I'd look to bring Hopkins and Hollywood both back on 1-2 year deals. If the group will stay healthy, I think we will find they're really good. Rice and Worthy will be perfect complements to one another as WR 1 and 2. But you need to get by while Rice is out and you need depth for injury. I'd be fine with Hardman and Watson as WR 5 & 6.

TE: Does Kelce retire? If he doesn't, this can be left alone probably unless they think Wiley sucks. If Kelce does retire... I'd think you need to at least slap a solid vet bandaid on and see if Gray can take the TE1 reigns. I think he can simply because he's so steady. Not Kelce, but damn solid.

OT: Biggest need obviously. We will see if Humphries earns a new deal. Scares me with his injury history but if he looks good... we can't let a good LT walk away. Hopefully Kingsley can become a legit swing tackle at minimum with a shot to take over a starting job in 2026. Taylor is here another year, perhaps two more.

IOL: I'd give Thuney a short extension to alleviate his cap hit if he plans to play much longer. Let Wanya, Nourzad, and Hanson compete for the RG job. If someone falls to you in the draft, take it and run. Protecting Pat is always priority #1.

---

DL: Need another legit pass rusher with juice. I'd hope that also retaining Omenihu is a priority. I'd prefer that over Trey Smith and maybe even Bolton at this point, especially if it can be a one-year deal that he takes to try and get paid in 2026. Need to bring our big run stuffers back on 1-year deals per usual.

LB: Tranquill hasn't been as good this year, which makes keeping Bolton seem a bit more important. I hope he can be retained at a reasonable cost, and if he can, we can roll with the same trio into 2025.

CB: Have to get another slot corner who can be there in case Trent can't -- which only takes a single injury to the room. Get another young guy or two in the room for in the inevitable departures of some of our 2022 Fab Five guys. Preferrably mid rounds.

S: I think Hicks is ready to take over Reid's role by next year. Not an urgent need at the position, especially if you add another viable slot corner that lets Conner stay at safety.

Specialists: Bring Araiza back on RFA deal, everything should stay the same there.

Rough stab at what a 53-man could look like in '25:

QB - Mahomes, Wentz
RB - Pacheco, Hunt, draft pick
WR - Rice, Worthy, Hopkins, Hollywood, Hardman, Watson
TE - Kelce, Gray, Wiley
LT - Vet (Humphries?), Morris
LG - Thuney, Nourzad
C - Humphrey, Nourzad
RG - Kingsley, Hanson
RT - Taylor, Driscoll

-

DE - Karlaftis, Danna
DT - Jones, Wharton or an early draft pick
NT - A couple cheap fatties, vets or rookies
DE - Omenihu, FAU, draft pick (first two days)
LB - Bolton, Tranquill, Leo
CB - Trent, Watson, Williams, vet slot corner, draft pick
S - Hicks, Cook, Conner

Feel like I'm probably leaving out a fairly nice FA signing or two but hard to project there until we see what the market will be.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by O.city

It's the first year of their new staff rebuild. I'd guess they're ahead of schedule.

Plus they've got the QB part, which is always the limiting factor.

Yeah, I'm not convinced Herbert is any better than Rivers. Great stats, nearly zero impressive wins.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

My point was to show there are no guarantees. They could spend their entire draft on offensive line and still not have enough.

This team makes ZERO big plays anymore. No bombs, no INTs, no sacks, no breakaway runs, nothing.

They've already spent a ridiculous amount of resources on the offensive line. They need to get splash players.

A first round pick
2 2nd round picks

Seems they've done it at WR as well. Not much to show for it, granted their best player got his knee blown out.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by RunKC

Worthy is a star in the making. Kingsley could be moved to RG from what we’ve heard.

NFL is very unforgiving even with one bad year. We all love Spags and Merritt but it’s not been a great year for them aside from Hicks.

Nazeeh isn’t playable, Williams was in the dog house, Conner has struggled mightily in the slot and their day 3 rookie Kamal Hadden didn’t even make it through camp.

It’s not just defense. Kingsley and Wanya haven’t worked out and it’s crippled the offense

I'd say losing their WR's crippled the offense.

We're kinda underselling what they've lose on that side.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

Yeah, I'm not convinced Herbert is any better than Rivers. Great stats, nearly zero impressive wins.

I'm gonna hold out and give him time with Harbaugh before I drop him, but he's underwhelmed in terms of winning for sure.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by O.city

A first round pick
2 2nd round picks

Seems they've done it at WR as well. Not much to show for it, granted their best player got his knee blown out.

I'm not suggesting they draft another WR in the first.

There's like 7 positions they could draft in the first that has positional value over guard. This team desperately needs playmakers at every level of both the offense and defense. Taking a guard in the first would be a gross misuse of resources.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

I'm not suggesting they draft another WR in the first.

There's like 7 positions they could draft in the first that has positional value over guard. This team desperately needs playmakers at every level of both the offense and defense. Taking a guard in the first would be a gross misuse of resources.

I'm not for a guard that early. Wouldn't be the way I'd go.

I'm just saying if there's a guard they think can be an elite player there, take him over the next FAU.

The high ceiling low floor guys are tough for me at this point.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by O.city

I'm not for a guard that early. Wouldn't be the way I'd go.

I'm just saying if there's a guard they think can be an elite player there, take him over the next FAU.

The high ceiling low floor guys are tough for me at this point.

Yeah, I get it. I just can't stomach the whole high floor, low ceiling guys at this point. We have many of those guys already. We already have George Karlaftis. We don't need another one.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

Yeah, I get it. I just can't stomach the whole high floor, low ceiling guys at this point. We have many of those guys already. We already have George Karlaftis. We don't need another one.

Then be ok with the Kingsley's and the Fau's. It's just the other side of that coin.

I'm not against it. It's the way you're gonna have to get some high end guys.

I've just come to the conclusion that I'll take as many Karlaftis and Bolton type guys as I can get and work back from there.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by O.city

Then be ok with the Kingsley's and the Fau's. It's just the other side of that coin.

I'm not against it. It's the way you're gonna have to get some high end guys.

I've just come to the conclusion that I'll take as many Karlaftis and Bolton type guys as I can get and work back from there.

That's just the thing. I'd rather have Kingsley than another guard. I'd rather have a shot at elite. Taking a guard in the first just feels like defeatism to me.

[RunKC]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

Yeah, I get it. I just can't stomach the whole high floor, low ceiling guys at this point. We have many of those guys already. We already have George Karlaftis. We don't need another one.

Yeah we’ve had this conversation so many times over the last few years with guys like Bolton and Karlaftis. I don’t understand the Kendra Colburn pick. Why pick a run stopping DT in any rd anymore?

They tried getting boom or bust players in Kingsley and FAU. Just didn’t work out.

Uche is a direct correlation to FAU IMO. They wanted athleticism and speed for Felix and he just hasn’t brought it.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

That's just the thing. I'd rather have Kingsley than another guard. I'd rather have a shot at elite. Taking a guard in the first just feels like defeatism to me.

Seems like he's gonna be a guard, so you can have both!

[O.city]

Originally Posted by RunKC

Yeah we’ve had this conversation so many times over the last few years with guys like Bolton and Karlaftis. I don’t understand the Kendra Colburn pick. Why pick a run stopping DT in any rd anymore?

They tried getting boom or bust players in Kingsley and FAU. Just didn’t work out.

Uche is a direct correlation to FAU IMO. They wanted athleticism and speed for Felix and he just hasn’t brought it.

I dunno.....Travis Jones would look pretty good in Red and yellow right now.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by O.city

Seems like he's gonna be a guard, so you can have both!

I don't think Kingsley will end up at guard. He's just not built for it.

[kccrow]

QB: Agree with bringing Wentz back. We haven't been in a position to burn a 5th rounder on a dude to develop back there, I wish we could.

RB: I'm okay with bringing Hunt back but I'd love to see a guy more like Rico Dowdle that can give you a bit of speed and a punch in the pass game as well as a rookie with some speed. That being said, we seem to prefer hammers with contact balance, which is fine but rarely threatening. Altogether, I think 1 vet + 1 rook is going to be the recipe

WR: I guess I'm going to go against the grain here and say I'd rather go with a combo platter of Josh Palmer, Darius Slayton, and Elijah Moore than bringing back the lot of what we have (suppressing any hope of Tee Higgins). I like DHop but age is starting to show a bit. Hollywood is a big question and the rest I feel would be adequately upgraded with this lot. Throw another rookie in the mix maybe.

TE: Even if Kelce retires, Gray is a solid player and Wiley will develop. I have some hopes for that Baylor Cupp kid too.

OT: Alot of talk about Kingsley to OG that I think is BS. The kid is built to play OT. We knew he was raw as **** coming in. Give the kid a minute. We know Wanya can't hack it after 2 years out there, maybe that's the guy to talk about moving to OG. Do you buy a rental like a Cam Robinson? No. Bolles or Humphries for a 1-year deal? Yeah, I'd do that. I'm not buying a subpar vet for multiple years to fix what might be a one year development issue.

IOL: With Wanya, Caliendo (ERFA), Nourzad, and Hanson, I think you all you do here is add via the draft. I let Smith walk and I don't extend Thuney.

---

DE: I agree on the need to add another pass rusher and I fully expect it to be a primary consideration with our 1st round pick once again but I wouldn't rule out Veach jumping on a guy if he hit's FA and that guy is Patrick Jones II from the Vikings. The jury is out on Omenihu yet but he could be in play as well.

DT: Veach will likely continue his ways of circulating vets at DT and I'm going to wager Wharton is retained first. It would be nice to finish out Jones' career with a cog like BJ Hill next to him though, so this is the year I might join in banging that particular drum.

LB: I'm not sure I'd bring Bolton back, but if he falls into the range of Zaire Franklin/Foyesade Oluokun for salary demands that are commensurate with his play, then I might be in. He's far too much a liability in coverage to demand a cent more. I might see what Jamien Sherwood asks in FA. You can always get competent LB play in FA without paying top dollar.

CB: I'm going to lump CB and S into one need and that is to replace Chammarri Conner in the nickel. He's abysmal. After that, I think you have to prepare for future losses, probably of Watson and Williams as they'll look to retain McDuffie. If they handle it right, they could keep McDuffie and Watson together for a few more years. I'm going to guess they use some money to retain Johnson as an RFA and keep him here one more go. We know this is an area that Veach is highly unlike to spend major resources on in FA.

S: Hicks and Cook will be fine as starters and Conner would be better as a reserve S. A cheap depth signing with some experience, like Jaylinn Hawkins, or a mid-round prospect would do the trick here.

Specialists: Bring Araiza back on RFA deal and Winchester for another go around.

Rough stab at what a 53-man could look like in '25:

QB - Mahomes, Wentz
RB - Pacheco, Hunt, Rookie-D3
WR - Rice, Worthy, Vets (Slayton, E. Moore?), Rookie-D2, Remigio
TE - Kelce, Gray, Wiley
LT - Vet (Humphries?), Suamataia
LG - Thuney, Caliendo
OC - Humphrey, Nourzad
RG - Morris, Hanson
RT - Taylor, Driscoll

-

DE - Karlaftis, Danna
DT - Jones, Wharton
NT - Vet (Hill?), Rookie-D3
DE - Omenihu, FAU, Rookie-D1
LB - Vet (Sherwood?) Tranquill, Leo, Rookie-D2
CB - Trent, Watson, Williams, Rookie-D2, Johnson, Rookie-D3
S - Hicks, Cook, Conner, Vet (Hawkins?)

[RunKC]

Draft another one in the mid rounds. Good class

• Colston Loveland – Michigan
• Tyler Warren – Penn State
• Mason Taylor – LSU
• Harold Fannin Jr. – Bowling Green
• Elijah Arroyo – Miami
• Gunnar Helm – Texas
• Terrance Ferguson – Oregon
• Jake Briningstool – Clemson
• Eli Stowers – Vandy
• Oronde Gadsden – Syracuse https://t.co/dqKG19lEmh

— Jordan Reid (@Jordan_Reid) December 10, 2024