Your roster eval: Must keep's, must go's, important filler's, and the irrelevant's

[X-Era]

This is my breakdown of our roster. It breaks the players into categories of their importance to the team (in my view). I'd love to hear yours.

Must keep's- Vital to the team both now and in the future.

Stevie Johnson
Freddy Jackson
C.J. Spiller
Eric Wood
Andy Levitre
Mario Williams
Kyle Williams
Marcel Dareus

Must go's- I won't define it... I'd like to see how you look at it.

Tyler Thigpen
Marcus Easley
Torrel Troup

Important fillers- Replaceable (not necessarily easy to replace) but decent enough to play an important part as a backup or starter.

Ryan Fitzpatrick
Scott Chandler
Cordy Glenn
Chris Hairston
Kraig Urbik
Chad Rhineheart
Eric Pears
Corey McIntyre
Donald Jones
David Nelson
T.J. Graham
Mark Anderson
Dwan Edwards
Spencer Johnson
Chris Kelsay
Shawn Merriman
Nick Barnett
Kelvin Sheppard
Aaron Williams
Stephon Gilmore
Ron Brooks
Justin Rogers
Jarius Byrd
George Wilson
Arthur Moats
Ryan Lindell
Brian Moorman
John Potter
Garrison Sanborn
Vince Young
Brad Smith

Irrelevant- Really don't matter either way. Can be easily replaced.

Colin Brown
Lee Smith
Johnny White
Tashard Choice
Ruvell Martin
Derek Hagan
Dorin Dickerson
Alex Carrington
Scott McKillop
Kirk Morrison
Tank Carder
Mark Asper
DaNorris Searcy

Everyone Else

If I counted right I came up with 40 players that are either must keeps or important fillers. I think were deeper than before, but that the list of must keep's isn't long enough or even spread out enough as far as positions. In my eval I see WR, ILB, and OLB as areas where we really could use a must keep or two. As far as QB goes I would like an upgrade but I think we have a solid to decent starter.

**** I really want to hear your eval's and PLEASE DON'T MAKE THIS A FITZ THREAD!

[SABURZFAN]

i agree with you for the most part except the following...

Searcy- nice filler for a position with VERY little depth
Carder- nice filler for LB backup AND Special Teams
McKillop- nice filler to back up Shep, although i think he's recovered from the injury and could be a starter if Shep slips
Brad Smith- he's overpaid and not productive
Fitz- WAY overpaid for an INT machine

[Mr. Pink]

I look at must keeps as your building blocks and core, so I can't keep 2 backs...Freddie, Stevie, Mario, Wood, Levitre, Dareus, Gilmore

Gilmore has to be there since he's a rookie and number 1 pick, if he's not, then he's a missed pick.

Must gos - Brad Smith, Pigpen, McGee, Dwan Edwards, Troup, Easley, Fitz.

On Edwards and Fitz as to why must gos. Edwards is old, slow and doesn't fit scheme plus makes money. Fitz simply isn't good enough to get you to the next level where every team wants to be.

The rest of the roster right now is interchangeable parts basically.

[kingJofNYC]

Byrd's a filler?

Hard to find good safeties in the league and he's going to be hard to replace if we lose him.

[YardRat]

I don't think anybody is a 'must keep' for the future...if they end up looking for a contract that far exceeds their value to the overall team, than they can go.

Most of the roster could be considered 'must keep' for this season, simply for the fact that we aren't going to replace them with anybody better at this point.

The only players I want to see definitely gone are Thigpen and Martin.

[kingJofNYC]

Mario Williams has a contract that far exceeds his value. He's being paid as one of the best defensive players in the game, and he's not. Not even the best pass rusher.

[Extremebillsfan247]

My top 5 must goes if I had the choice;

Chris Kelsay: Great instincts but is too slow to be an effective pass rusher.
Marcus Easley: He has done nothing to earn his spot on this team.
Naaman Roosevelt: He's the receiver equivalent to Jasper. He has a lot of heart, tries hard, but just not talented enough.
Terrence McGee: He can't stay healthy. The new blood at the position makes him expendable.
Tyler Thigpen: In a heated competition for the #2 QB spot, Vince Young all but sealed it last night.

My top 5 must keeps outside of the obvious;

Ron Brooks
Delano Howell
Scott McKillop
Derek Hagan
Sam Young

These guys are not only doing well in training camp/pre-season, but could very well push some veterans off the team.
This is just my opinion.

[X-Era]

I look at must keeps as your building blocks and core, so I can't keep 2 backs...Freddie, Stevie, Mario, Wood, Levitre, Dareus, Gilmore

Gilmore has to be there since he's a rookie and number 1 pick, if he's not, then he's a missed pick.

Must gos - Brad Smith, Pigpen, McGee, Dwan Edwards, Troup, Easley, Fitz.

On Edwards and Fitz as to why must gos. Edwards is old, slow and doesn't fit scheme plus makes money. Fitz simply isn't good enough to get you to the next level where every team wants to be.

The rest of the roster right now is interchangeable parts basically.

I disagree on Gilmore because he hasn't proven he's a must keep. The team can live without him at this point. We all think he will end up a must keep but so far he's made too many mistakes and been too average to be in that category.

[X-Era]

My top 5 must goes if I had the choice;

Chris Kelsay: Great instincts but is too slow to be an effective pass rusher.
Marcus Easley: He has done nothing to earn his spot on this team.
Naaman Roosevelt: He's the receiver equivalent to Jasper. He has a lot of heart, tries hard, but just not talented enough.
Terrence McGee: He can't stay healthy. The new blood at the position makes him expendable.
Tyler Thigpen: In a heated competition for the #2 QB spot, Vince Young all but sealed it last night.

My top 5 must keeps outside of the obvious;

Ron Brooks
Delano Howell
Scott McKillop
Derek Hagan
Sam Young

These guys are not only doing well in training camp/pre-season, but could very well push some veterans off the team.
This is just my opinion.

Your list of must keeps seem more like should keeps to me. None are guys that we couldn't replace without too much money or trouble. I just placed them in the important filler role because we should keep them but it isn't a big deal if we lose any of those guys.

[X-Era]

i agree with you for the most part except the following...

Searcy- nice filler for a position with VERY little depth
Carder- nice filler for LB backup AND Special Teams
McKillop- nice filler to back up Shep, although i think he's recovered from the injury and could be a starter if Shep slips
Brad Smith- he's overpaid and not productive
Fitz- WAY overpaid for an INT machine

So I think Searcy, McKillop, and Carder could be replaced without too much trouble at all. I think we should keep all but if a better looking player is cut from another team I'd replace any of them. Personally I like Carder and want him around for development but right now he's not good enough to ignore a better player cut from another team. And I'm talking about a young guy being cut from another team. Obviously we could invest money in upgrading with a more proven player.

[kingJofNYC]

When Byrd bolts for the Giants at the end of the season you'll see how vital he is.

[Figster]

although some of these players are still somewhat unproven I would have to expand your vital list OP and include: Scott Chandler, Cordy Glenn, TJ Graham, Nick Barnett, Byrd man, Sheppard, Gilmore and Mark Anderson.

I would also move Dickerson and Tank onto the important filler list.

[X-Era]

When Byrd bolts for the Giants at the end of the season you'll see how vital he is.

Your argument is he's vital and can't be replaced without big money or a high draft pick? I'm not sure I see that. I want him to stay but I can't consider him in the must keep category.

[Extremebillsfan247]

Your list of must keeps seem more like should keeps to me. None are guys that we couldn't replace without too much money or trouble. I just placed them in the important filler role because we should keep them but it isn't a big deal if we lose any of those guys.

Yeah, your probably right, all of these guys probably could be replaced easily. I made them must keeps because I believe at least 2 on that list to be sleeper talents, mainly Brooks and Howell. Sam Young is only in his 3rd year as a pro, big guy with promise, and I mean big at 6 ft. 8 in. 316lbs. We already know about Hagan, but I had to have a 5th in there for sake of having one. lol Plus, I just wanted to provide a different perspective to the discussion.

[X-Era]

Yeah, your probably right, all of these guys probably could be replaced easily. I made them must keeps because I believe at least 2 on that list to be sleeper talents, mainly Brooks and Howell. Sam Young is only in his 3rd year as a pro, big guy with promise, and I mean big at 6 ft. 8 in. 316lbs. We already know about Hagan, but I had to have a 5th in there for sake of having one. lol Plus, I just wanted to provide a different perspective to the discussion.

Don't get me wrong. I like it.

I'm just trying to bring a more global view to our talent. Most rookies aren't really productive players early on. So, from an overall talent view, they can be a hindrance to winning games vs. an experienced vet.

Levy said it best: "the best rookies are last years rookies".

[ServoBillieves]

Dickerson has done nothing but produce this camp from what I've heard.

Must go's are easily Thigpen, R. Martin, Sp. Johnson, Brown, and sadly Easley. All the promise in the world with Marcus but there are far too many question marks...

[Mr. Pink]

I disagree on Gilmore because he hasn't proven he's a must keep. The team can live without him at this point. We all think he will end up a must keep but so far he's made too many mistakes and been too average to be in that category.

A guy who was your last 1st round draft pick, regardless of how he looks in the first few preseason games and camp, is always a must keep.

That might change come another year from now though.

[BillsOverDolphins]

Thigpen needs to find a new profession. It's time to give up the dream.

[Night Train]

I would let Wood play out his contract and NOT sign him early.

Anyone that has suffered 2 major injuries in his first contract needs to show he is not All-Whirlpool and missing more games than he plays.

I like the guy. He's talented but we need to know he'll be option 1 at Center, long term.

[X-Era]

A guy who was your last 1st round draft pick, regardless of how he looks in the first few preseason games and camp, is always a must keep.

That might change come another year from now though.

Where is the logic in that? I mean I know what you're saying. But, your implying that regardless of a players on the field play he must be kept simply because he was drafted in the 1st round.

This thread has less to do with who we should keep and more to do with what each players true value is as far as on the field performance.

Gilmore has not shown enough to be in the must keep category IMO. We know we'll keep him, and we all think he will end up in that category. But, I don't see him there as of right now by any means.