[caption id="attachment_1004" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Chris Horton is looking to follow up a surprising rookie year"]
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Between now and the start of training camp I'll be making my predictions about who will be on the final 53-man roster for the Washington Redskins--who's there, who's in, who's on the bubble, and who's out. The predicted roster will be revised and updated as preseason events warrant. Today, in the last of the series, defensive backs:
Who's here Now: (13) Cornerbacks: Kevin Barnes, Doug Dutch, DeAngelo Hall, Carlos Rogers, Fred Smoot, Justin Tryon, Byron Westbrook Safeties: Michael Grant, Kareem Moore, Reed Doughty, LaRon Landry, Lendy Holmes, Chris Horton.
How many will stick: 9
Starters: Hall and Rogers at cornerback, Landry and Horton at safety—Hall isn't expected to be a shutdown corner but one who will gamble and win often enough to make some big plays. Rogers is underrated and in his contract year. He could play at a Pro Bowl level. Landry didn't exactly have sophomore slump but he didn't have the breakout to stardom many predicted for him. Horton was a great story last year and he should continue to improve.
Solid backups: Smoot, Barnes, Tryon, Moore –Smoot may be slowing down a bit and Tryon and Barnes will push to be his replacement at nickel back in 2010 if not sooner. Moore is a solid hitter who needs to hone his coverage skills some more to warrant more playing time.
Last man on: Doughty—He's an over achiever who's good to have on the team. He rarely makes a costly mistake.
First man off: Westbrook—Unfortunately, he won't be eligible for the practice squad since he's been on it two years.
53-man breakdown:
- Defensive backs—9
- Linebackers –7
- Tight end—3
- Offensive line—9
- Specialist—3
- Running back—4
- Defensive line—10
- Wide Receiver—5
- Quarterback—3
