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The New Orleans Saints made a flurry of moves to reduce their roster from 90 to 53 players by 4 p.m. eastern time Saturday afternoon. Some moves were viewed as head scratchers by the team's loyal fanbase www.thesaintsfootballauthentic.com , and some talented players had to be released on positions of solid depth. The Saints will undoubtedly make a number of additional moves in the upcoming weeks, some even before the team's season opener on September 9th against Tampa Bay. For now though, here is what the Saints initial roster looks like after some tough decisions by the coaching staff. * = Rookie QUARTERBACK (3)Drew Brees, Teddy Bridgewater, Taysom Hill Chuck Cook-USA TODAY SportsNotable Cuts = Tom Savage, J.T. Barrett* This was set as soon as the Saints pulled off a trade with the New York Jets for Bridgewater on Wednesday. As usual, New Orleans' championship hopes are tied to the right arm of their Hall of Fame quarterback. The 25-yr old Bridgewater is under a one year contract, which would have to be renegotiated if the team views him as a longterm replacement for Brees. At the least, he provides a more reliable alternative if Brees were to miss any time with injury. Unable to take control of the backup reigns, Hill remains a developmental project who will be available for special teams, and perhaps a holder for placekicker Wil Lutz. Undrafted rookie J.T. Barrett will most likely be brought back to the practice squad. RUNNING BACK (4)Alvin Kamara, Boston Scott*, Zach Line, Trey Edmunds (Mark Ingram will not count towards the roster while he serves his four game league suspension)Chuck Cook-USA TODAY SportsNotable Cuts = Jonathan Williams One of a few surprising decisions that the team made was releasing Jonathan Williams, who looked like he had clinched the number three job behind Kamara and Ingram. Instead, the Saints went with the faster and more versatile rookie 6th round pick Scott, and the second year Edmunds, who can also play fullback. Line will again pave the way for Kamara and Ingram to form one of the top rushing attacks in the league. Williams, or perhaps another veteran back, may still be brought in while Ingram is out. Veteran Mike Gillislee, recently released by the Patriots, is visiting the team, and could be a solid addition if signed. WIDE RECEIVER (6)Michael Thomas, Tre'quan Smith*, Cameron Meredith, Ted Ginn Jr., Austin Carr, Tommylee Lewis Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY SportsNotable Cuts = Brandon Tate, Keith Kirkwood*Another surprise was the fact that the Saints cut Tate in favor of Lewis New Orleans Saints T-Shirt , presumably to be the primary kick returner. Carr had an impressive training camp, and closed out the preseason strong to cement his spot. Ginn on the other hand, struggled throughout preseason, even being singled out by Sean Payton numerous times for poor route running. Meredith looks as if he can be an important part of the offense as he returns to form after missing all of last year. Smith, a rookie 3rd round pick, was the Saints most dangerous offensive player in four preseason games, and already has some talking that the team has gotten another third round steal, as they did with Kamara a year ago. He and Thomas may quickly form one of the most lethal 1-2 wideout combinations in the NFL. TIGHT END (3)Ben Watson, Josh Hill, Dan Arnold Chuck Cook-USA TODAY SportsNotable Cuts = Michael Hoomanawanui , Deon Yelder*The Saints hope that the 37-yr. old Watson will be able to provide the receiving threat at tight end that he did in his previous stint with New Orleans from 2013-15. Hill returns as a known commodity as the number two tight end. Arnold turned in an impressive receiving performance, moving up the depth chart and overtaking Hoomanawanui after being converted from a wide receiver earlier in the summer. Yelder may return for the practice squad as a developmental project. OFFENSIVE LINE (8)Terron Armstead, Andrus Peat, Max Unger, Larry Warford, Ryan Ramczyk, Will Clapp*, Cameron Tom, Jermon Bushrod Jake Roth-USA TODAY SportsNotable Cuts = Josh LeRibeus, Rick Leonard*The Saints have one of the best starting five offensive lines in the league, but depth was a growing concern. The versatile Clapp was unexpectedly available in the 7th round when the Saints grabbed him in this spring's draft, and he would wind up being the most consistent of any of the reserve offensive linemen. Tom returns for his second year, and like Clapp can play any of the interior spots. Fourth round pick Leonard may be brought back on the practice squad after showing some improvement late in preseason. The 34-yr old Bushrod is better suited for guard than tackle at this stage of his career, and may still be a roster casualty if the team can find a capable tackle alternative. Leonard seems a good candidate to return as a member of the practice squad. DEFENSIVE TACKLE (4)Sheldon Rankins, David Onyemata, Tyeler Davison, Taylor Stallworth*Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY SportsNotable Cuts = Jay Bromley Traded = Devaroe Lawrence The trade of Lawrence to the Cleveland Browns for a conditional 7th round draft choice was surprising to some, but it may have come down to a toss-up at the position between he and the undrafted rookie Stallworth. Both had outstanding training camps and were disruptive throughout the preseason. Davison is a reliable run-stopper, and both Rankins and Onyemata are potential breakout stars. DEFENSIVE END (5)Cameron Jordan New Orleans Saints Hats , Alex Okafor, Trey Hendrickson, Marcus Davenport*, Mitchell Loewen Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY SportsNotable Cuts = George Johnson, Al-Quadin Muhammad Loewen had a solid camp, and his ability to play inside at tackle helped him earn his spot. Davenport missed much of preseason because of injury, but flashed disruptive potential in each of the team's final two games. Hendrickson had an outstanding training camp, and could be one of the breakout stars on defense. Okafor looks well on the way to full recovery from last year's Achilles injury, making the decision to move on from Muhammad and Johnson a bit easier after quiet training camps. LINEBACKER (6)Demario Davis, Alex Anzalone, Craig Robertson, A.J. Klein, Manti Te'o, Nate Stupar Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY SportsNotable Cuts = Hau'oli Kikaha, Jayrone Elliott Elliott was unable to follow up on his 2.5 sack/2 forced fumble performance in the preseason opener against Jacksonville, but was still expected by some to stick around. The oft-injured Kikaha, a 2015 2nd round draft choice, just wasn't able to stand out well enough after being moved from defensive end, and wasn't able to provide significant versatility at the position. Robertson and Stupar cemented their roster positions with amazing performances over the last two weeks. Anzalone continues to flash tantalizing athleticism and potential, in hopes that he can stay healthy, while free agent addition Davis should solidify an improved linebacking corps that still struggled with consistency throughout the preseason. CORNERBACK (6)Marshon Lattimore, Ken Crawley,Patrick Robinson, Arthur Maulet, Justin Hardee, P.J. Williams Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY SportsNotable Cuts =Marcus Williams, Linden Stephens*, Kamrin Moore*It shocked some that P.J Williams remained a Saint at the roster deadline on Saturday. The team obviously feels comfortable in Williams' knowledge of the defense and his abilities, despite his previous inconsistency New Orleans Saints Womens Hoodie , because they made the decision to move on from some talented players. Rookies Moore and Stephens each seem like excellent candidates for the team's practice squad if they are not claimed by another team. Maulet and Hardee have good value on special teams, but cemented their roster spots with solid pass coverage in both practice and preseason games. SAFETY (5)Marcus Williams, Vonn Bell, Kurt Coleman, Chris Banjo, J.T. GrayDerick E. Hingle-USA TODAY SportsNotable Cuts = Natrell Jamerson* (cb/s)THE Marcus Williams played like a potential All-Pro all summer, and he looks to be emerging into a leader on a young but very talented secondary. Bell had some struggles in coverage and positioning, and has yet to record an interception in his two year career, but will take on an increased role in the defense. He may be pushed for playing time by Coleman, a free agent acquisition from Carolina. Banjo is a special teams standout who gave the team some solid snaps at safety a year ago. A very puzzling move was the fact that the Saints kept Gray, who was mistake-prone throughout the preseason games, over the 5th round pick Jamerson, who can play both safety and corner. Especially after Sean Payton had singled out how impressed he was by Jamerson's play on more than one occasion. He looks to be a good candidate for the practice squad as well. SPECIALISTS (3)Wil Lutz (K), Thomas Morstead (P), Zach Wood (LS)The Saints are one of the deepest teams in the NFL, evidenced by the fact that so many talented players could not make their way onto the roster. Expect a number of the team's cuts to make their way back onto the practice squad, as well as more roster decisions to be made in the upcoming week. In the meantime, the initial roster is set, and the defending NFC South Champions now set their sites on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the season opener, in a year that they hope will finish off with their second Super Bowl title. Although the Los Angeles Rams hadn't lost a game until last week, their spectacular season has featured several close calls.Not many were closer than their 33-31 victory just five weeks ago in Seattle, where the Seahawks racked up 190 yards rushing, intercepted two passes by Jared Goff and came agonizingly close to a huge NFC West win.With the second-place Seahawks (4-4) visiting the Coliseum on Sunday for the rematch, the Rams (8-1) have a chance to essentially end the division race with seven weeks to go. The Rams aren't looking that far ahead, but Aaron Donald hopes Los Angeles will learn from that narrow win in Seattle 鈥?and a 45-35 loss at New Orleans last week."We're in a good place, and we're locked in," said the Rams' superstar defensive tackle, second in the NFL with 10 sacks. "We play these guys twice a year, so we've got respect for them. We've just got to get after them."The Rams have never lost back-to-back regular-season games in their 1陆 seasons under Sean McVay Womens Customized New Orleans Saints Jerseys , but they've thrived primarily on the strength of an offense that has been able to outscore nearly every opponent, including the Seahawks. NFL scoring leader Todd Gurley rushed for three TDs in Seattle, and the Rams kept the ball out of Russell Wilson's hands in the final 3:38 by running out the clock.The Seahawks also are coming off a loss after the Chargers won in Seattle last week, but the Seahawks know they can beat the Rams because they did it last season at the Coliseum.Even if the division race might already be out of hand, they've got a chance to begin their playoff rally with a statement victory."We can't allow them to score as many points as they put up," Seattle linebacker Bobby Wagner said. "We feel like we did a really good job against the run for the most part. We have to find a way to do that, make them one-dimensional, make sure Todd doesn't get into the end zone as many times as he did."More things to watch in this NFC West showdown:TOUGH CHECKDonald has sacked Wilson eight times in their careers, more than any other quarterback. But Donald and the Rams didn't manage to sack Drew Brees last week, and they still have something to prove to the Seahawks 鈥?particularly to guard D.J. Fluker, who wasn't impressed by the toughness of the Los Angeles defense in the clubs' previous meeting.The Seattle offensive lineman said the Rams "want to be pass rushers," but hadn't "seen a team go out there and actually take it to them." Donald had no interest in starting a public discussion this week: "We're just going to go out there and play a game and let our play speak for us."RUN AROUNDSeattle's impressive rushing performance in their first meeting with the Rams included 116 yards from Chris Carson, but he is in question for the rematch because of a hip injury that caused him to sit the final 2陆 quarters last week against the Chargers. Mike Davis and seldom-used Rashaad Penny probably would replace Carson.But Seattle also has offensive line concerns after Fluker injured his calf late in the loss to the Chargers. Fluker's addition to the offensive line helped spark Seattle's turnaround in the run game starting in late September.GURLEY GOESGurley has scored a touchdown in a franchise-record 12 straight games, and his 868 yards rushing are the NFL's most by a whopping 162 yards over Pittsburgh's James Connor.Gurley's 16 TDs this season are the most in the league and the second-most in NFL history through nine games, trailing only Jim Brown's 17 in 1958. That's the challenge facing Seattle's run defense, which is giving up 4.8 yards per attempt 鈥?tied for fourth-worst in the league 鈥?but has been effective in stretches.GET MARCUSFormer Washington Huskies defensive back Marcus Peters was targeted repeatedly by the Saints, and the Rams' top corner took the blame for much of Brees' success. The Seahawks undoubtedly saw the former Pro Bowl cover man's struggles on video, but Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips has limited options in the continued injury absence of cornerback Aqib Talib. The Rams' best solution might be increased pressure on Wilson, who has been sacked 25 times already this season.SAFETY PLANBradley McDougald has been one of Seattle's defensive standouts, but with a quick turnaround to facing Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers next Thursday, McDougald may end up sitting out against the Rams because of a bothersome knee injury. If McDougald can't play, the Seahawks would turn to second-year safety Delano Hill, which could create an extremely young secondary. If Hill starts, he would play alongside second-year free safety Tedric Thompson, second-year cornerback Shaquill Griffin and rookie cornerback Tre Flowers. Nickel cornerback Justin Coleman, in his fourth season, would be the veteran of the group.AP Sports Writer Tim Booth in Seattle contributed.
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