[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen roster breakdown, going into the draft
Going into the draft with five selections at #12, #23, #35, #51 and #159 overall, it's time to take a look at the roster and make the fans known where there could be holes in the team.

Quarterbacks
QB Shane Bower
QB Mel Atkins
QB Justin McDavid
With McDavid out for the year, it's good to have Bower in as the new starter. The team still needs a backup for at least this season and possibly also for future seasons if McDavid doesn't return in good shape. Atkins will probably make the roster as the holder of the team and because he's a short passes guy, like the team likes.

Backfield
RB Randy Harris
FB Jamal Rosenberry
RB Jonathan Smith
FB Vincent Lopez
RB Kennedy Colwell
RB Kyle Montoya
Harris is the obvious rusher of the team and can catchs passes too. Rosenberry looks as good as last year's fullback Mark Burger. Lopez is still a reliable backup, as is Smith. Colwell and Montoya will probably battle it out for the third string job with a likely project addition at running back for the training camp.

Receivers
FL Gregory Monti
SE Bryce Ewald
TE Jim Reiser
FL David Henkel
SE Devin Henson
TE Jack Ohare
FL Lonnie O'Reilley
SE Mario Halas
TE Charlie Martins
Ewald, Monti and Reiser are the clear starters, but Henkel comes in as the new thread from the #3 spot. Ohare and Martins should be good additions in extra tight end sets, while Henson and O'Reilley are both worthy #4 receivers. Both Henson and O'Reilley will make the roster as return specialists, while Martins is inked in as the long snapper of the team. Halas is emerging as the leader of the corps, yet has the least talent and his days are probably counted after training camp.

Offensive Line
LT Harold Hurtado
LG Butch White
C Brant Heinrich
RG Timothy Lacy
RT Wilson Grimaldo
LT Edgar Dunkin
LG Alvin Causey
C Tom Schwartz
RG Eric Dietrich
RT Russell Malave
LT Hunter Myers
RG Devin McDaniel
RT Jeff Fontenot
Hurtado, Grimaldo and Heinrich are clearly starters, no discussion about that. Causey and White will battle out for left guard, while the loser joins Lacy and Malave for the right guard duties. The tema will likely trade Causey or White before the draft. Dunkin or Myers should be the much wanted backu left tackle, but the team might look for other options. Dietrich looks good enough to make the team, while Schwarz has to fear for seeing a better center to join the team. McDaniel and Fontenot have to breakout in training camp or face the axe.

Defensive Line
DE Albert Bernardo
DT Charles Gomez
DT John Bryant
DE Scot Dick
DE Junior McKeehan
DT Stanley Jacke
DT Bryan Fyie
Gomez, Bryant and Bernardo are expected to stay, while Dick has the tough job to fill in for departed Harold Wells. McKeehan and Fyie will likely make the roster as potential backups, while Jacke should hope there will not come better replacements to the team. There will probably two or three rookies added to this group.

Linebackers
SLB Ellsworth Thelen
MLB Cody Cluff
WLB Mike Kershner
SLB Sam Sasa
MLB Matt Sellers
WLB Josh Weisberg
WLB Roosevelt Whalen
WLB Britt Silvan
Thelen, Cluff and Kershner look like a great trio. Weisberg has arrived to make Kershner a better player. The team is also supposed to be improved with ILB Carl Meier from Boston to give the team a legimate backup for this position group. Probably three of these players won't make the final roster. Long time backups Sasa, Sellers and Silvan are the usual suspects.

Secondary
CB Tai Wayne
CB Gus Stoffers
SS Wiley McGhee
FS Richard Muller
CB Dennis Preciado
CB Desmond Craig
SS Lincoln Gilmore
FS John Cole
CB Johnnie Stidham
CB Gus Alston
CB C.J. Schwarz
Wayne and Muller are clear starters, but the two other jobs are not sealed. Stoffers looks like a threat for Preciado at cornerback, while Gilmore had better results as the strong safety than McGhee. Craig looks like a worthy nickelback or dimeback. Cole fits the new system. Stidham, Alston and Schwarz will likely battle for one roster spot. It's likely the team will add one cornerback for training camp.

Special Teams
P Roscoe Corrales
K Cary Coles
PR/KR Lonnie O'Reilley
KR Devin Henson
LS Charlie Martins
H Mel Atkins
P Lester Murrell
Coles was a reliable kicker and Corrales' skills are very intrueging due to his punt hang time specialty. O'Reilley looked decent as returner, but not as good as Henson, who showed he's a top 10 kick returner. Martins and Atkins are excellent special teamers. Murrell has little odds to make the preseason roster, let alone the 53-men roster. The team is still searching for a second punt return specialist. As the gunner for 2006, the team is not clear who it should be. Linebacker Cody Cluff and tight end Jim Reiser have emerged as important starters, while Mark Burger was traded. Fullback Vincent Lopez, cornerback Desmond Craig and cornerback Dennis Preciado are the favorites to be the new gunner, altough Cluff still looks like the best option, by far.