If you could be GM for a day, how would you construct the perfect roster?
Well, ESPN has attempted to do just that.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell constructed what he believes is the perfect 53-man roster under the National Football League’s $188.2 million salary cap, featuring three players from the New England Patriots (Bill Belichick also was the head coach with the offense running Josh McDaniels’ scheme.) The roster did leave out one key contributor to the Patriots though — Tom Brady.
Barnwell opted for Julian Edelman, Shaq Mason and Stephen Gostkowski on the roster.
So, let’s dig in.
Here were some of the stipulations:
“Team restraints: We’ll draft at least one player from each NFL team, but no more than three from any one organization. No loading up on Patriots and Rams.
Team composition: Our team starts with 32 draft picks from the 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 drafts, with one player still on a rookie deal from each round, plus an undrafted free agent. You try choosing between Baker Mayfield and Derwin James. (We didn’t choose either.) Throw in a 2015 first-rounder playing out his fifth-year option and fill out the rest of the roster with 20 players on veteran contracts.”
So, who got the nod at quarterback? Patrick Mahomes. And It’s hard to argue considering the quarterback comes with just a $4.48 million cap hit.
Edelman was featured along Michael Thomas, Juju Smith-Schuster, DeSean Jackson, Jakeem Grant and KeeSean Johnson.
“We have a group of receivers who can move into and out of the slot and with the size and speed to beat any coverage concept,” Barnwell wrote. “Thomas’ new extension includes a relatively modest 2019 salary, which pushes him onto the roster ahead of the other top-tier wideouts. Smith-Schuster might be the biggest non-Mahomes bargain in the league. Jackson and Edelman rotate in as the third wideout, while Grant is our return man.”
Mason was listed on the starting right guard with David Bakthiari, Mitchell Schwartz, Quenton Nelson and Jason Kelce on the O-Line.
Anyone else with “Madden 20” tempted to throw this team together to see how it would do?
