Ninjames and smileyman will have their inaugural podcast up for your listening pleasure later this morning. In the meantime, I thought we could have a little friendly discussion about tonight's game. More specifically, impact players.
During the regular season, guys like Patrick Willis, Michael Crabtree, Dashon Goldson, and numerous others are the "impact players" for the 49ers. For tonight's game, I thought we'd look at another form of "impact." I'm talking about who will make the biggest impact on the coaching staff in regards to a roster spot. The 49ers have numerous players that are on the bubble when it comes to a roster spot. For the bubble players, time is quickly running out on their opportunity to impress the coaching stuff.
The bubble players I list aren't guys that necessarily have a strong or poor chance of moving off the bubble. They bring something to the table but for one reason or another, they've got hurdles in front of them. Some of these guys are eligible for the practice squad, while others are not. These players would include:
CB Patrick Stoudamire
CB Phillip Adams
One of either CB Will James or CB Karl Paymah
DT Khalif Mitchell
DT Will Tukuafu
LB Bruce Davis
C Cody Wallace
OLB Travis LaBoy
S Chris Maragos
OT Alex Boone
The third tight end crew
WR Jason Hill
While I expect arguments that some of these guys will make the 53-man roster, that doesn't mean they're not on the bubble at this point. Injuries and departures have opened up roster spots, but not everybody gets such a spot.
In looking to tonight, if I had to pick the guy I think has the biggest impact, I'd go with Travis LaBoy. He's got the strongest professional pedigree, even with a good deal of rust on him. It's entirely possible he's lost too much in his time off the field. However, I'd like to imagine the talent will shine through in the game.
Who do you see as having the biggest game tonight in support of their roster candidacy?