Pete Prisco's ideal 53-man roster: Dez worthy of top dollar, but RBs? No wayPete Prisco Senior NFL ColumnistCBS SportsJune 16, 2015 4:44 pm ET The assignment sounded simple: Using a few parameters, build a 53-man roster under the NFL salary cap.There were rules put in place to avoid simply building all-star teams.One rule was the team had to include one player from each round of the past three drafts, but no more than one from each round. That made it really tough, although you could include as many undrafted players as you wanted.You had to consider reality, which meant just because quarterbacks like Russell Wilson and Andrew Luck were relatively cheap -- by QB standards anyway -- you couldn't take both since chemistry had to be taken into account.You could use a franchise tag player, but just one. I picked Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant as my franchise player.When I was done, I studied my team and loved it.I would go play with this team now, in the next five years and maybe even longer. It is a young team led by a young quarterback in Andrew Luck. He is due a new deal after this season, a mega-deal, but I would worry about that when it's time. He will get paid. I would pay him.In building my roster, I used my tried-and-true formula for stocking a team. Start with a quarterback, then get pass rushers, corners, a good left tackle, big-play receivers and speed at linebacker.My team is built as a 4-3 defense, which is why I count Houston's J.J. Watt as a defensive tackle. He would be inside in that scheme, just as dominant as he is now as a 3-4 end.There is no fullback on my roster, although I do have a tight end in Ryan Hewitt who could handle lead-blocking chores, which he has done for the Cincinnati Bengals.When it was all built, I still had cap room to play with, even after loading up with some of the best players in the league. My cap commitments were $140,665,662, which was far under the $148,839,454 adjusted cap for each team according to the NFLPA. Of course, next year when Luck's deal comes into play, I will need all the extra room I can handle.For now, I'd be thrilled to take this team to training camp. I would be just like Rex Ryan.This is a guaranteed Super Bowl winner. It's a lock.Total salary cap room used (53 players): $140,665,662Remaining salary cap room: $8,173,792Offense (24 players): $68,418,314
CBSsports.com Quarterbacks (2): $7,825,795•Andrew Luck, Colts ($7,034,000)•Jimmy Garoppolo, Patriots ($791,795)I went with Luck because he is cheap and he's the best young quarterback not named Aaron Rodgers. He's a lot cheaper than Rodgers for now. Garoppolo is a cheap backup. The way I see it is if you get to your backup for any length of time, you're done. He fills my need for a 2014 second-round pick.Wide receivers (6): $23,667,850•Dez Bryant, Cowboys ($12,823,000)•Odell Beckham Jr., Giants ($2,365,045)•Randall Cobb, Packers ($5,350,000)•Cole Beasley, Cowboys ($2,000,000)•Charles Johnson, Vikings ($510,000)•Martavis Bryant, Steelers ($619,805)I love this group. Go ahead and try and shut them down -- even with three good corners. Bryant is the best receiver in the league and Beckham Jr. might be in that conversation next year. Is there a better slot receiver than Cobb? My backups are cheap, rising players.Tight ends (3): $10,015,725•Rob Gronkowski, Patriots ($8,650,000)•Ladarius Green, Chargers ($772,725)•Ryan Hewitt, Bengals ($593,000)There is no doubt the dominant tight end in the game is Gronkowski, which is why I went with him. He can catch, run and block. Add him to the receiving group and look out. Green is a rising player who doesn't cost much and Hewitt can block and move to fullback in a pinch in a short-yardage situation.Running backs (4): $2,820,446•Le'Veon Bell, Steelers ($1,123,800)•Latavius Murray, Raiders ($611,550)•Jay Ajayi, Dolphins ($490,203)•David Johnson, Cardinals ($594,893)Bell emerged last season as the best dual-purpose back in the league. He can run it and is a good receiver out of the backfield. That's my kind of back. The other three are all cheap and young, kind of like Bell, which is why they are on my roster. You can tell from my roster that I don't like paying backs -- especially older ones.Offensive line cap (9): $24,088,498•LT: Joe Thomas, Browns ($10,200,000)•LG: Kelechi Osemele, Ravens ($1,064,595)•C: Alex Mack, Browns ($8,000,000)•RG: Brandon Linder, Jaguars ($535,000)•RT: Ricky Wagner, Ravens ($621,140)Backups: Cameron Erving, G-C, Browns ($1,714,000), Sentreal Henderson, T, Bills ($522,720), Tim Lelito, Saints ($586,668), Donald Stephenson, Chiefs ($844,375)I went with a top left tackle in Thomas because I think it's imperative that you protect the quarterback's backside. Some will say the left tackles aren't as important as they used to be. I don't buy it. I got an experienced center in Alex Mack, but the rest of the starting group is made up of young, rising players. The right side would be a nasty combination. The backups filled some of the roster requirements, and they had some position flexibility.Defense (26 players): $70,157,348
CBSsports.com Defensive ends (5): $12,516,450•Michael Bennett, Seahawks ($8,000,000)•Olivier Vernon, Dolphins ($1,701,520)•Malik Jackson, Broncos ($1,595,403)•Jonathan Newsome, Colts ($554,527)•Daryl Tapp, Lions ($665,000)In Bennett, I am getting a player who plays as hard as any down lineman in the league. Plus, he can move inside if needed. Vernon is a rising edge rusher who would bring the speed off the corner. Jackson is a cheap backup who is coming off an impressive season for the Broncos. Newsome plays outside linebacker for the Colts, but he would be a down end here. Tapp is a cheap veteran.Defensive tackles (5): $17,379,464•J.J. Watt, Texans ($13,969,000)•Akiem Hicks, Saints ($1,677,725)•Akeem Spence, Buccaneers ($706,106)•Daniel McCullers, Steelers ($529,670)•Grady Jarrett, Falcons ($496,963)I went with the best player in football in Watt, even though he was expensive. I just wouldn't have felt right playing without him. In this scheme, he moves inside. He would dominate there, too. Hicks plays end in the Saints' 3-4 scheme, but I think he would be a nice, wide body to have next to Watt. The backups are all first or second-year players, which I love.Middle linebackers (2): $1,956,331•Bobby Wagner, Seahawks ($1,370,663)•Paul Worrilow, Falcons ($585,668)I love the way Wagner plays. In the middle of the Seattle defense, he chases down plays and has the speed to play in coverage. Oh, and he's cheap. Worrilow is a try-hard player who started for the Falcons, but would best be served as a backup.Outside linebackers (4): $12,253,930•Von Miller, Broncos ($9,754,000)•Lavonte David, Bucs ($1,104,642)•Sio Moore, Raiders ($840,708)•Kwon Alexander, Buccaneers ($554,580)In my 4-3, I went with a rush linebacker in Miller, who would play the strong-side, with David at the weak-side spot. Both players can run, which is key to any good defense. Moore is another speed linebacker, and Alexander is a rookie who can also run.Cornerbacks: $12,041,932•Chris Harris, Broncos ($3,000,000)•Xavier Rhodes, Vikings ($2,129,046)•Orlando Scandrick, Cowboys ($4,382,271)•Brandon Boykin, Eagles ($1,643,367)•Eric Rowe, Eagles ($887,248)Harris is one of my favorite players to watch, a self-made player who never backs down. He can play outside or inside. Rhodes is a rising star who might be in the conversation as one of the top five corners in the league at this time next year. Scandrick is another competitor who can play inside or outside. Boykin is considered to be the best slot corner by some, while Rowe is a rookie who has a ton of talent. He could also play safety.Safeties: $14,009,241•Glover Quin, Lions ($3,572,500)•Earl Thomas ($7,400,000)•Ron Parker, Chiefs ($2,000,000)•Tony Jefferson, Cardinals ($588,368)•Ryan Murphy, Seahawks ($448,373)Quin is coming off an impressive season and he is a willing tackler in the run game, which I would need if he were my strong safety. But he is also solid in coverage. Thomas has the range needed to play in the middle of the field. There are only so many guys who can do it the way he does. Parker is an underrated veteran, while Jefferson is a solid starter. Murphy fills the 2015 seventh-round slot.Special teams (3 players): $2,090,000•K: Cody Parkey, Eagles ($510,000)•P : Tess Way, Redskins ($510,000)•LS: Jon Dorenbos, Eagles ($1,070,000)Who cares? It's special teams. Is there that much difference between any of the kickers, punters and deep snappers? So I just went cheap.
