Fair, I guess I actually have more confidence in Pablo or Sturgis filling in at CB than Zimmerman stepping in as a rookie. Point well taken about Keel, and lack of experience for O'Neill and Klute. I think we still add one more player at CB - maybe via trading one of the attacking players we've accumulated...
Barring a training camp disaster, Wallace is our starting LB from what I've heard. I think Cascio is safe for sure too. With the signing of Labrocca, I think Castrillion is gone (I realize they are slightly different players, but close enough). Akpan might be expendable now, and one of Harris or Hill too. Hard to imagine them giving up on Armstrong or Klute, and Sturgis I think is important as emergency CB cover.
If any of these players were cut, I'd predict Davy Armstrong and Andre Akpan, possibly Castrillon. Various comments made on podcasts and in the press all suggest that Klute, Wallace, Cascio, and Sturgis are very much in the plans. Atiba Harris might be at risk, too, but they also just acquired him. Kamani Hill was too valuable last year as a super sub.
If Pablo's head weren't an issue, I wouldn't mind seeing him play CB either. Sturgis is an unknown quantity to me, but I haven't gotten the impression from opinions about him that he is a guy you would want to rely upon for long stretches. A trade could work well. I'm starting to wonder where Hill fits into this team especially if all of the offseason signings are better than him, or more likely, people don't want to admit their offseason signings aren't as good as him, so maybe he is a candidate to get traded for a backup CB.
I think Klute should be tossed into the "save" list since we picked up 2013 loan option. My list of most likely cuts of above: 1- Harris (over $150K cap hit, never a consistant MLS starter) 1a- Castrillon (Probably should be most likely to spend season on IR it seems) 2- Sturgis (Never understood this pick up, never a consistant MLS starter) Thought someone said early in offseason that this is Armstrong's final year of HG contract. I think he will be given chance to prove he belongs early or he will probably just ride out last year playing reserves.
Also, as I said elsewhere before. We should not expect any further International signings given all those folks in camp that are fighting for 1 or maybe 2 (Castrillon moved) International slots we have left.
Just to clarify, this is probably the final year of his current contract. If he were to earn another contract he would still be an HG player. The HG designation never goes away AFAIK.
Oh, and I agree that Wallace, Cascio, and Klute are unlikely to be cut, probably Sturgis too. But since they have an easy out with the loan on Klute I couldn't consider him completely safe and the other 3 I could see being traded in the right deal (like for an international spot to sign one of ore many international trialists).
I wouldn't say he's "done nothing" He's not a world-beater and certainly hasn't lived up to his youth pedigree, but he played in 20 matches for Seattle in 2010, and 14 for Toronto in 2011, and got hurt last season. The biggest thing is that he's actually played a fair bit of professional soccer for a 25 year old and is versatile enough to play d-mid or CB. We'll see I guess, but I know that was the thinking on bringing him in...
It is, when he first signed I went to a lot of reserve games and just happened to stand next to his and Akpans Mom (she came into town for some games). Talked to her fairly consistently sense and last reserve home game last year she mentioned 2013 was his final contract year and she hoped he finally got a chance to play.
It appears you are pretty new here but you must be a fast study, you didn't put a year on which summer window. I'm going with 2021 after the new ownership group finds their feet.