Cut time is here: How we would assemble the Vikings' 53-man roster

Following Thursday night's 28-24 loss to the Houston Texans in the preseason finale, Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier said he wasn't ready to make any immediate final decisions on the 53-man roster. Frazier wants to go back through the film of Thursday's game, then sit down for what promises to be an exhaustive review of the personnel Friday with the rest of the coaches, General Manager Rick Spielman and the team's scouts.

But we don't need to wait. We opened training camp by giving you a small glimpse at how the 90-man roster would be reduced. Now, after five-and-a-half weeks of practice and four preseason games, it's time to get down to business.

Here's how our roster shapes up … (And yes, you will count 54 players we're keeping because the Vikings will get to use Jerome Simpson's roster spot for the first three games while he's suspended)

QUARTERBACKS

Who we're keeping: Christian Ponder, Joe Webb, McLeod Bethel-Thompson

Who we're cutting: Sage Rosenfels

Worth discussing: Bethel-Thompson played the entire second half Thursday and completed 15 of 29 passes for 193 yards. He had a 59-yard touchdown strike to rookie Jarius Wright and also had an interception on a fourth quarter pass to tight end Allen Reisner. But that was simply a nice play by Texans safety Eddie Pleasant. It's hard to say for sure what Bethel-Thompson's NFL potential is. But he does have a rocket for an arm and some admirable moxie. And for a rebuilding team like the Vikings, it's worth taking a few chances here and there. Rosenfels? He was 7-for-11 for 111 yards Thursday with a 58-yard TD pass to Devin Aromashodu. He's a favorite of GM Rick Spielman and can provide valuable input in the meeting rooms. But Rosenfels has also made all of 12 starts in his NFL career, the last one coming in 2008. The Vikings may insist that Rosenfels will be kept around because of his veteran intelligence and the mentoring he can provide Ponder and Webb behind the scenes. But Ponder and Webb also have plenty of guidance coming from quarterbacks coach Craig Johnson and offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave, a quarterback guru himself. And let's face it, if the Vikings are forced to play a third quarterback at any point this season, things have gotten pretty bad. So why not give Bethel-Thompson a longer look?

Who we're keeping: Adrian Peterson, Toby Gerhart, Jordan Todman, Jerome Felton

Who we're cutting: Matt Asiata, Lex Hilliard, Ryan D'Imperio

Worth discussing: Look, we know it would be crazy to get too excited over the 114-yard outburst Todman had Thursday night against a flock of Texans reserves. But what Todman did show is that he has incredible burst and intriguing upside. His 76-yard TD run may very well have earned him a roster spot, proof that under pressure he can deliver.

"Some of his teammates were talking about just that after that long run," head coach Leslie Frazier said. "They go, 'Man, Coach, that running back position just got a lot more competitive.' And they're right. To see Jordan step up the way he did, that was one of the things we were hoping to see."

But the Vikings will also have to consider the sprained ankle that kept Todman out through much of training camp and limited him to just two carries in the preseason before Thursday.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Who we're keeping: Percy Harvin, Jerome Simpson, Michael Jenkins, Jarius Wright, Devin Aromashodu, Stephen Burton

Who we're cutting: Manny Arceneaux

Worth discussing: There's plenty of worry about what the Vikings will do to stretch the field vertically in the passing game during Weeks 1-3 when Simpson is serving his three-game suspension. But don't forget, Harvin hauled in a bomb from Ponder a week ago and dropped what would have been another home run catch on a post route. Then, against Houston, Wright and Aromashodu each delivered long TD catches. Wright feels he has the versatility to be used both inside and outside and he looked good against Houston. Aromashodu also stepped up, providing at least some comfort that a waiver wire scavenger hunt for added receiver help might not be needed this weekend.

"[Devin's] length makes a difference," Frazier said. "And he's a guy who can really run. He's a long strider so sometimes it's a little tougher getting in and out of breaks for him. But he's shown that he can make plays down the field. And that's what we wanted to be able to see tonight. We wanted to see that throughout this preseason. And it's good that it showed up tonight. We thought it was there. We saw it some in OTAs, we saw it some in our practice in Mankato. It was good to see it in a game situation."

TIGHT ENDS

Who we're keeping: Kyle Rudolph, John Carlson, Rhett Ellison, Allen Reisner

Who we're cutting: Mickey Shuler

Worth discussing: The Vikings could be tempted to keep only three tight ends, which would leave Reisner out of the mix. But given Carlson's recent injury struggles – the sprained knee that kept him out of most of training camp, the shoulder injury that cost him the entire 2011 season – keeping depth at the position will be a priority. Ellison's ability to play a fullback role is beneficial. And he's been solid catching passes throughout the preseason.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Who we're cutting: Quentin Saulsberry, Chris DeGeare, Kevin Murphy, Austin Pasztor, Tyler Holmes

Worth discussing: Depth at the tackle positions is a bit of a problem right now. That was in full evidence Thursday night with Love aggravating a shoulder injury that has bothered him throughout the preseason and Brown struggling with penalty problems. Schwartz's quick recovery from sports hernia surgery has been encouraging. And Berger remains a reliable reserve with the versatility to play both guard and center in case of an emergency. In the big picture, keeping that starting unit intact is going to be a huge piece of the puzzle this season. Also, don't be surprised if Saulsberry, an undrafted rookie from Mississippi State, is the 10^th offensive lineman in the locker room next week as a member of the practice squad. Retaining only nine linemen on the 53-man roster will give the Vikings some flexibility to add depth elsewhere. And by elsewhere we mean in the defensive backfield.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Who we're keeping: Jared Allen, Kevin Williams, Brian Robison, Letroy Guion, Fred Evans, Everson Griffen, Christian Ballard, D'Aundre Reed

Who we're cutting: Nick Reed, Trevor Guyton, Jeff Charleston, Chase Baker

LINEBACKERS

Who we're keeping: Chad Greenway, Erin Henderson, Jasper Brinkley, Marvin Mitchell, Tyrone McKenzie, Audie Cole

Who we're cutting: Larry Dean, Corey Paredes

Worth discussing: In extensive action Thursday in Houston, neither Dean nor McKenzie did much to help their cause, unable to make plays against the run. Some of that, Frazier acknowledged, was a result of the Vikings' poor play up front. Dean has special teams value. But given the uncertainty at middle linebacker, McKenzie seems like a better insurance policy there. Cole has shown enough throughout the preseason to keep around. He's working his butt of to develop and the Vikings love his knack for making big plays. The lack of depth here is a major concern. And if the waiver wire presents a few options worth considering, both McKenzie and Dean could be the odd men out by weekend's end.

CORNERBACKS

Who we're cutting: Marcus Sherels, Reggie Jones, Bobby Felder

Worth discussing: The ongoing experiment with Wright as a punt returner is going well enough that Sherels' time may be up. Sherels missed the preseason finale with a sprained ankle. Wright had three punt returns for 18 yards plus two fair catches in his place. If Sherels' return ability is considered valuable – remember, he's also comfortable on kickoffs – Burton could get cut. Felder has promise and is another guy the Vikings may try to slip onto their practice squad.

SAFETIES

Who we're keeping: Harrison Smith, Jamarca Sanford, Mistral Raymond, Robert Blanton, Eric Frampton

Who we're cutting: Andrew Sendejo

SPECIALISTS

Who we're keeping: Chris Kluwe, Blair Walsh, Cullen Loeffler

Who we're cutting: Nobody