Raiders Projected Roster: Getting to 53

With two exhibition games down and two to go, battles are being waged for a handful of roster spots. Injuries could have a major impact on how the 53-man roster turns out. The Raiders are keeping a close eye on starting weak-side linebacker Aaron Curry, who is on PUP list with injuries to both knees, and wide receiver/kick returner Jacoby Ford, who sprained his left foot Friday night at Arizona. If they aren’t going to be ready for the start of the regular season, the Raiders will have to do some roster juggling, which would open the door for bubble players.

Stock rising: Ford, who doubles as the team’s No. 1 kickoff and punt returner, might not be ready for the Sept. 10 opener against San Diego, and his injury boosts cornerback/return man Bryan McCann’s chances of making the team. Wide receiver Eddie McGee, who’s on the bubble, now stands a better chance of surviving. He had two catches against Arizona after missing the opener vs. Dallas with a hamstring injury.

Stock falling: Running back Mike Goodson should still make the team, but he did himself no favors against Arizona in his Raiders debut when he fumbled twice and left the game with a stinger. Goodson had a problem with fumbling as a Carolina Panther.

Roster moves: The Raiders placed linebacker Mario Kurn and wide receiver Duke Calhoun on injured reserve. Both suffered season-ending knee injuries within minutes of each other during practice. The team signed former UCLA linebacker Korey Bosworth, who spent 2010 on IR with Detroit and has been in the Lions’ camp three straight seasons.

QBs -- In: (3) Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart, Terrelle Pryor. Out: Kyle Newhall-Caballero. Analysis: Palmer’s the starter, Leinart’s the backup and Pryor’s the No. 3 QB. Pryor has a 38.9 passer rating through two games, but Newhall-Caballero has yet to get off the bench. Only an injury would shake things up at this position.

RBs -- In: (5) Darren McFadden, Taiwan Jones, Mike Goodson, Marcel Reece (FB), Owen Schmitt (FB). Out: Lonyae Miller, Manase Tonga (FB), Rashawn Jackson (FB). Analysis: After missing the first two games with a hamstring injury, Jones is expected to play Saturday  against Denver. He and Goodson are battling for the job as McFadden’s primary backup. Jones is a lock to make the team, and Goodson should survive unless he fumbles away his roster spot, which might open the door for Miller, a power runner. Marcel Reece, a converted wide receiver with big-play ability -- rare for a fullback -- is a lock. Schmitt, who played for offensive coordinator Greg Knapp in Seattle, should survive because of his skills as a lead blocker.

WRs –- In: (6) Darrius Heyward-Bey, Denarius Moore, Jacoby Ford, Rod Streater, Juron Criner, Eddie McGee. Out: Derek Carrier, Brandon Carswell, Thomas Mayo, Travionte Session, DeAundre Muhammad. Analysis: Heyward-Bey, Moore and Ford are locks, and the rookie Streater ended all doubt by catching 13 passes in the first two games. The Raiders spent a fifth-round pick on Criner, a big-bodied possession receiver, who slipped in the draft. He looks like a keeper. Injuries to Ford and Moore (hamstring) could convince the Raiders to keep McGee as insurance.

TEs – In: (3) Brandon Myers, Richard Gordon, David Ausberry. Out: Kyle Efaw, Tory Humphrey. Analysis: The Raiders released starting tight end Kevin Boss during the offseason in a cost-cutting move, leaving the job wide open, with Myers, Gordon and Ausberry as the main candidates. All three should make the team. Myers took the early lead in the race for the starting job but suffered a shoulder injury in practice and missed the first two exhibition games. Gordon is the best blocker in the bunch and has improved as a receiver. He’s putting the most heat on Myers, but Ausberry, a converted wide receiver from USC, provides more of a big-play threat.

OL – In: (8) Jared Veldheer, Khalif Barnes, Mike Brisiel, Cooper Carlisle, Stefen Wisniewski, Joe Barksdale, Tony Bergstrom, Alex Parsons. Out: Kevin Haslam, Zach Hurd, Ed Wang, Nick Howell, Colin Miller, Lucas Nix, Dan Knapp. Analysis: The starting five -- LT Veldheer, RT Barnes, RG Brisiel, LG Carlisle and C Wisniewski -- have been in place since the start of OTAs. They’re locks to make the team, as are Barksdale, a second-year tackle, and rookie G Bergstrom, a third-round pick and the Raiders’ top choice in the draft. The Raiders need someone to back up Wisniewski, and Parsons, who can also play guard, is the likely choice after spending two years on the practice squad. Parsons started against Arizona for an injured Wisniewski (calf), which bolstered his chances to make the team. OT Kevin Haslam, who played five games for Jacksonville in 2010, has been getting a lot of playing time with OTs Ed Wang (shoulder) and Zach Hurd (head) sidelined.

DL -- In: (8) Richard Seymour, Tommy Kelly, Matt Shaughnessy, Lamarr Houston, Dave Tollefson, Desmond Bryant, Jack Crawford, Christo Bilikudi. Out: Jamie Cumbie. Dominique Hamilton, Mason Brodine, Wayne Dorsey, Hall Davis. Analysis: This is the deepest position on the team, and the competition will be fierce for the final few spots. DT Seymour, DT Kelly, DE Shaughnessy and DE Houston -- the starting foursome -- are locks. So are Tollefson, a former Giant, and Bryant. The Raiders spent draft choices for DE Crawford and DT Bilikudi, which gives them an edge. DTs Cumbie, who spent last year on the practice squad, and Hamilton, an impressive undrafted rookie from Missouri, are still in the running for a roster spot. It’s easy to imagine the Raiders keeping more than eight defensive linemen, but that would require cuts at other spots.

LBs – In: (7) Rolando McClain, Philip Wheeler, Miles Burris, Travis Goethel, Carl Ihenacho, Nathan Stupar, Kaelin Burnett. Out: Aaron Curry (PUP), Chad Kilgore, Korey Bosworth. Analysis: The Raiders have less depth and more questions at linebacker than at any other position. They could be searching the waiver wires for help. It’s looking more and more likely that Curry will begin the season on the PUP list. Burris, a fourth-round pick from San Diego State, started for Curry against Dallas and Arizona and held up well for a rookie. He’s a lock, as are starters McClain and Wheeler. Goethel, who missed all of last season with a knee injury, is McClain’s top backup in the middle, and Ihenacho has impressed at times on the outside, behind Wheeler and as a defensive end in the nickel. He had a strip-sack against Arizona that DE Hall recovered and returned for touchdown. The Raiders spent a seventh-round pick on Stupar, a middle linebacker, which helps his cause, although he could wind up on the practice squad.  Curry’s injury might open the door for Burnett, an outside linebacker who caught coach Dennis Allen’s eye during OTAs. Chad Kilgore, an undrafted rookie, has earned Allen’s praise in camp. He’s listed as Burris’ top backup on the depth chart but is a prime candidate for the practice squad.

DBs -- In: (10) Ron Bartell, Shawntae Spencer, Michael Huff, Tyvon Branch, Matt Giordano, DeMarcus Van Dyke,  Mike Mitchell, Pat Lee, Chimdi Chekwa, Bryan McCann. Out: Curtis Taylor, Brandon Underwood, Conroy Black, Aaron Henry, Chaz Powell, Terrail Lambert Analysis: This is another deep group, and some fierce battles exist for the final few spots. CBs Bartell and Spencer, FS Huff and SS Branch are locks. Backup safeties Giordano, who starts in the nickel, and Mitchell, who’s having a strong camp, appear safe. Second-year CB Van Dyke was having a good camp until faltering against the Cowboys and Cardinals, but the Raiders spent a third-round pick on him, and he should make the roster. CB Lee, a free-agent pickup from Green Bay, has a Super Bowl ring, is solid on special teams and has had a strong camp. That should be enough to earn him a job, although he’s still on the bubble, as is Chekwa, a fourth-round pick last year, who had an interception against Arizona. McCann’s ability as a return man and a nickel corner could earn him a job.

Special teams -- In: (3) K Sebastian Janikowski, P Shane Lechler, LS Jon Condo. Out: Marquette King, Eddy Carmona. Analysis: Janikowski and Lechler and Condo are roster locks. The only way this would change is if Lechler has a setback in his recovery from offseason surgery on his left knee. He practiced Monday for the first time this season and is expected to punt against Detroit. King has a big leg but lacks consistency.

Follow Raiders reporter Eric Gilmore on Twitter: @CBSSportsNFLOAK.