Analysis: 4 Seahawks Who Have Most Ground to Gain in Preseason Game Against Broncos
With the preseason shortened to three games, Saturday night's matchup between the Seahawks and Broncos will be a crucial one for those who find themselves on the bubble of Seattle's roster. Here are four players who have the most ground to gain in hopes of breaking camp with the team.
WR Aaron Fuller
Fuller has made waves in camp and had an impressive catch against the Raiders last week, breaking a tackle short of the line of scrimmage and working his way downfield for a 17-yard gain. Nevertheless, the receiver competition is so tight on the Seahawks' roster right now that there might not be space for him, especially if Penny Hart makes it despite his current ankle injury. Cody Thompson has had a strong week of practice and the team still really likes undrafted rookie Cade Johnson, so Fuller will need to explode onto the scene over the next two weeks to make his case.
G/C Pier-Olivier Lestage
Lestage played well in his NFL debut last Saturday, registering 11 snaps at left guard. He showed good movement, physical blocking prowess and a knack for getting to the second level in his limited action. That was especially impressive considering he had just been activated from the non-football injury list earlier that week after missing the first two weeks of training camp following sports hernia surgery. However, he still finds himself on the outside looking in given all the time he missed. It'll be interesting to see if he gets some run at center against the Broncos since that may be his best path to making the team, especially with Ethan Pocic still nursing a hamstring injury and Kyle Fuller looking average at best at the position.
DT Cedrick Lattimore
It wasn't a good night whatsoever for the Seahawks' interior defenders last Saturday. They surrendered 158 yards and two touchdowns on 36 run plays and Lattimore, who played 34 of the team's 79 defensive snaps on the night, did not do himself any favors in his quest for the 53-man roster. He certainly wasn't the issue with Seattle's run defense versus the Raiders, but he didn't stand out as the exception either. Right now, there isn't a very clear path for him to make this team.
CB Damarious Randall
Randall missed last week's affair in Las Vegas due to a groin injury, but the good news for him is that no one in Seattle's cornerback group—save maybe Gavin Heslop—stood out. He'll have some ground to gain given the time he missed, but he should see more than enough opportunities to do so against a talented Broncos receiving corps. If Ahkello Witherspoon struggles again, Randall could have a legitimate shot at not only making the team, but potentially working his way into a starting role as well.
