3 Takes Following Seahawks' Woeful Preseason Matchup With Broncos
Other than the presence of fans at Lumen Field for the first time in nearly two years, the Seahawks' preseason matchup with the Broncos on Saturday night was just as uneventful as their bout with the Raiders the week prior. Hardly any positives could be found as Denver spoiled Seattle's homecoming with a 30-3 blowout in front of 68,027 fans in attendance.
After watching the game again, I'd like to share three takes I have about the team as a whole.
1. Sitting starters, particularly Russell Wilson, was the right thing to do
No doubt about it. After seeing linebacker Ben Burr-Kirven and receiver John Ursua both go down with season-ending knee injuries, the Seahawks should feel entirely justified in sitting most of their starters for the second week in a row. There was truly no reason to expose certain players to unnecessary harm and those who missed this one should get a tune-up against the Chargers—an arguably better opponent—this Saturday.
2. Jake Curhan has earned a spot on the active roster
Jamarco Jones (back spasms) was expected to play on Saturday night, but instead he missed his second game of the preseason. With Cedric Ogbuehi (biceps strain) also hurt and starting right tackle Brandon Shell resting, Curhan took full advantage of the opportunity given to him against the Broncos. The undrafted rookie out of California had some nice reps in pass protection and made a key block on a first-down run by running back Josh Johnson.
He continues to show why the Seahawks gave him the highest signing bonus of any UDFA they signed back in May, and he has some leverage against the likes of Jones and Ogbuehi. He provides versatility as a tackle/guard combo and, of course, has more club control than the two 2022 free agents. His spot on the 53-man roster is starting to become more of a no-brainer as the days go by.
3. Trading for Stephon Gilmore needs to be on the table
Saturday night was yet another disappointing outing for the Seahawks' group of cornerbacks. Ahkello Witherspoon gave up a 35-yard catch-and-run to Broncos receiver Jerry Jeudy, Tre Brown continued to show issues with his tackling and Tre Flowers, despite only being targeted once on 13 coverage snaps, hasn't done anything that warrants a change of opinion on him just yet. No clarity has been given at the position, particularly the competition at left cornerback, and it's getting to a point now where it may be time to worry with just one final tune-up remaining before the start of the regular season.
There is a potential solution, though—one many speculated over the course of the summer, including Seahawk Maven's Corbin Smith. That would be Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore, who's entering the final year of his five-year, $65 million contact. Only $7.7 million of that would count against the Seahawks' salary cap, however, and they have more than enough room to take that on following the Jamal Adams extension. While Seattle already doesn't have a first-round selection in next year's draft, the current state of its cornerback room may make the potential second-round investment worth it in the end.
Gilmore, like Duane Brown now and Adams at the start of training camp, is currently "holding in" for a new contract with New England. Hypothetically, the Seahawks would have to deal with the same thing if they acquired him, which could make this a no-go for them. They still have long-term extensions to negotiate with their own players—Brown, Quandre Diggs—so it may be too much for them to make another significant commitment, especially for a 30-year old cornerback.
Nevertheless, it's something they need to explore and see if he'd be willing to play out the last year of his deal for a team with better hopes of winning a championship.
