Seahawks 90-Man Roster Primer: Cody Barton

Hurt by impressive talent in front of him, Barton hasn't had many chances to impress on defense in his first two years with Seattle. Will the ex-Utah standout emerge in his third season? Or will he be relegated exclusively to special teams again?

Author:
Corbin K. Smith
Publish date:
Jul 2, 2021 3:45 PM EDT

With the calendar flipping to July and offseason programs recently wrapping up, NFL training camps will begin around the league in less than a month. To celebrate the new incoming season, we will be breaking down the Seahawks' 90-man roster over the next several weeks, exploring best and worst case scenarios and what to expect from each player entering the 2021 campaign.

Cody Barton, Linebacker

Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 237 pounds

2020 Stats: 35 tackles, two forced fumbles in 16 games

Late in his rookie season, Barton earned four starts at strongside linebacker while replacing an injured Mychal Kendricks, including a pair of playoff starts. But despite playing fairly well in those games, the arrival of first-round pick Jordyn Brooks and return of veteran Bruce Irvin left him without a spot in Seattle's lineup and he was relegated largely to special teams in 2020. Though he saw the field for only 114 defensive snaps and started just two games, however, the former Utah standout starred on kick and punt coverage, leading the team with a whopping 17 special teams tackles and forcing a pair of fumbles. Back for his third season, he could be in the mix competing for reps at multiple linebacker roles.

Best Case Scenario: With Darrell Taylor enduring growing pains at strongside linebacker during camp and the preseason, Seattle turns to Barton, who capitalizes on the opportunity and surprisingly vaults into the starting lineup in Week 1 alongside Bobby Wagner and Brooks.

Worst Case Scenario: Stuck behind Brooks and Taylor on the depth chart, Barton logs less than 100 defensive snaps and doesn't come close to repeating his production on special teams from a year ago.

What to Expect in 2021: Based on his performance in six career starts, Barton has displayed enough upside as a tackler and in coverage to suggest he could start for a number of teams. But even without K.J. Wright, Seattle has one of the best linebacker corps in the league led by Wagner, a rising star in Brooks, and an intriguing hybrid SAM in Taylor, leaving few snap opportunities for him barring injuries. While coach Pete Carroll insinuated he will have a legitimate chance to compete for a starting role, it seems more likely he will once again serve as the team's primary backup at all three linebacker spots and remain an integral special teams player.