Updated Seahawks 53-Man Roster Projection After Preseason Opener
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Following a 32-25 loss to the Steelers in their preseason opener, the Seahawks trimmed their roster to 86 players on Monday and over the next two weeks, coach Pete Carroll and his staff will have to whittle the roster down to 53 players.
At this stage, Seattle still has plenty of questions left to answer with the regular season opener less than a month away. Who will start under center and succeed Russell Wilson? Which rookies will be vying for immediate playing time? How will the secondary shake out at cornerback and safety?
With 11 training camp practices and one preseason game in the books, here's a revised projection on which players will earn a spot on the Seahawks 53-man roster:
Offense
Quarterbacks (2): Geno Smith, Drew Lock
Analysis: Now entering the fourth week of training camp, Smith remains out in front of Lock and has held serve in the competition to replace Russell Wilson. With that said, there's still time for Lock, who threw a pair of touchdowns against the Steelers, to close the gap in the final two preseason games and steal that starting job away.
Running Backs (5): Rashaad Penny, Ken Walker III, Travis Homer, DeeJay Dallas, Nick Bellore
Analysis: Despite dealing with a mild groin injury, Penny should be good to go for the start of the regular season and penned in as Seattle's starter out of the backfield. Showing explosive athleticism and soft hands, Walker III will take over as the complimentary weapon alongside him, while Dallas and Homer have ran tough and performed well so far in camp. Bellore may not see any snaps on offense, but if the team needs a fullback, he can handle those duties in a pinch.
Receivers (6): DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Dee Eskridge, Freddie Swain, Dareke Young, Bo Melton
Analysis: Behind Metcalf and Lockett, the Seahawks still have some questions about who will emerge as their No. 3 receiver with Eskridge continuing to recover from a hamstring strain and unable to practice to this point. Right now, Swain may be the front runner for that role and Marquise Goodwin may be in the hunt, but keep a close eye on Young, who caught a touchdown in his NFL debut on Saturday and continues to turn heads as a seventh-round pick out of Lenoir Rhyne. Gaining momentum with a stellar outing in Pittsburgh, Melton edges out Goodwin as well as veterans Penny Hart, Aaron Fuller, and JJ Arcega-Whiteside for the final spot.
Tight Ends (3): Noah Fant, Will Dissly, Colby Parkinson
Analysis: As long as injuries don't strike, Seattle should have one of the better tight end groups in the NFC with Fant, Dissly, and Parkinson all offering different strengths and skill sets that should play well in Shane Waldron's scheme. Look for extensive 12 personnel groupings with two tight ends on the field often, allowing all three players to get plenty of snaps on game day.
Offensive Line (9): Charles Cross, T; Abraham Lucas, T; Gabe Jackson, G; Damien Lewis, G; Austin Blythe, C; Jake Curhan, T; Stone Forsythe, T; Phil Haynes, G; Kyle Fuller, C/G.
Analysis: After impressing in their respective NFL debuts, all signs continue to point towards Cross and Lucas becoming just the third duo of rookie tackles to start in Week 1 since the 1970 merger. Jackson and Lewis are cemented in as starters at the guard spots, but Haynes could be putting a bit of pressure on both veterans and looks the part of a starter himself. Familiar with Waldron's offense, Blythe will take over as the starter at the pivot position with Fuller edging out Dakoda Shepley to back him up.
Defense
Safety (5): Quandre Diggs, Jamal Adams, Josh Jones, Marquise Blair, Ryan Neal
Analysis: Even after breaking a finger in Seattle's first practice last month, Adams has been a full participant for most of training camp and will be ready to star alongside Diggs in the secondary. With Sean Desai leaving an imprint on the defensive scheme, three safety sets will be more prevalent for the Seahawks and the trio of Jones, Blair, and Neal could all see defensive snaps in sub packages while also contributing on special teams at the franchise's deepest position group.
Cornerback (6): Sidney Jones, Coby Bryant, Artie Burns, Tariq Woolen, Mike Jackson, Justin Coleman
PUP List: Tre Brown
Analysis: Assuming Jones and Burns bounce back from mild injuries suffered in camp, the two veterans have a good chance to start in Week 1. But Bryant and Woolen have both been impressive in their first respective camps and it wouldn't be a surprise to see one or both players logging substantial snaps - or even starting - early in their rookie seasons. Based on recent updates from coach Pete Carroll, Brown may not be ready to come back from a patellar tendon injury in time for the start of the season and staying on the PUP list may be inevitable, opening the door for Jackson to slip onto the roster.
Linebacker (8): Jordyn Brooks, MLB; Cody Barton, MLB; Darrell Taylor, OLB; Uchenna Nwosu, OLB; Boye Mafe, OLB; Joel Iyiegbuniwe, MLB; Alton Robinson, OLB; Tyreke Smith, OLB
PUP List: Jon Rhattigan
Analysis: Depth may be a bit of a concern for the Seahawks at linebacker with Ben Burr-Kirven on injured reserve and Rhattigan poised to open the season on the PUP List recovering from a torn ACL. For now, assuming Jordyn Brooks returns from a hamstring injury in the near future, he and Barton will be slotted in as the starters in the middle with Taylor and Nwosu starting at the hybrid outside linebacker spots. Coming off a sensational debut, Mafe will push for immediate snaps in pass rushing situations and Robinson has played well enough in camp to warrant a significant rotational role as well. Iyiegbuniwe remains the only backup in the middle, but undrafted rookie Vi Jones may be a player to monitor closely next two preseason games.
Defensive Line (6): Poona Ford, DT; Al Woods, NT; Shelby Harris, DT; Quinton Jefferson, DT; Bryan Mone, NT; L.J. Collier, DT
Analysis: Backed by the return of Woods, Ford, and Mone as well as the addition of Harris and Jefferson, the Seahawks have great depth, ample experience, and plenty of versatility in the trenches defensively. Those five players are locks to be on the roster in Week 1, but a tight race between former first-round pick L.J. Collier and Adams remains undecided and either player could win a spot over the next two weeks.
Special Teams
Kicker: Jason Myers
Punter: Michael Dickson
Long Snapper: Tyler Ott
Analysis: Continuity reigns on special teams with the Seahawks set to run it back with the successful trio of Dickson, Myers, and Ott. No surprises here. In the return game, Dallas and Swain look poised to remain the kick and punt specialists, while Walker and Eskridge are still in the mix.
