5 Observations From Episode Five of Seahawks Hard Knocks

The Hard Knocks finale is upon us, and it gives the fans a window into the process of trimming a roster down before the season starts.

Seattle Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99) reacts to the win against the Washington Commanders. | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

It’s been a fun, educational season of Hard Knocks for Seahawks fans, as well as any NFL fans who want to see inside an elite organization. But earlier this evening, it came to a close with the fifth and final episode. For the last time, let’s explore some of the big storylines and themes of the episode, and search for profound wisdom as we inch towards the regular season.

Uso Seumalo Wants A Job

One of the main characters this week was interior defensive lineman Uso Seumalo. And I don’t just mean his fried chicken review. His battle to try to figure out a way to make a loaded roster has been a subplot previously, so naturally it would be a big emphasis now that the story is almost complete. Uso discusses how he can stand out with so little time left.

Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Uso Seumalo (92) drops back in coverage against the Tennessee Titans. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The camera keeps finding him throughout the week, and then during the preseason game. Of course, his attempts to leave a good impression mostly ended in failure, and we knew how this story ended before the episode aired. Seumalo would get waived, but get picked up on the practice (or “ready”) squad the next day. The team believes in his potential.

Nick Emmanwori On The Comeback

Another notable segment of the episode was focused on the rehabbing Nick Emmanwori, which has been one of the most high-stakes subplots of the offseason to this point. There was footage of him moving around the field at the VMac, which is more than we’ve seen in the last couple months from him. He visited with Coach Mike as well, discussing rehab.

Seattle Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori (3) speaks to the media after minicamp practice. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Overall, it was a short scene, but few things are more pivotal for this Seahawks team than getting Emmanwori back onto the field. We’re now just over a week away from the opener, and the timeline seems very tight, but listening to Nick talking about how his attempts to get back on the field are going instill confidence it’ll be happening soon.

Pumping Up Milroe Mania

Since Jalen Milroe got every snap at quarterback in the preseason game, it’s no surprise that he also got plenty of screentime. During the week leading up to the game, Jalen got extra work in practice and had discussions with Jake Peetz about what to expect and how to best prepare for the opportunity. Overall, things worked out fairly well this week.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Jalen Milroe (6) throws a pass against the Kansas City Chiefs. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Milroe wasn’t stellar, but it was certainly the best he’s been so far this preseason, and probably in his professional career. He made some downfield throws and led some scoring drives, while also only taking one sack. In what was mostly an ugly preseason game, Milroe stood out for at least giving us something to hang our hats on going into year two.

The Khoslas Take The Baton

For the most part, Hard Knocks has kept the focus to the players, coaches, and general manager. But this week, for obvious reasons, we got a little bit of time on the owners here. During the events of the episode, the owner’s voted on approving the purchase of the Seahawks by Vinod Khosla and his family. The vote was unanimous in favor.

Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Leonard Williams (99) warms up during the joint practice with the Tennessee Titans. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

This was immediately followed by coverage of Leonard Williams’s new extension, 3 years and $90 million, which has a fairly obvious correlation. Given that the contract was handed out so soon after the approval of the sale, it’s a pretty strong indicator that the new owners are willing to throw around money to keep this roster together.

A Series Of Difficult Decisions

After the messy preseason game in Kansas City, the focus of the episode turned to the tricky business of trimming the roster. One of the points of emphasis is how the Seahawks view their practice squad as an extension of the team, which Cooper Kupp acknowledges is different from how it was in Los Angeles. It’s not about 53 players, but 70.

Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Marcellus Johnson (79) blocks Seattle Seahawks linebacker Aidan Hubbard (93). | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Not making Seattle’s initial 53 man roster isn’t the end of the line, which is something Mike and John make sure the players understand. Aiden Hubbard, Marvin Jones Jr, Deven Eastern, Justin Jones, and Ricky White III all stepped into Mike’s office after getting informed of their release. Four of them made Seattle’s initial practice squad the next day.

There was plenty more going on this week, a lot of it orbiting around Trevon Diggs and Montorie Foster Jr, along with Derick Hall’s shorts, but those were the big stories to me. The show ended with the roster in place (although not set) and every reason to believe this organization is doing things the right way. Now we just need to hit the field and play the games.

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