What the Seahawks Final Roster Says About the Front Office's Vision

The Seattle Seahawks are finished for the time being when it comes to orchestrating their roster and practice squad.

The cutdown deadline forced them to trim the roster from 90 to 53, but they were able to add 17 of their cut players back onto the practice squad. Here are three observations from general manager John Schneider's decisions that explain how they feel about the state of the team.

The Seahawks Are Trusting Their Guys

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Jalen Milroe throws a pass during the second half against the Kansas City Chiefs. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Out of the 70 players that are still on the roster and on the practice squad, only one was not with the team during training camp. The Seahawks made a small trade with the Los Angeles Chargers that allowed them to acquire cornerback Avery Smith, an undrafted free agent out of Toledo.

Smith is on the 53-man roster as one of the team's cornerbacks. Once he gets acclimated to the team's system, it will be as if he was part of the team all along.

The Seahawks could have scoured the league to make upgrades with other teams' cut players, but they wanted to double down on their depth and talent, which is what helped them win the Super Bowl last season.

Practice Squad Matters

Trevon Diggs warms up before the game against the Carolina Panthers. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Schneider has spoken a lot about how he views the team, not just as the 53-man roster, but as the 70-man roster that includes the practice squad. There is a good chance that a majority, if not all, of the practice squad will have a chance to suit up for the team at some point during the regular season.

It's a long 18 weeks, and players can be elevated for up to three games without counting towards the roster. Once injuries pile up, the practice squad will be the first place the Seahawks look to replenish those injuries on the roster. Players like cornerback Trevon Diggs and wide receiver Ricky White III have a decent chance at getting called up early during the year.

Draft Status Doesn't Mean Much

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Michael Dansby lines up on defense against the Dallas Cowboys. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Out of the Seahawks' eight draft picks this year, only four of them made the final 53-man roster. Sixth-round wide receiver Emmanuel Henderson and seventh-round picks Deven Eastern, Michael Dansby and Andre Fuller were all waived but placed on the practice squad. The team values them highly, but their status as draft picks did not make the entire decision about them making the team.

Out of the 53 players on the roster, 15 of them went undrafted. The Seahawks believe in developing players and keeping them around in hopes of seeing the investment on the football field down the line. There's a good chance at least one, if not all, of them will see the field at some point during the season.

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