Last 4 In, First 4 Out: Which Seahawks Offensive 'Bubble' Players Will Make 53-Man Roster?
After wrapping up their final practice in a training camp unlike any other on Thursday, the Seahawks have now shifted their focus towards the upcoming season opener against the Falcons.
As a key part of that process, Seattle faces the daunting task of finalizing its 53-man roster before Saturday's 1 PM PST deadline. Deciding which players to keep doesn't always come down to pure talent, as position depth, age, contract, and other factors are also considered by the front office and coaching staff. This year, the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown a new wrench into the process, eliminating preseason games normally used to evaluate players on other rosters.
Once the dust settles, 27 players who participated in practices and meetings over the past month will be sent home with a pink slip and forced to seek employment elsewhere. One of the harsh realities is that many of these players may never be on an NFL team again, while others will land on practice squads.
Paying homage to "March Madness" in a deep dive into the process of selecting the final 53 players who will be on the Seahawks roster in Week 1, here are my last four offensive players to make the team as well as the final four players landing on the wrong side of the roster bubble on Saturday.
LAST FOUR IN: OFFENSE
Freddie Swain
A sixth-round pick out of Florida, Swain wrapped up a strong first training camp with a pair of touchdown receptions during Seattle's practice on Thursday. As coach Pete Carroll noted afterward, the rookie overcame missing a couple of days with a groin injury to show he's a "really smart football player" and applauded his special teams ability as a return specialist. Assuming Josh Gordon isn't reinstated by Saturday, he's earned one of the last spots with his stellar play this month.
Stephen Sullivan
Though he's nursing a nagging hip injury, the 6-foot-5, 240 pound Sullivan started off camp with a bang and impressed Carroll and his staff. He wasn't able to finish the way the Seahawks felt he needed to changing positions due to his injury, but given his unique size and athletic tools, it could be difficult to sneak him onto the practice squad. As a result, the team hangs onto him with hopes of developing him into a quality NFL tight end down the road.
Phil Haynes
Now in his second season out of Wake Forest, Haynes has missed multiple practices during training camp due to undisclosed injuries. This comes after being on the PUP list most of his rookie season and missing all of training camp a year ago A former basketball standout at 320 pounds, he has the size, athleticism, and nastiness coach Mike Solari prefers at the guard spots, but durability has been a real issue for him thus far. Still, it would be surprising if the Seahawks give up on a promising young player this quickly and he still has a chance to be a long-term starter at left guard.
Paul Richardson
This may be the toughest call to make on Seattle's roster at this stage. Carroll didn't mince words on Thursday, indicating Richardson hasn't had the time to show the team what he can do after just receiving his first team reps earlier in the day. But the Seahawks are quite familiar with Richardson's strengths after he spent his first four NFL seasons with the team and he was signed on a team-friendly one-year deal. Once Gordon is eligible, there probably isn't a spot for him, but he's a cheaper alternative compared to David Moore and could provide similar results on the field.
FIRST FOUR OUT: OFFENSE
B.J. Finney
Finney has been a disappointment in his first training camp with the Seahawks after signing a two-year, $8 million deal in March. It hasn't felt like a true competition at center against Ethan Pocic, who has been in command throughout training camp and should officially be named the starter next week. Just two weeks into camp, the former Kansas State standout was rotating in as a reserve guard, a sign the team was simply trying to find somewhere for him to stick. Cutting him will force the organization to eat more than $3 million in 2020, but the team's clear interest in bringing back Justin Britt indicates they are not happy with what they've seen.
Luke Willson
Whether fair or not, at this stage of his career, the Seahawks already know what they have in Willson. He's a reliable receiver when called upon, has always worked his tail off as a blocker, and provides a spark in the locker room, which can't be quantified on the stat sheet. But now 30 years old, he's likely peaked at this point and battled injuries throughout the 2020 season. He could be retained if Sullivan's injury is more serious than Carroll made it sound, but this looks like a case where they will keep the young player with more upside.
David Moore
After a slow start to camp, Moore picked up his game over the final two weeks, which should have improved his odds of making Seattle's final roster. But after signing Gordon and Richardson at more affordable deals, the Seahawks may still have their eyes on a big fish by the name of Jadeveon Clowney. If they need a few million dollars to make one last run at the star defender, they could create it by releasing Moore, who is set to earn $2.1 million this season and none of it is guaranteed. If Seattle has truly moved on from Clowney, then this becomes a moot point, but it feels like general manager John Schneider will make one last run at him before he makes his decision and creating cap space may be necessary to pull it off.
Nick Bellore
While still a very effective special teams player who is capable of playing linebacker in an emergency, Bellore only played 29 offensive snaps last year and that total probably won't change much in 2020. The Seahawks have several tight ends who could play the fullback role if necessary and even a few of their running backs could do it in a pinch. It's possible there could be a repeat of last year where Bellore was released initially and then brought back a week later with his contract non-guaranteed if the team wants to retain his services on special teams.
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