RENTON, Wash. – Kam Chancellor drew resounding applause when he made his training camp debut earlier this week.
The injured strong safety slapped hands, hugged teammates and coaches, and soaked in practice from the sidelines. He then switched views momentarily and watched from about 30 yards deep in the defensive backfield, not too far from the spot he held down for eight straight Seahawks seasons.
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Seeing Chancellor in sweatpants and Jordans standing alone in Seattle’s secondary was a somber reminder that the Seahawks need to replace one of the best defensive backs ever to play the game. Chancellor is technically still a member of the team, though a neck injury suffered last November has effectively ended his career.
Meanwhile, Seattle’s other All-Pro caliber safety hasn’t come to work since December. Free safety Earl Thomas is still holding out over a desire for a contract extension, so like Chancellor, he’s not occupying a spot on the active roster, meaning the remaining safeties have gigantic shoes to fill.
They aren’t the only ones. The defensive line needs to find out what it has in its pass-rushing rotation behind Frank Clark; the cornerbacks need to establish depth and see if Shaquill Griffin can replicate Richard Sherman’s lock-down powers; and the running back pecking order still needs to be decided.
Earlier this offseason, The Athletic Seattle collectively projected the Seattle’s initial regular-season 53-man roster. As the Seahawks prepare for their preseason opener at home Thursday night against the Colts, I took a stab at an updated projection before the exhibition slate kicks off and all chaos ensues.
Quarterback (2): Russell Wilson, Austin Davis
The Seahawks used a seventh-round pick on Alex McGough, and that felt like the end of the Austin Davis Era in Seattle. Then training camp began, and it became clear the rookie still has a lot of growing and learning to do. I’m no quarterback expert, but I never thought McGough looked very promising in training camp. Then, when Pete Carroll gave his assessment a week into camp, he only mentioned how much McGough struggled with the offense. Asked specifically what part, Carroll said, “The whole system.” So, yeah, we’re going to go ahead leave him off this projection.
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Running back (6): Chris Carson, Rashaad Penny, C.J. Prosise, J.D. McKissic, Mike Davis,Tre Madden (FB)
Seattle hasn’t had a healthy lead running back for an entire season since 2014. So I’d guess they stick with five tailbacks. If any of the above players is cut after the final preseason game, he will almost certainly end up in another team’s jersey by opening weekend. I don’t think there will be a clear “starter” as much as Carson and Penny will split the first-team duties with Prosise and McKissic sprinkled in as pass-catching options. That doesn’t leave much room for Davis, but I don’t think Seattle is ready to part with him just yet. And, really, if Davis is your fifth tailback, then you’re in good shape at that position.
Offensive line coach Mike Solari and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer want to lean heavily on a power run game, so Seattle will want to have at least fullback on the roster, it’s just a matter of which one. Right now, Madden is the only healthy one: Khalid Hill was recently waived/injured and Jalston Fowler is nursing an injury.
Receiver (5): Doug Baldwin, Tyler Lockett, Jaron Brown, Brandon Marshall, Amara Darboh
This is where things get tricky. Marshall is big, strong, experienced and fits the mold of the tall, physical receiver Carroll has been longing for. The same could be said about Brown. Marcus Johnson and Keenan Reynolds have impressed at training camp, exploiting the extra reps that Baldwin’s absence due to injury provides, but Darboh is a third-round pick with upside who has come on strong as of late and sees his fair share of reps with the starting unit. It feels unlikely Seattle gives up on Darboh this soon, and it’s even more unlikely that Seattle can stash him on the practice squad if he’s waived after the final preseason game.
What hurts Marshall here is his inability to play special teams, which will be even more critical with the kickoff rule changes. Marshall is essentially a specialist at this point. He’s a low-cost specialist – as opposed to, say, Jimmy Graham last year – but a specialist nonetheless. What hurts guys like Johnson and Reynolds is that, well, they just don’t have Marshall’s size and savvy. David Moore, Cyril Grayson, Damore’ea Stringfellow and Tanner McEvoy are a few other names to consider here, but ultimately this is a matter of seven or eight guys battling for five spots.
Tight end (3): Ed Dickson, Will Dissly, Nick Vannett
I’d assume Vannett to be the starter here and for him and Dickson to share the field in two-tight-end sets, with Dissly in a reserve a role similar to the one Vannett played as a rookie in 2016. Dickson hasn’t been practicing due to injury, leaving Vannett, Tyrone Swoopes and Dissly to handle most of the first-team reps. Swoopes is in his second year with the Seahawks, making the switch to tight end after starting at quarterback in college at Texas. His rookie season in Seattle, spent primarily on the practice squad, was effectively a redshirt season, and now Carroll expects more out of him. The problem is he’s battling for a roster spot against a draft pick Seattle loves, a veteran free-agent signing and a third-year pro Seattle has been developing years.
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Offensive line (9): Duane Brown, Ethan Pocic, Justin Britt, D.J. Fluker, Germain Ifedi, George Fant, Rees Odhiambo, Jordan Roos, Isaiah Battle
The starting five of Brown, Pocic, Britt, Fluker and Ifedi seems to be set. (Don’t tell offensive line coach Mike Solari that, though, since he likes to pretend they don’t have their starters penciled in.) There’s room for Roos and Odhiambo to compete with Pocic for the starting left guard job and Battle has been given the opportunity to fight Ifedi for his slot at right tackle. If Battle wins out, that could mean Ifedi ends up starting at right guard over Fluker. Veteran J.R. Sweezy could also earn that starting spot, but thanks to an ankle injury, he’s only had one practice with the team since signing a week ago. Rookie Jamarco Jones has recently been thrown into the right tackle battle and impressed the coaches, so he’d be another name to consider if Seattle goes with 10 offensive linemen to start the season.
Defensive line (10): Frank Clark, Jarran Reed, Tom Johnson, Marcus Smith, Branden Jackson, Quinton Jefferson, Nazair Jones, Rasheem Green, Shamar Stephen, Dion Jordan
Undrafted rookie defensive tackle Poona Ford has generated buzz in camp, but ultimately he’s behind Reed, Johnson, Stephen and Jones on the depth chart. Plus, Green, a third-round pick, can slide over and play inside on passing downs. It would take a stellar preseason for Ford to steal a spot. Jordan is here only because he was productive in limited action last year, and I know the coaches still believe in his skills. The problem is that the former top draft pick hasn’t been able to stay healthy here in Seattle. A knee injury limited him to just five games in 2017 and a “stress issue” in his leg may keep him out for the entire preseason, and perhaps some of the regular season as well.
Linebacker (5): Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright, Barkevious Mingo, Jacob Martin, Shaquem Griffin
Wagner, Wright and Mingo are your starters here, and rookies Martin and Griffin have left such an early impression it’s hard to foresee them not making the roster, barring a complete meltdown in the upcoming preseason games. Special-teams ace D.J. Alexander is another player the Seahawks have been high on. Once he recovers from a bite from the injury bug, there’s a possibility he sneaks his way onto the 53.
Cornerback (5): Shaquill Griffin, Justin Coleman, Byron Maxwell, Neiko Thorpe, Tre Flowers
Flowers is coming along nicely as the backup right cornerback, and the rookie has the potential to significantly boost his stock with a strong preseason. Carroll and the defensive coaches are obviously confident in what Maxwell brings, but Flowers is a guy who could be the future at that position. Thorpe can play both right cornerback and in the slot in addition to his usually effective role on special teams coverage units, putting the veteran DB in great position find a place on the roster. Because Griffin is a lock at left cornerback, Akeem King will get a ton of snaps in the preseason, and I think he’s got what it takes to snag a backup spot on the depth chart if Seattle wants a sixth cornerback.
Trovon Reed was playing extremely well in camp before suffering an undisclosed injury. Dontae Johnson, entering his fifth NFL season, was acquired this offseason, but hasn’t been able to do much of anything because of a foot injury. He’ll be in the mix at right cornerback once he’s fully healthy.
Safety (5): Bradley McDougald, Tedric Thompson, Delano Hill, Maurice Alexander, Mike Tyson
If Earl Thomas’ contract holdout continues into the regular season, then he won’t hold a place a 53-man roster, remaining instead on Seattle’s reserve list. McDougald and Thompson have been, and will likely continue to be, the most commonly used safety tandem in the starting lineup. Hill is right there battling for a reserve spot, as is Maurice Alexander. Either of those guys could challenge Thompson for the No. 1 job by the time it’s all said and done. Either Tyson or free safety T.J. Mutcherson will assume that final spot opened up via Thomas’ holdout.
Specialists (3): K Sebastian Janikowski, P Michael Dickson, LS Tyler Ott
Fun fact: Dissly is the backup long snapper. It’s unlikely he’s used in that role, but it’s still sort of interesting to note. The preseason games will decide the kicker and punter roles. My advice to both Janikowski and Jason Myers is to not miss any kicks in the preseason. They have both been successful in practice, but that doesn’t mean much if they aren’t accurate on game days. (Editor’s note: Just ask Blair Walsh.)
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Dickson doesn’t have much experience as a holder, so that will factor into this competition a bit. Jon Ryan has a ton of experience, but because Seattle traded up to draft Dickson in the fifth round and won’t stop bragging about all the special things he can do with his leg, that means Ryan’s days are likely numbered.
(Photo byTed S. Warren/Associated Press)
