Happy Training camp eve!

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D-train
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Happy Training camp eve!

Post by D-train » Wed Jul 17, 2019 3:06 pm

Camp doesn't officially start until the 25th but I guess they are bringing in the rooks a week early this year.

Here Condotta ranks the 90th-76th spots on the roster:
The measure of a good NFL football team isn’t just its starting lineup, or its 53-man roster.

Just as important, the way the Seahawks have always viewed it, anyway, is assembling the best-possible 90-man roster to enter training camp.

When the Seahawks won the 2013 Super Bowl, they took great pride in how many players they had to waive or release that season who not only were picked up by other teams but then played in regular season games — 23.

Seattle has been trying to get back to that same level of 1-90 strength ever since.

But following the 2019 draft — when Seattle wheeled-and-dealed its way to 11 picks, eight inside the top 142 — coach Pete Carroll said he thought the Seahawks might finally be back to having a top-to-bottom roster to rival those of the Super Bowl years.

“This feels like one of those rosters that we had four or five years ago, maybe about five years ago, when I really felt like there are guys on our team that other people want,’’ Carroll said. “And, that’s a good spot to be in. It’s taken some time to get back to that. We’ve seen the cycle of the roster movement. This is a really exciting spot right now.”

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Carroll, of course, has never seen a hurricane he didn’t think would turn into a sunny day in a minute or two. So whether the Seahawks really have a roster that compares to the 2013-14 era is something we’ll all have to wait and see over the next few months.

But to give a sense of the team’s 90-man roster as training camp approaches on July 25, it’s time for our annual ranking of the team’s entire roster, from top to bottom.

The countdown will cover the next week, initially in groups of 15 for the first four sets, then 10 for the last three to cover all 90 players on the team’s current roster.

As much as anything, the countdown is designed to give a sense of the players on the roster and their situation heading into camp as it appears from here.

90. Running back Marcelias Sutton
Potential role in 2019: Backup running back.

Main competition: Bo Scarbrough, J.D. McKissic, Travis Homer.

Why he’s ranked here: Sutton, who played at Oklahoma, was signed in the spring after an injury to Adam Choice, who had earlier signed as an undrafted free agent. Given Seattle’s depth at running back, Sutton has as tough of a road as anyone to earn a roster spot. But he figures to get a lot of carries in the preseason.

89. Guard Demetrius Knox
Potential role in 2019: Backup guard.

Main competition: Jordan Roos, Jordan Simmons, Marcus Martin, Phil Haynes

Why he’s ranked here: The team is thought high on the potential of Knox, a two-year starter at Ohio State where he played with 2018 draft pick Jamarco Jones. But it has yet to see any of it as Knox has been sidelined so far with an injury — he suffered a Lisfranc injury late last season that required surgery at Ohio State (he didn’t play in the Rose Bowl win over UW). Carroll said at the end of minicamp that Knox likely won’t be ready for the start of training camp, which makes it hard to read what this season holds for him.

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88. Tight end Justin Johnson
Potential role in 2019: Backup tight end.

Main competition: Tyrone Swoopes, Jacob Hollister.

Why he’s ranked here: An undrafted rookie free agent from Mississippi State, Johnson faces a long road to break into what appears a pretty strong tight end corps (especially when including George Fant). But as a former highly touted high school receiver and now measuring 6 feet 3 inches, 235 pounds, he offers a somewhat different skill set than some of the other TEs, having run a 4.56 40 before the draft. Might be interesting to see if Seahawks would look at him as a “big receiver’’ instead.

87. Receiver Caleb Scott
Potential role in 2019: Backup and rotational receiver.

Main competition: The other 11 receivers on the roster.

Why he’s ranked here: Scott is a second-year player from Vanderbilt, and it may be easy to forget he was tied as the fourth-leading receiver for the Seahawks in the preseason with five receptions for 91 yards though 55 came on one freak play — a Hail Mary at the end of a game at Minnesota that came up just short of the end zone. He was sidelined during much of the offseason program that the media was allowed to watch. But the team remains enamored of his athleticism — he recorded a 4.46-second 40-yard dash and a 37-inch vertical coming out of college.

86. Linebacker Justin Currie
Potential role in 2019: Backup weakside linebacker, special teamer.

Main competition: Ben Burr-Kirven, Cody Barton, Shaquem Griffin.

Why he’s ranked here: A college safety, Currie has been on and off NFL rosters since 2015 and played in three games with the Browns in 2017, making seven tackles. He’s been used mostly at WLB in practices, a spot that is one of the most competitive on Seattle’s roster.

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85. Cornerback Jeremy Boykins
Potential role in 2019: Nickel corner.

Main competition: Akeem King, Kalan Reed, Ugo Amadi.

Why he’s ranked here: The Seahawks liked what they saw out of Boykins in the preseason last year and brought him back to the practice squad for the last two months of 2018. Carroll mentioned him in March as a potential fit at the nickel corner spot, open after the departure of Justin Coleman. King appears the leader of that group entering camp, with Amadi expected to get a long look, as well.

84. Defensive tackle Jay-Tee Tiuli
Potential role in 2019: Backup, rotational tackle.

Main competition: Al Woods, Demarcus Christmas, Jamie Meder, Bryan Mone.

Why he’s ranked here: Tiuli, a Federal Way graduate who played at Eastern Washington, is listed at 340 pounds, and Seattle is looking for some heft in the middle after struggling mightily with its run defense last season. Jarran Reed and Poona Ford are set as two tackles, and veteran Al Woods also seems likely to make it (though a heavily incentive-laden deal means he’s no lock). But Seattle will be looking for one or two others to play in the interior.

83. Safety Jalen Harvey
Potential role in 2019: Backup strong safety and special teamer.

Main competition: Marwin Evans, Shalom Luani

Why he’s ranked here: Harvey is an undrafted rookie free agent and former receiver at Arizona State who switched to strong safety for the final year of his career, and the Seahawks will look for signs of a diamond in the rough.

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82. Cornerback Derrek Thomas
Potential role in 2019: Backup outside cornerback.

Main competition: Simeon Thomas, Davante Davis, Neiko Thorpe.

Why he’s ranked here: An undrafted free agent out of Baylor, Thomas has an intriguing 6-foot-3 frame and a 4.4-second 40-yard dash and 33-3/4-inch arms — Carroll has compared him to Tre Flowers. And the back end of the cornerback position is far from set. But as one of two rookie cornerbacks, he’ll have to make an impression early to have a chance.

81. Offensive lineman Marcus Martin
Potential role in 2019: Backup guard, maybe center.

Main competition: Jordan Roos, Joey Hunt, Ethan Pocic, Jordan Simmons.

Why he’s ranked here: Martin is one of the bigger wild cards on the roster. A 49ers third-round pick in 2014, when current Seattle OL coach Mike Solari was there, Martin started 24 games for San Francisco at center, guard and tackle from 2014-2016. And he was in line to earn a spot with Dallas last season. But he then suffered a toe injury that cost him the season, and he hasn’t played in a game since December 2016. Seattle lists him solely as a guard but his center history is intriguing as Seattle’s backup situation is a little unsettled. Worth watching to see if Seattle tries him some at center this year.

80. Safety Marwin Evans
Potential role in 2019: Backup strong safety and special teams player.

Main competition: Shalom Luani, Lano Hill, Marquise Blair.

Why he’s ranked here: Evans played two years for the Packers and signed with Seattle last January following an injury to Hill. He seems a longshot, especially after the Seahawks drafted Blair. But the safety spot is so uncertain that this is as good of a year as any for a dark horse to make a bid for a roster spot.

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79. Tight end Tyrone Swoopes
Potential role in 2019: Third tight end.

Main competition: Jacob Hollister, Nick Vannett, Ed Dickson.

Why he’s ranked here: Swoopes has been on and off the roster for two seasons, playing in two games, but might have a tough time to stick around this year with the additions made at the spot over the last two years as well as Fant’s new role, which makes it likely Seattle will keep just three listed tight ends.

78. Quarterback Paxton Lynch
Potential role in 2019: Backup to Russell Wilson.

Main competition: Geno Smith.

Why he’s ranked here: In one of the more intriguing straight-up position battles looming, it’s gonna be either Lynch or Geno Smith as the backup to Wilson. Signs point to Smith, though, due to his experience, and that Lynch has practice squad eligibility, which would allow Seattle to keep both.

77. Defensive tackle Bryan Mone
Potential role in 2019: Backup and rotational tackle.

Main competition: Jay-Tee Tiuli, Jamie Meder, Al Woods, Demarcus Christmas.

Why he’s ranked here: Mone and Tiuli are basically in the same spot as undrafted free agents trying to prove their worth as potential run-stuffing — and inside-of-the-line clogging — tackles. At 345 pounds, he’s officially the heaviest Seahawk entering camp, though D.J. Fluker, listed at 342, will give him a run for that title depending on what day of the week it is.

76. Offensive tackle Elijah Nkansah
Potential role in 2019: Backup swing (able to play both sides) tackle.

Main competition: Jamarco Jones.

Why he’s ranked here: Seattle lists just five players as tackles and three are sure to make it — Fant, Duane Brown and Germain Ifedi. Jones and Nkansah are the other two, and one of them seems a good bet to make the 53-man roster. But it might be hard for Nkansah to beat out Jones, a fifth-round pick in 2018, if Jones shows the promise he did last year before suffering an ankle injury.
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Re: Happy Training camp eve!

Post by D-train » Wed Jul 17, 2019 3:07 pm

75-61
75. Cornerback Jamar Taylor
Potential role in 2019: Backup and slot corner.

Main competition: Akeem King, Ugo Amadi, Kalan Reed, Jeremy Boykins.

Why he’s ranked here: Taylor was another rather quiet offseason free agent signing who has some significant experience — 78 games and 41 starts with four different teams since 2013, spending last year with both Arizona and Denver. Taylor’s best shot is to make it as a nickel, a spot that remains fairly open, though King enters camp as the favorite.

74. Receiver Jazz Ferguson
Potential role in 2019:

Main competition: DK Metcalf, Jaron Brown, Malik Turner, David Moore.

Why he’s ranked here: Expect the Seahawks to do everything they can to get a sense of what they have in Ferguson, who is listed at 6-5, 228, which alone makes him one of the more intriguing players on the roster. Odds are they groom him for a year on the practice squad.

73. Running back Bo Scarbrough
Potential role in 2019: Backup tailback.

Main competition: C.J. Prosise, Travis Homer, J.D. McKissic.

Why he’s ranked here: The former Alabama star was signed as depth late last season, with one thought being the team knew it would need some players to replace Mike Davis, who the team never really expected to re-sign. Scarbrough doesn’t fit the third-down back mode, but could land a spot as the third everydown tailback.

72. Cornerback Davante Davis
Potential role in 2019: Backup corner, special teamer.

Main competition: Derrek Thomas, Simeon Thomas, Neiko Thorpe.

Why he’s ranked here: The 6-2, 203-pound undrafted free agent out of Texas has the kind of measurables Seattle likes. He’ll battle the Thomas Twins (OK, they aren’t really) to try to stand out as a potential option if the Seahawks wanted to go with a younger player as a backup and to also earn a practice squad spot.

71. Offensive lineman Jordan Roos
Potential role in 2019: Backup guard.

Main competition: Jordan Simmons, Marcus Martin, Phil Haynes, Ethan Pocic.

Why he’s ranked here: This is the third year for Roos, who spent all of last year on the practice squad after playing in seven games in 2017. And as with a few others on this list, it may be a make-or-break training cap with what appears to be increased depth on the offensive line. The starting guard spots are set (Mike Iupati, D.J. Fluker) leaving the six others listed as guards competing for one or two backup spots.

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70. Receiver Terry Wright
Potential role in 2019: Backup slot receiver.

Main competition: John Ursua, Keenan Reynolds, Gary Jennings.

Why he’s ranked here: The 5-10, 177-pounder out of Purdue appears the prototypical slot receiver, and showed enough during the offseason program to think he could make a run at the backup spot. But with a couple of draft picks also in the running, it won’t be easy with Seattle potentially keeping as few as five receivers overall.

69. Linebacker Emmanuel Ellerbee
Potential role in 2019: Backup strongside linebacker, special teamer.

Main competition: Barkevious Mingo, Jacob Martin, Mychal Kendricks.

Why he’s ranked here: It may be easy to forget that Ellerbee finished last season as the third-team strongside linebacker behind Mingo and Martin. But with the Seahawks expected to use Kendricks at that spot there to get him in the lineup along with K.J. Wright, a roster spot will be tougher to come by this season.

68. Receiver Malik Turner
Potential role in 2019: Spot in the receiving rotation, special teams.

Main competition: Amara Darboh.

Why he’s ranked here: Turner played in six games for Seattle last season, but the drafting of three receivers and the return of Darboh — a 2017 third-round pick — will make finding a spot on the roster tougher this season.

67. Running back C.J. Prosise
Potential role in 2019: Third-down/two-minute tailback.

Main competition: Travis Homer, J.D. McKissic.

Why he’s ranked here: This is the make-or-break training camp for Prosise, who has been healthy for just 16 of a possible 48 regular-season games since being drafted in the third round in 2016. And in rookie Homer, Seattle has a legitimate other option for the third-down/two-minute back role that it has long envisioned Prosise filling. Prosise, though, appears healthy heading into camp and if he plays as he did in 2016, he could give the team a tough decision.

66. Defensive end Branden Jackson
Potential role in 2019: Rotational defensive end.

Main competition: Rasheem Green, L.J. Collier, Quinton Jefferson.

Why he’s ranked here: Jackson has played in 21 games for the Seahawks the last two seasons, but the drafting of Collier and what the team hopes is significant improvement by Green could make getting back on the roster this year difficult.

65. Cornerback Simeon Thomas
Potential role in 2019: Backup cornerback.

Main competition: Neiko Thorpe, Derrek Thomas, Davante Davis.

Why he’s ranked here: The Seahawks picked up Thomas last September and kept him on the practice squad all season with the thought that he could maybe make a run at a roster spot this year. At 6-3, he has the size and length Seattle likes in its outside corners.

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64. Offensive lineman Joey Hunt
Potential role in 2019: Backup center, guard.

Main competition: Ethan Pocic.

Why he’s ranked here: Hunt has played in 20 games since 2016 with three starts, and has always impressed the coaches with his smarts and willingness to do whatever is asked. But while he has shown an ability to play some other spots, he remains viewed as mostly a center, and that always makes roster construction a little dicey. Pocic is listed as a guard and center and if the team is comfortable he can play center if needed, Hunt could be the odd man out.

63. Cornerback Kalan Reed
Potential role in 2019: Nickel cornerback

Main competition: Akeem King, Ugo Amadi.

Why he’s ranked here: The Seahawks promoted Reed to the 53-man roster last November with this season in mind — he didn’t play in any games for Seattle last year — and competing for what they figured would be an open spot at nickel corner with Justin Coleman entering free agency. Reed played in seven games for the Titans in 2016 and 2017 but he appeared to be running behind Akeem King for the nickel spot in the offseason and now has to also fend off rookie Amadi.

62. Running back Travis Homer
Potential role in 2019: Backup running back and third down/two-minute back, core special teams player.

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Main competition: C.J. Prosise, J.D. McKissic.

Why he’s ranked here: A seventh-round pick out of Miami, Homer has a good shot to make the roster — Carroll has seemed particularly excited about what he may be able to contribute on special teams. He also has a shot to land the team’s third down/two-minute running back role held last year primarily by the departed Mike Davis. But he likely has to beat out Prosise to get it with McKissic also an option there.

61. Receiver Keenan Reynolds
Potential role in 2019: In the receiving rotation, largely in the slot.

Main competition: Gary Jennings, John Ursu, Terry Wright.

Why he’s ranked here: Reynolds played in two games last season and was on the practice squad the rest of the season. But like many of the veteran receivers, the drafting of three players at that position will make roster spots harder to come by. Tyler Lockett is expected to play more in the slot with Doug Baldwin gone, leaving Reynolds, Ursua and Jennings as the three main contenders for the backup spot there.
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Re: Happy Training camp eve!

Post by D-train » Wed Jul 17, 2019 6:02 pm

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