The Seahawks’ backup quarterback job is one of the early camp storylines worth watching, and it sounds like Seattle wants a real competition behind Sam Darnold.
Drew Lock is going to have to earn his place this season, with the team expected to see what Jalen Milroe can do when training camp and preseason get rolling. Milroe’s spot isn’t being framed as a make-or-break situation for his career, and Lock isn’t being treated like he has anything unusually major to prove either. Still, the battle is there, and it should be one of the more interesting things to track once the Seahawks get on the field.
There’s also a little injury news to keep in mind before camp fully opens. Nick Emmanwori is a little banged up, but the bigger update is that the Seahawks placed three players on the Physically Unable to Perform list on Monday. Emmanwori, Kenny McIntosh, and Tyrone Broden were all moved there as the team closed in on veteran report day later this week.
Emmanwori’s status has already drawn attention from around the team, including concern from former NFL wide receiver Michael Bumpus. And with “Hard Knocks” set to begin filming as soon as Seattle opens training camp this weekend, there will be no shortage of eyes on the roster as the Seahawks start sorting things out.
For now, the quarterback picture and the early injury list are the two camp developments to watch most closely. The rest starts getting real once the pads come on.
In Other News...
Mariners Linked To Two Deadline Bats Fans Have Been Waiting For
As the deadline chatter starts to sharpen, the Mariners are being tied to a pair of bats that would fit a very specific need: help against left-handed pitching. Both players are under control through 2029, which makes them the kind of target Seattle could justify pursuing if it wants more than a short-term rental and is willing to pay for it.
The roster ripple effect is part of the appeal and part of the complication. Adding another infielder would only deepen the crowd around Colt Emerson, Cole Young, JP Crawford and Josh Naylor, while the price tag could force Seattle to weigh prospects such as Felnin Celesten, Lazaro Montes and Michael Arroyo against bigger-league pieces. ESPNs Buster Olney also singled out one of the bats as the likelier fit, which only adds to the sense that this is a name worth tracking as the deadline gets closer. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Have A Josh Naylor Problem They Cant Ignore
Josh Naylor was supposed to give the Mariners a dependable left-handed bat after arriving as a free-agent addition, and for stretches he has looked like the kind of player Seattle could build around. The problem is that the offensive return has not matched the expectation this season, even as some of the underlying contact trends have moved in a better direction and his strikeout profile has improved.
What makes the situation tricky is that the usual warning signs do not line up neatly. Naylor is chasing and whiffing less, and he is getting to more favorable launch angles, but the impact contact has backed up enough to leave the Mariners searching for answers. The front office still sounds confident in him, yet this is the kind of production dip that cannot be brushed aside for long, especially with the season moving deeper into view. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Just Lost A Huge Piece Of Everetts Next Wave
The Everett AquaSoxs latest roster shakeup is the kind that tends to ripple all the way back up the organizational ladder. Four players have been moved to Double-A Arkansas, leaving a noticeable hole in a group that had been one of the more interesting parts of the Mariners lower-level pipeline. Three of the promotions come from Single-A Inland Empire, while one player is making the return trip from the Arizona Complex League, a reminder of how quickly a hot stretch can change a prospects path.
For Seattle, the timing matters because this was a core part of Everetts next wave, a collection of players who had spent the first half building real momentum. The group includes a breakout bat, a high-average contact hitter, a healthy rebound story and a versatile piece who helped finish the job in a title-clinching win, so the AquaSox are not just losing depth, they are losing some of the energy that had defined the roster. The next question is whether Everett can keep that momentum going while the organization keeps pushing its most advanced talent one level closer to the big leagues. [Read more 🡒]