With Mike Macdonald ruling out starters against the Kansas City Chiefs tonight, the Seattle Seahawks are using this preseason game for what it’s meant to be: a real test for the roster bubble. That leaves the focus on a few players who can still move the needle, and for three of them, this game feels especially meaningful.
Jacardia Wright is one of the names worth watching closest. Emanuel Wilson hasn’t been heard from in weeks, and the assumption is that his injury will stretch into at least part of the regular season.
That opens the door for Wright to sit as the third running back behind Price and Holani, with a chance to earn some playing time if he can win trust. His preseason has been uneven, and that makes tonight important.
He did flash with a long touchdown against the Titans, but he also had a few snaps where he couldn’t find the hole and later gave up an easy first down on a third-down reception by drifting sideways instead of getting upfield. There’s a little Chris Carson in Jacardia, but Carson knew went to hit the hole and go.
This is Wright’s best chance to make an impact in the NFL, so let’s see it tonight.
The edge-rusher group is another area where someone can force the issue. Right now, it doesn’t look like any of the fringe ends - O’Toole, Jared Ivey, Jalan Gaines, Jamie Sheriff - are on track to make the roster.
The Seahawks already have Mike Morris’s ability to play outside and Tyrice Knight’s pass-rush upside, so another pure end doesn’t seem like a need. But O’Toole could still change that thinking if he turns in a strong outing.
Connor was great against the Titans, living in the backfield consistently alongside Jamie Sheriff, and another game like that could at least put him in the conversation. A dynamic fifth edge might end up being more valuable than someone like Morris, who can play inside and outside but doesn’t bring the same upside as a pure rusher.
Christian Haynes is also in a much better spot than he was a few weeks ago. At one point, it looked like he might be slipping out of the picture, especially since there wasn’t much buzz around him in camp.
But two solid games in a row have changed that, and he’s finally showing progress after two seasons of mostly being a dud. Add in the injury to Mason Richman, and Haynes appears to be getting another opportunity.
Bryce Cabeldue is still hanging around as another option, though, so the backup left guard battle may still come down to tonight. And with no guarantee that Grey Zabel will stay healthy over the course of a full season, getting the best possible backup behind him matters.
In Other News...
Seahawks Just Raised The Stakes For One Young QB And Roster Battle
With the starters set to sit again in the preseason finale against the Chiefs, Mike Macdonald is using the last exhibition game to sort out a few of the rosters most interesting edges. Third-string quarterback Jalen Milroe will get the entire night, a clear sign Seattle wants one more extended look at the rookie before the calendar flips to Week 1. It is also the first Seahawks preseason game for cornerback Trevon Diggs, who enters the matchup fighting for a roster spot and trying to make his case in live action.
The other notable wrinkle is rookie running back Jadarian Price, who will not play and will head into the regular season without any preseason snaps. Macdonald still sounds confident in Price, but the absence leaves Seattle with one less chance to evaluate him in game conditions before final decisions tighten up. In a preseason that has already been about sorting the back end of the roster, the finale now carries added weight for a young quarterback and a cornerback trying to stick. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Make Another O-Line Move After Latest Injury Fallout
The Seahawks kept tinkering with their offensive line depth after the latest injury fallout, claiming tackle Kellen Diesch off waivers from the Chiefs and moving quickly to clear a roster spot. Diesch, an undrafted product from Arizona State, has already bounced around multiple NFL and UFL stops, and his stay in Kansas City lasted less than a week before he was waived.
Seattle made the corresponding move by waiving linebacker Chris Paul Jr. with an injury designation, another sign the roster is still being reshuffled to absorb whatever comes next up front. For a team that has already had to adjust its blocking plans, Diesch arrives as another low-cost, familiar type of bet: a player with experience, but still looking for a real foothold. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Cornerback Battle Is Turning Into Bad News For Noah Igbinoghene
The Seahawks came into camp with a familiar look on defense, but the cornerback room has become one of the most interesting battles on the roster. Seattle is bringing back most of its starters, and with new faces mixed in with rookies and veterans such as Trevon Diggs, there is real competition for the remaining jobs behind Devon Witherspoon and Josh Jobe.
One player feeling the pressure is Noah Igbinoghene, whose roster path has become less certain as Nehemiah Pritchett continues to trend upward. Pritchett has shown enough improvement to put himself in position to claim a spot, and as the preseason moves along, the Seahawks still have decisions to make at a position where depth has become just as important as the top end. [Read more 🡒]