Nick Emmanwori’s path back from offseason surgery is trending in the wrong direction for the Seattle Seahawks as Week 1 approaches.
According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, Emmanwori is “iffy at best” to play in the opener against the New England Patriots. With only four days left before kickoff, there’s not much runway for that outlook to change. Fowler also indicated Emmanwori could miss the second game of the season as well, a road matchup with the Arizona Cardinals.
Fowler: Nick Emmanwori (ankle) "iffy at best" for Week 1.Could miss first 2 games of season but nothing yet determined. pic.twitter.com/xfoxBOEnd6
That would leave Seattle without one of its most dynamic defensive pieces to open the season. Emmanwori got hurt right before the super bowl, played through it, tried to rehab, and eventually had to have surgery. There had been some hope he would be ready for Week 1, but that now looks less and less likely.
If Emmanwori is out, Avery Smith would be the likely nickel cornerback. Smith was traded for just a couple of weeks ago and is a rookie, which makes the situation less than ideal for Seattle.
He’s much smaller than Emmanwori and, while he appears willing to tackle, he does not bring the same force against the run near the line of scrimmage. That affects the Seahawks’ ability to stay in nickel looks while still holding up versus the run.
He also isn’t close to Emmanwori as an athlete, so some of the playmaking goes away. Coverage, though, is where Smith should be able to hold his own.
There’s also a practical argument for Seattle being careful here. The opener comes against an AFC opponent, and while the Seahawks want to win the night they raise the banner, this is still just one game in September. The bigger goal is being right when it matters later on.
If sitting Emmanwori next week improves the odds of having him available down the line, that’s the tradeoff Seattle may have to make. Even if it makes the opener tougher, or turns it into a loss, the Seahawks are not chasing one win. They’re chasing a Super Bowl.
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