RENTON, Wash. — Prior to taking the practice field Tuesday afternoon, the Seattle Seahawks finalized their initial 53-man roster. The roster might be shuffled over the next few days, with more than a dozen of the players released returning via the practice squad, but here’s how the lineup looks at the moment.
The Seahawks waived:
- Quarterback Holton Ahlers
- Running backs Wayne Taulapapa and SaRodorick Thompson Jr.
- Wide receivers Cade Johnson, Easop Winston Jr., Matt Landers, Tyjon Lindsey, John Hall, Malik Flowers and Justin Marshall
- Tight ends Tyler Mabry, Griffin Hebert and Sal Cannella
- Offensive linemen Joey Hunt, Greg Eiland, Jalen McKenzie, Liam Ryan and Kendall Randolph
- Defensive tackles Roderick Perry II, Jacob Sykes and Matt Gotel
- Outside linebackers Jordan Ferguson and Levi Bell
- Inside linebackers Ben Burr-Kirven, Patrick O’Connell and Christian Young
- Cornerbacks Chris Steele, Benjie Franklin, Arquon Bush and Lance Boykin
- Safety Ty Okada
Nose tackles Bryan Mone (knee) and Austin Faoliu (knee) were placed on the reserve/physically unable to perform list. They must miss at least four games.
Second-year safety Joey Blount was waived with an injury designation after injuring his shoulder against the Packers on Saturday. Undrafted rookie safety Jonathan Sutherland (calf) was waived with an injury designation as well. Same for second-year inside linebacker Vi Jones (ankle). If Blount, Sutherland and Jones, clear waivers, they’ll revert to the Seahawks’ injured reserve and be slated to miss the entire season. To avoid missing the entire year, they could agree to be released with an injury settlement, opening the door to potentially sign with another team or re-sign with Seattle later in the season.
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No specialists were cut. That group remains as expected: Jason Myers will be the kicker, Michael Dickson the punter and undrafted rookie Chris Stoll the long snapper.
Wide receiver Dee Eskridge was placed on the reserve/suspended list. He can return to the team on Oct. 23. Eskridge, who is also dealing with a knee sprain, will not count toward the active roster.
Seahawks 53-man roster is out. Here’s who they cut/kept pic.twitter.com/X9FQZEU9k4
— Dugar, Michael-Shawn (@MikeDugar) August 29, 2023
(Rookies in italics)
Offense (24)
Quarterbacks (2): Geno Smith, Drew Lock
Running backs (4): Ken Walker III, Zach Charbonnet, DeeJay Dallas, Kenny McIntosh
Wide receiver (6): DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jake Bobo, Cody Thompson, Dareke Young
Tight ends (3): Will Dissly, Noah Fant, Colby Parkinson
Offensive line (9): LT Charles Cross, LG Damien Lewis, C Evan Brown, RG Phil Haynes, RT Abraham Lucas, OT Stone Forsythe, OT Jake Curhan, OG Anthony Bradford, C Olu Oluwatimi
Receivers Thompson (shoulder) and Young (hip) might soon head to injured reserve, which would require they miss at least four games before returning to the active roster. Moving them to IR would open two roster spots, likely for players who were waived Tuesday.
Bobo made the team after he was Seattle’s best offensive player in the preseason. In three games, he led the team with seven catches for 125 yards and two touchdowns. He generated an explosive play on four of his seven receptions. This is in addition to making plays on the practice field and being the leading receiver in the mock game. Undrafted out of UCLA, Bobo came highly recommended by coach Chip Kelly, whose glowing review of his leading receiver contributed to Seattle taking a chance on a 6-foot-4 pass catcher with an alarming 40-yard dash time of 4.99 (Bobo insists he’s more of a 4.7 guy these days).
Fill in the blank. Jake Bobo is _______.#SEAvsGB on KING 5 pic.twitter.com/eRJBp9DGJE
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) August 26, 2023
The gamble paid off. Bobo quickly earned the trust of Seattle’s three quarterbacks and a rallying cry — “More Bobo” — because of how often he excelled at the two things receivers can control: getting open and catching the ball. Seattle might need him to do both to start the regular season as Smith-Njigba — who did position drills Tuesday, including catching passes — recovers from wrist surgery.
GO DEEPER
Seahawks final roster projection: Jake Bobo is almost certainly in. Who else will join him?
“I was so excited for Jake,” Geno Smith said after practice Tuesday. “He’s been making plays. He gets separation, he gets open, catches the ball. He’s just been a great player for us. I’m excited for him. I know it was a big moment for him. Looking forward to him growing and getting better.”
Johnson did not make the team after suffering a concussion in the first half of the preseason opener and then returning in the finale to have just one catch for 6 yards. He spent most of last season on the practice squad before appearing in the final two regular-season games. Johnson also played 41 offensive snaps in the playoffs and caught three passes for 39 yards. He’s a practice squad option.
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Winston, a fourth-year wideout, might end up back on the practice squad. He had six catches for 103 yards and a touchdown in two preseason games. Only Bobo had better production. Winston is a practice squad candidate with an opportunity to be a game-day call-up as the team’s punt returner in Smith-Njigba’s absence. Winston had a 21-yard return against the Packers on Saturday.
Additional practice squad candidates: Mabry, Eiland, Hunt, Ryan, Randolph and Thompson, who was Seattle’s leading rusher in the preseason with 81 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries. Depending on McIntosh’s health entering the regular season, Thompson could be active in Week 1.
Defense (26)
Defensive tackles (6): Jarran Reed, Dre’Mont Jones, Mario Edwards Jr., Myles Adams, Mike Morris, Cameron Young
Outside linebackers (5): Uchenna Nwosu, Boye Mafe, Darrell Taylor, Derick Hall, Tyreke Smith
Inside linebackers (5): Bobby Wagner, Jordyn Brooks, Devin Bush Jr., Nick Bellore, Jon Rhattigan
Defensive backs (10): Riq Woolen, Tre Brown, Michael Jackson, Devon Witherspoon, Quandre Diggs, Jamal Adams, Julian Love, Coby Bryant, Artie Burns, Jerrick Reed II
The concussion Bush sustained in the second half against the Packers will likely thrust Brooks into the starting role next to Wagner, the team’s defensive play caller. According to Carroll, Brooks is on track to play in the opener. Wagner will be an every-down player, whereas I’d expect Brooks to come off the field in obvious passing situations in favor of a sixth defensive back, especially if Devon Witherspoon is healthy by Week 1. Undrafted rookie Patrick O’Connell is a name to keep an eye on for the practice squad at linebacker.
Witherspoon’s health is a relevant situation to monitor. The fifth pick in the 2023 draft missed all three preseason games, and those reps matter for a rookie playing outside corner and nickel. Witherspoon is a quick learner, so his transition might be smoother than the average first-year defensive back. That’s what Seattle is hoping for, at least. If Witherspoon can’t play in the opener, Bryant is likely to start at nickel — unless Jamal Adams is healthy, which would allow the Seahawks to debut their three-safety package. Witherspoon and Adams were not present during the open portion of Tuesday’s practice.
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An important development in the trenches will be how fast fourth-round rookie Cameron Young — who was at practice Tuesday — can get up to speed after missing the entire preseason with a calf strain. Nose tackle is arguably the easiest position on defense to translate from college to the pros, but there’s likely to be an acclimation period of some kind. How long that takes will determine whether Seattle has depth behind Jarran Reed. For now, Myles Adams, listed at 6-foot-2 and 290 pounds, is the team’s backup nose tackle.
Morris’ shoulder injury, which kept him from practicing Tuesday, is another concern. He’s on the initial roster but could be moved to injured reserve to make room for players capable of contributing right away. Seattle might look externally for help on the interior or re-sign one of either Robert Perry or Matt Gotel.
Undrafted out of Texas State, Bell is a practice squad candidate as well. He led the team in pressures (10) and quarterback hits (three) while playing on the edge and the interior.
(Photo of Jake Bobo, 19, and Tyler Mabry: Tork Mason / USA Today)
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