Seahawks’ 53-man roster
Published 5:23 pm Saturday, August 30, 2008
Roster breakdown
A look at the Seattle Seahawks’ current roster, and what it might look like
QUARTERBACK (kept 3)
On the roster: Matt Hasselbeck, Seneca Wallace, Charlie Frye
Cut Saturday: Dalton Bell
Breakdown: Hasselbeck will start, Wallace will be his backup, and Frye will serve as the No. 3 quarterback. Frye showed enough in the preseason that the Seahawks could feel comfortable using Wallace at receiver at times.
RUNNING BACK (kept 6)
On the roster: HB Julius Jones, HB Maurice Morris, FB Leonard Weaver, FB Owen Schmitt, HB Justin Forsett, HB T.J. Duckett
Cut Saturday: FB David Kirtman
Breakdown: Duckett and Forsett were too impressive in the preseason for the Seahawks to let them go. It’s rare that the team keeps six backs, but with no clear-cut No. 1 back, it’s better to have options.
WIDE RECEIVER (kept 6)
On the roster: Bobby Engram (injured), Deion Branch (injured), Nate Burleson, Courtney Taylor, Jordan Kent, Logan Payne
Placed on IR Saturday: Ben Obomanu
Cut Saturday: Michael Bumpus, Bryan Gilmore, Trent Shelton
Breakdown: The injuries cloud this position, with Burleson standing as the only healthy wideout with any significant NFL experience. The Seahawks hope Branch will return to practice this week, but he underwent serious knee surgery just seven months ago. In a pinch, QB Seneca Wallace can fill in.
TIGHT END (kept 3)
On the roster: John Carlson, Will Heller, Jeb Putzier
Cut Saturday: Joe Newton
Breakdown: Not a dynamic group, but they’re solid. Carlson is a good bet to start. Newton is likely to spend another year on the practice squad.
OFFENSIVE LINE (kept 9)
On the roster: T Walter Jones, G Mike Wahle, C Chris Spencer, G Rob Sims, T Sean Locklear, T Ray Willis, G/T Floyd Womack, C Steve Vallos, G Mansfield Wrotto
Roster exemption: T Samuel Gutekunst (overseas exemption)
Cut Saturday: C Ben Claxton, G Pat Murray, G Nick Jones, T Kyle Williams
Breakdown: Depth could be a concern, and there are injury issues among the starters. Chris Spencer made his preseason debut Friday night, while Locklear might miss the opener with a bad knee.
DEFENSIVE LINE (kept 10)
On the roster: DE Patrick Kerney, DT Rocky Bernard, DT Brandon Mebane, DE Lawrence Jackson, DE Darryl Tapp, DT Craig Terrill, DT Howard Green, DT Red Bryant, DE Jason Babin, DE Baraka Atkins
Placed on IR Saturday: DE Chris Cooper
Cut Saturday: DT Larry Tripplett, DT Kevin Brown, DT Nu0u Tafisi
Breakdown: The Seahawks kept extra bodies at both end and tackle. Bernard’s one-game suspension forced the team to keep five DT’s. At end, the Seahawks saw enough out of Babin and Atkins to keep them both.
LINEBACKER (kept 6)
On the roster: Julian Peterson, Lofa Tatupu, Leroy Hill, D.D. Lewis, Lance Laury, David Hawthorne
Cut Saturday: Dallas Sartz
Breakdown: Injuries at other positions forced the Seahawks to short-change themselves here. Sartz is a good candidate to be on the practice squad. The starters are solid, but depth could be a concern.
DEFENSIVE BACK (kept 8)
On the roster: CB Kelly Jennings, CB Marcus Trufant, S Deon Grant, S Brian Russell, CB/S Jordan Babineaux, CB Josh Wilson, CB Kevin Hobbs, S C.J. Wallace
Cut Saturday: S Jamar Adams, S Kelin Johnson, CB Marquis Floyd
Breakdown: Babineaux’s one-game suspension could force Wilson and Wallace into more prominent roles. The Seahawks liked Adams, but Wallace was a better special teams player in the end.
SPECIALISTS (kept 4)
On the roster: LS Jeff Robinson, P Ryan Plackemeier, K Olindo Mare, K Brandon Coutu
Cut Saturday: P Reggie Hodges
Breakdown: Keeping two kickers is a risk, especially with needs at other positions. It won’t be easy for a kicker to do his job with someone looking over his shoulder.
