Patterson: An early projection of the Seahawks’ 53-man roster

Published 5:30 pm Saturday, August 20, 2016

The Seattle Seahawks, following Thursday’s 18-11 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, are halfway through their four-game preseason schedule. After this Thursday’s third preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys the Seahawks will have to cut their roster from 90 to 75 players, then the following week trim the roster to the final 53.

Here’s a position-by-position projection of who will make the final cut:

Quarterback (2)

Russell Wilson, Trevone Boykin.

Skinny: The only question here is whether the Seahawks stick with Boykin, a rookie free agent, as Wilson’s backup, or whether the organization decides it needs a more experienced option. Boykin did some good things in the first two preseason games, showing both his mobility and the ability to move the offense when behind late in games. Whether he’s shown enough to make the coaches confident he can be the backup for a Super Bowl contender is another question.

Running back (5)

Thomas Rawls, Christine Michael, C.J. Prosise, Zac Brooks, Kyle Coleman.

Skinny: With Michael impressing in preseason games, and with Rawls fully expected to be ready by the opener, there seems less need for a battering-ram type like rookie Alex Collins, who has not shown well. Brooks makes it as an alternative third-down back to Prosise, who’s had injury issues. A player who could work his way into the mix is undrafted rookie Troymaine Pope, who was excellent against Minnesota and has the added bonus of being able to return kicks. Seattle has experimented in filling the fullback role, and Coleman gets the nod for now because of his ability to also play linebacker, where he’s received praise.

Wide receiver (5)

Doug Baldwin, Jermaine Kearse, Tyler Lockett, Paul Richardson, Douglas McNeil III.

Skinny: The first four are locks, while it’s a dartboard selection between five or six players for the fifth spot. McNeil is the choice for now because his rangy 6-foot-3 frame provides a different aspect from the other four, and he played well in training camp. The chances of former University of Washington Huskies Kevin Smith and Kasen Williams have been hindered by missing time because of hamstring injuries.

Tight end (4)

Jimmy Graham, Luke Willson, Nick Vannett, Brandon Williams.

Skinny: The Seahawks have typically kept just three tight ends, but Williams was impressive during training camp and has the added benefit of being an experienced special teams player. Seattle also may be forced to keep an extra tight end because of the unknown injury status of both Graham (knee) and Vannett (ankle).

Offensive line (9)

Justin Britt, Germain Ifedi, Mark Glowinski, Garry Gilliam, Bradley Sowell, J’Marcus Webb, Rees Odhiambo, Patrick Lewis, Kristjan Sokoli.

Skinny: The Seahawks have a lot of different directions they can go with their offensive line. Webb could be a starter, or he could be cut should Seattle decided it needs to free up some salary cap space. Six-time Pro Bowler Jahri Evans will need to prove he’s significantly better than younger players to earn a backup spot, though the fact he plays guard could be to his advantage. He, Will Pericak and Terry Poole could be kept ahead of Sokoli.

Defensive tackle (5)

Ahtyba Rubin, Jarran Reed, Quinton Jefferson, Jordan Hill, Tony McDaniel.

Skinny: Rookies Reed and Jefferson have cemented their roles in the rotation. The oft-injured Hill has been hampered again, this time by a groin injury, but he’s shown enough promise in the past to keep his spot. McDaniel only rejoined the team last week, but against Minnesota he looked like he was never gone, and he provides another stout option in comparison to Jefferson and Hill, who are better in pass-rush situations.

Defensive end (4)

Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril, Frank Clark, Ryan Robinson.

Skinny: There’s little drama at this position. Clark looks ready to become an impact performer as the first pass-rusher off the bench. Robinson is showing the same promise he showed last offseason before he suffered a season-ending Achilles injury. There’s further depth on the roster because of the ability of Jefferson and linebacker Cassius Marsh to slot in at defensive end.

Linebacker (6)

Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright, Mike Morgan, Cassius Marsh, Kevin Pierre-Louis, Brock Coyle.

Skinny: Veteran special teams standout Morgan is finally getting a chance to earn a starting spot, and he’s looked solid at the strong-side position. Coyle keeps his spot as the backup middle linebacker, but he’s being pushed by undrafted rookie Steve Longa. Eric Pinkins has been in the mix with Morgan and Marsh for the strong-side position, but he hasn’t yet showed enough to command a roster spot.

Cornerback (5)

Richard Sherman, DeShawn Shead, Jeremy Lane, Tharold Simon, Marcus Burley.

Skinny: It’s still unknown who between Shead and Lane will earn the starting spot opposite Sherman, though both will see plenty of time in the nickel. The coaches have raved about how Simon, who’s now healthy and has the physical tools Seattle looks for in a corner, has played this preseason. Burley and Tye Smith are the primary contenders as the backup nickel corner, and so far Burley has looked better in the preseason.

Safety (5)

Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor, Kelcie McCray, Steven Terrell, Tyvis Powell.

Skinny: McCray has solidified his position as the backup for both Thomas and Chancellor. Terrell and undrafted rookie Powell just squeeze out original Legion of Boom member Brandon Browner because of their abilities to contribute on special teams.

Specialists (3)

Steven Hauschka, Jon Ryan, Nolan Frese.

Skinny: The Seahawks are set at kicker (Hauschka) and punter (Ryan). Seattle underwent a revolving door at long snapper during the offseason, eventually settling on undrafted rookie Frese. However, Frese had some shaky moments against Minnesota, which may have that door spinning again.

For more on the Seattle sports scene, check out Nick Patterson’s Seattle Sidelines blog at cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/heraldnet/tag/seattle-sidelines, or follow him on Twitter at @NickHPatterson.