The Seattle Seahawks begin their voluntary Organized Team Activities (OTAs) next Tuesday, bringing us another step closer to a new NFL season. With Seattle retaining so many players from its Super Bowl championship season, then adding more talent through the draft, this is going to be an extraordinarily difficult process to get from 90 to 53 by the end of August.
This is our first crack at a 53-man roster projection. More information gathered through camp reports, roster transactions, and preseason performances will change projections in the weeks and months to come.
Offense (26)
Quarterback (3): Sam Darnold, Drew Lock, Jalen Milroe
Cut: N/A
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Notes: The only thing of interest I see is whether or not Jalen Milroe shows serious enough improvements during camp and preseason for the Seahawks to slot him in as QB2 and field any trade calls for Lock, who is in the final year of his contract. Otherwise, they might as well keep this set-up.
Running Back (3): Jadarian Price (R), Emanuel Wilson, George Holani
Cut: Jacardia Wright, Kenny McIntosh
PUP: Zach Charbonnet
Notes: Unless his knee is really messed up, Zach Charbonnet will play at some point this season. I don’t think that means Seattle needs to roster four running backs. Jadarian Price, Emanuel Wilson, and George Holani can split the carries however the coaching staff sees fit, and the odds of a fourth back getting touches is minimal. If there’s a need for a fourth back, then one of Jacardia Wright or Kenny Mac can get called up from the practice squad. Unfortunately, while McIntosh has been promising, two serious knee injuries in three years has me fearing the worst for his chances to make the roster.
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Fullback (2): Robbie Ouzts, Brady Russell
Cut: N/A
Notes: Russell is pretty much a fullback/tight end hybrid who’s real job is to be a special teams demon. Ouzts is a TBD until we figure out the deal with his neck, which led to him missing the NFC Championship and Super Bowl. He did get married recently, so he technically has two rings this year.
Wide Receiver (5): Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp, Rashid Shaheed, Tory Horton, Jake Bobo
Cut: Emmanuel Henderson Jr (R), Cody White, Ricky White III, Velus Jones Jr, Rashad Rochelle, Trayvon Rudolph, Levi Wentz, Montorie Foster
Notes: This is a bit tougher than expected. I can see the case for Seattle keeping a sixth receiver for special teams reasons, which is the main reason they took Emmanuel Henderson Jr. There’s also no requirement for a receiver to be one of the main gunners. As long as Tory Horton is able to go for training camp, I think the top five receivers are already set and there’s just not going to be room for a sixth. This might be a position where the “ready squad” is well stocked.
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Tight End (4): A.J. Barner, Elijah Arroyo, Eric Saubert, Nick Kallerup
Cut: Harrison Bryant, Lance Mason
Notes: The fact that Seattle didn’t want to expose Kallerup to waivers last year tells me they see something in him for the long term. Saubert’s contract extension isn’t nothing, and if Seattle wants to get younger and save almost $2 million in cap space then it can be done. I say don’t mess with the quartet that worked last year.
Offensive Line (9): Charles Cross, Abe Lucas, Josh Jones, Anthony Bradford, Olu Oluwatimi, Jalen Sundell, Grey Zabel, Bryce Cabeldue, Beau Stephens (R)
Cut: Federico Maranges, Mason Richman, Amari Kight, Logan Brown, Christian Haynes
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Notes: I think there is a real possibility Oluwatimi is a trade target should Seattle want to acquire a player before the start of the season. Otherwise he’ll just ride out his rookie deal is a backup center behind Sundell. I think Haynes is as good as gone and the Stephens pick seals his fate. Mason Richman might be the odd man out among the young OL and he ends up as a practice squad candidate.
Defense (24)
Defensive Line (5): Byron Murphy II, Leonard Williams, Jarran Reed, Rylie Mills, Deven Eastern (R)
Cut: J.R. Singleton, Mike Morris, Bubba Thomas, Brandon Pili, Uso Seumalo
Notes: Mills will be one to watch in training camp and preseason now that he’ll have a healthy offseason under his belt. I think Eastern is the big space-eating nose who can do the dirty work in Macdonald’s defense. Morris is the notable name who gets let go in the final year of his contract. Pili returns to the PS again.
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Outside Linebacker (5): Derick Hall, Uchenna Nwosu, Dante Fowler Jr, DeMarcus Lawrence, Aidan Hubbard (R)
Cut: Jared Ivey, Connor O’Toole, Marvin Jones Jr, Jamie Sheriff, Jalan Gaines
Notes: Hubbard is my lone UDFA to crack the roster. He had the traits and productions to be drafted, which makes him a steal to me for the Seahawks. Ivey and O’Toole stayed on the 53 all of last season, but the additions of Hubbard and Jones Jr as UDFAs put them both under pressure to perform. I know Mike Macdonald has talked about Jamie Sheriff doing some off-ball work, but he said that last year and it didn’t actually happen. I’ll believe it when I see it.
Inside Linebacker (4): Ernest Jones IV, Drake Thomas, Tyrice Knight, Chris Paul Jr
Cut: Chazz Surratt, Patrick O’Connell, Ja’Markis Weston
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Notes: Don’t forget about ‘Pooh’ Paul! It was curious when the Rams let him go, and the Seahawks made sure to swoop in and get him on the practice squad. Surratt was a cheap FA re-sign limited to special teams, while O’Connell is a perennial “ready squad” guy. I think Paul makes it as the fourth ILB.
Cornerback (5): Devon Witherspoon, Josh Jobe, Nehemiah Pritchett, Julian Neal (R), Andre Fuller (R)
Cut: Shemar Jean-Charles, Noah Igbinoghene, Michael Dansby, Tyrone Broden
Notes: Witherspoon and Jobe are locks, so we don’t have to even talk about them. Neal is as close to a lock as you can get because third-rounders almost never get cut as rookies. Pritchett, Fuller, Igbinoghene, and Dansby I believe are four guys competing for two spots. Pritchett should have the inside track for one spot, and I’m really high on Fuller as someone who could contribute as soon as this season. Igbinoghene was a hedge signing based on what they would be able to do in the draft, and I see him being the free agent acquisition they let go (much like Marquez Valdes-Scantling in 2025).
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Safety (5): Julian Love, Ty Okada, Nick Emmanwori, Bud Clark (R), Rodney Thomas II
Cut: Maxen Hook, D’Anthony Bell, A. J. Finley
Notes: Realistically, the only thing to debate here is whether or not Seattle keeps a fifth safety—Emmanwori is officially a safety so we’ll keep him there. Thomas looks like a good depth signing with vast special teams experience, which likely makes Bell redundant.
Special Teams (3)
Kicker (1): Jason Myers
Punter (1): Michael Dickson
Long Snapper (1): Chris Stoll
Cut: No one
Notes: No reason to believe anything changes with this special teams trio.
Damn this is tougher than I expected. I’m not sure it actually gets all that much easier as the months progress. It’s one of those good problems to have if you’re the Seahawks.
