However, this first round of cuts could reveal some of what the team is thinking about the guys that remain on the roster. The team usually cuts one or two “unexpected” players to give them a chance to catch on with another team, and that might tell us that a bubble player at the same position has won a spot on the roster. It also gives us an idea of who we are likely to see on the practice squad.
The Seahawks also needs to field a team to play the Raiders on Thursday, while resting anyone important, so that figures into these cuts as well. Things haven't changed all that much in the past two weeks from my preliminary guess on first cuts:
QB Erik Meyer, RB A.J. Harris, WR Robert Ortiz, TE Ben Joppru, C Austin King, OG Jason Murphy, DT Eric Taylor, CB Dennis Davis, CB Wally Dada, K Kurt Smith, and P Kyle Stringer. And another WR (Chris Jones, Jordan Kent, or Joe Fernandez).That guess was made when P Kyle Stringer was still on the team, and I had incorrectly assumed TE Ben Joppru would miss the rest of the preseason with his “serious” injuries. Other than that, there aren’t a lot of changes.
=> Read more!:
QB Erik Meyer, WR Robert Ortiz, C Austin King, OG Jason Murphy, DT Eric Taylor, CB Dennis Davis, CB Wally Dada, K Kurt Smith all still make my list. As does either WR Jordan Kent or WR Joe Fernandez, or maybe even both. I’ll add TE Andy Stokes, who essentially replaces P Kyle Stringer on the list. That gives me 10-11 players. The other players in danger would be S Patrick Ghee, LB Marcus Rucker, LB Cameron Jensen, and RB A.J. Harris (also on my preliminary list). DT Marcus Green had an undisclosed injury last week, and was then passed over in terms of playing time by DT Eric Taylor, so he might be on the chopping block as well.
I assume they will keep at least one of the two linebackers (Rucker and Jensen) just to have bodies to play on Thursday. It is hard to say which one. Jensen has been ahead on the depth chart all camp, but Rucker played on Saturday. Maybe that was his one chance, but he seemed to play alright and was part of that goal line stand. He might have won the opportunity to play against Oakland, or maybe even a spot on the practice squad.
On the other hand, although I am sure Mike Holmgren didn’t have anyone specific in mind, he could have easily been talking about Rucker when he said, “We’ll have some tough decisions to make now starting this evening, because we have to release some fellows, and then we have to release some more next week. If that was their last play in a Seattle uniform, they can feel pretty good about it, because it was a good goal line stand.”
An idea that occurred to me just recently is that the team may elect to keep A.J. Harris on the practice squad. I don't really have an impression on him one way or another, but I still think the Seahawks are going to go with:
Shaun Alexander, Maurice Morris, Mack Strong, Leonard Weaver, and Josh Parry
Marquis Weeks is not practice squad eligible, and they would probably like to have a third true HB on the practice squad. The only guy that could be is A.J. Harris. If the team does cut Harris on Tuesday, then it might be a signal that they have decided to go with Marquis Weeks over Josh Parry. Or it could just mean they don't think Harris is even good enough for the practice squad.
If that is the case and the Seahawks not keep Weeks on the active roster, then Leonard Weaver would be the only other option at HB if Shaun Alexander and Maurice Morris were both injured. Weeks might also be available as a street free agent. He was on the active roster for just enough games last year that no other team can sign him to their practice squad either.
If I had to make a list of the guys most certain to be cut, it would be these nine:
QB Erik Meyer
WR Joe Fernandez
WR Robert Ortiz
TE Andy Stokes
C Austin King
OG Jason Murphy
CB Dennis Davis
CB Wally Dada
K Kurt Smith
The other three should come from:
RB A.J. Harris
RB Marquis Weeks
WR Jordan Kent
LB Marcus Rucker
LB Cameron Jensen
DE Brandon Green
DT Eric Taylor
DT Marcus Green
S Patrick Ghee
And I think it is quite likely that two of them will be a LB and a DT, assuming no surprises. I only list Marcus Green because of his apparent injury problems (which is the same reason why Eric Taylor doesn't show up with the first nine). And Weeks or Brandon Green could be released to give them time to catch on with another team.
Patrick Ghee seems like an alright player, but I think the team has enough safeties to play on Thursday without him. If they keep a safety on the practice squad, then it would probably be C.J. Wallace. Jordan Kent is on this list because he just isn't very good.
Note: QB Travis Lulay and DT Lynn McGruder could technically be included because they are on the exempt/NFLEL injured list. Neither have been in camp. I assume the team will cut both of those players as well. If they are still injured, then they will need to reach an injury settlement if that haven't done so already. Either way, these players will not count toward the 75 roster spots allowed.
0 comments:
Post a Comment