1) Linebackers
I’ll start off by saying I think the Seahawks will still keep 7 LBs, despite the sound byte from Mike Holmgren this week saying he envisions keeping six. That being said, it is at least worth watching. It will be Lance Laury (50), Will Herring (54), or Niko Koutouvides (53) that gets left off the roster if the Seahawks go with only 6 LBs. That few linebackers makes no sense though, especially with Julian Peterson nursing a sore knee, the injury problems that plague Leroy Hill, and the exceptional play of the three guys potentially on the chopping block.
2) Darryl Tapp vs. Bryce Fisher
I’ve been saying Darryl Tapp (55) would win the starting job from Bryce Fisher (94) by the end of September for months now. It looks like it might be by the end of August. It isn’t that important because no matter what happens, Tapp and Fisher (and the entire defensive line) were going to rotate quite a bit. And the Seahawks like to go with 3 DEs and move Fisher inside on third downs, so Tapp was also always going to be in there in third-down pass-rush situations. It just helps that it is also his forte.
The most interesting thing is that Darryl Tapp appears to be on his way to being a starting caliber DE, if he hasn’t already arrived. That is very important for the future with Patrick Kerney and Bryce Fisher already on the wrong side of 30. It would also be a relief to Seahawks fans to finally have some home grown talent at that trouble spot, which just so happens to be one of the five most important positions in football. When was the last time the Seahawks drafted a DE worth a stitch? I’ll save you some time: 1991, Michael Sinclair.
3) Kelly Jennings and Josh Wilson
Kelly Jennings (21) has looked like a starting CB so far, but he should get an entire half to tune up and get ready for the regular season. The bigger concern is Josh Wilson (26). Now is the time he needs to prove he is ready to be the nickel corner, especially with Jordan Babineaux still not practicing. No more, "he has until the end of camp to develop." Camp is over.
4) Tight Ends
Joe Newton (46) has yet to show anything when playing at full speed. Leonard Stephens is going to miss this game with his lingering sprained ankle, which gives Bennie Joppru (47) a chance to secure a spot on the roster. Joppru just needs to avoid bad drops and fumbles (something he didn’t do against Green Bay), and stay healthy. It would take an injury or really poor effort from Joppru combined with Newton stepping up and showing something he hasn’t to this point for things to change at tight end. Will Heller (85) is back from his ankle injury, but expect his time to be limited.
5) Wide Receiver Battles
Nate Burleson (81) and D.J. Hackett (18) are in a battle for the starting split end spot. The smart money is on Hackett, even though Burleson has been playing well. The Seahawks will run a lot of 3-wide and 4-wide sets this year, so the real impact could be to the playing time of Bobby Engram (84), and that is a good thing. Engram is a great safety valve, but he isn’t going to be around forever. A progressive phasing out in favor of the younger receivers is ideal for the future.
The other battle is for the practice squad. Courtney Taylor (86) may play, and if he does, then he could really mix things up. Taylor has a chance to make the active roster if he can play well in two preseason games. However, keeping a 6th receiver at the cost of a linebacker or one of the defensive tackles doesn’t make much sense. Taylor should at least have a spot on the practice squad though.
That means that there might not even be a spot on the practice squad for another receiver. If there is one, then it comes down to Logan Payne (19), Joe Fernandez (17), Chris Jones (16), and Jordan Kent (82). Right now, Logan Payne is the only player that has shown enough to warrant consideration.
6) Offensive Line
It is put up or shut up time for Floyd Womack (77). He is either healthy or not. If he isn’t healthy, then he has to go. If he is, then he needs to be better right now than the other linemen fighting for a roster spot, or he has to go. Mike Holmgren can influence what Tim Ruskell does, and he better not waste his lobbying capital on Womack and forsake Craig Terrill. Womack needs to earn his roster spot, and we will see if he is up to it tonight.
With Ray Willis (74) starting at RT, it looks like C Pat Ross (60) would be Womack's biggest contender for the final offensive line spot. Womack’s return appears to be robbing Jonathan Alston (73) of the chance to show he can play LT as good or better than anyone else on the roster after Jones and Locklear.
7) Running Backs
There has been some reactionary fervor over the certainty at running back after some poor performances in Green Bay, but things are the same as they have been all camp. Obviously, Shaun Alexander, Maurice Morris, and Mack Strong have spots on the roster. And so does Leonard Weaver (43). It is really a question of if his poor pass blocking will limit the expansive role the team had envisioned for him. The concerns over Weaver’s blocking and some miscues by Marquis Weeks only solidified Josh Parry (49) as the final back on the roster.
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