The Seattle Seahawks cut a couple dozen players yesterday, trimming their roster from 80 players down to 53 in preparation for the regular season.
Pete Carroll and John Schneider generally know what they’re doing when it comes to team-building, but we do have a few questions about the initial 53-man roster. Here are four worth asking.
Why carry three quarterbacks?
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Russell Wilson has never missed a game in his NFL career. Considering the punishment he’s taken over the years, that’s an incredible accomplishment. Anything can happen, but the odds of Wilson missing significant time are about as low as anyone can expect. That’s why carrying three quarterbacks doesn’t make much sense. Sean Mannion didn’t do enough to win the main backup job from Geno Smith during the preseason, so the only argument for keeping him is that he knows the system, which is pretty weak when there are other spots that could use more depth.
Room for another wide receiver?
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Speaking of positions that could use more depth, Seattle only has four wide receivers on the initial 53-man roster, whereas historically this team has carried six. Odds are the Seahawks have their eyes on outside candidates to come in and help balance that out. John Brown and Phillip Dorsett are among the most interesting names at receiver that got cut yesterday. If the plan really is to keep just four, it would be a strange flex indeed.
Rashaad Penny: Why?
(AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
2021 will be the fourth season that the Seahawks try to make Rashaad Penny happen. Based on what we’ve seen from No. 20 so far, the spoiler is that Rashaad Penny is not going to happen. Carrying five running backs is silly in any case, but especially when one of them is as injury prone and inconsistent as this. Unless the plan is to dangle Penny in a trade to a RB-injury-ravaged team like the Ravens, this is a wasted roster spot.
Is Sidney Jones the answer at cornerback?
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The most concerning position group on this roster is cornerback, where it’s starting to feel like the front office isn’t quite sure what they’re doing. A few days after trading for John Reid (who was just waived) they dealt a sixth-round pick to Jacksonville for Sidney Jones. On paper, Jones makes more sense in that he has the length and ball skills Seattle looks for in their usual PNW cornerback models. Still, it’s unclear where he fits into the bigger picture. With D.J. Reed switching over to the left side at practice yesterday, we officially have no idea who will be starting Week 1 anywhere. This uncertainty could turn into a big problem. [vertical-gallery id=74764]
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