Seattle, WA
Seattle Seahawks 53-Man Roster Projection: Who Makes Cut After Loss to Titans?
![Seattle Seahawks 53-Man Roster Projection: Who Makes Cut After Loss to Titans? Seattle Seahawks 53-Man Roster Projection: Who Makes Cut After Loss to Titans?](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_2386,h_1342,x_32,y_297/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/all_seahawks/01j5kdn4crmtf9v79hnf.jpg)
Unable to maintain a five-point halftime lead, the Seattle Seahawks dropped their first game of the Mike Macdonald era in a 16-15 preseason loss to the Tennessee Titans on Saturday night, leaving just one exhibition audition remaining for the coaching staff to evaluate the roster before final cut downs on August 27.
After taking a deeper dive into Saturday’s defeat in Nashville, which players will be on Seattle’s roster when the regular season opens against Denver on September 8? With less than two weeks until cut down day, here’s my latest shot at projecting the 53-man roster as well as the 16-player practice squad:
Starter: Geno Smith
Backup: Sam Howell
Practice Squad: TBD
Comfortable wearing a ball cap on the sidelines, Smith may finally get a few reps in the preseason finale next weekend, but his job has never been in danger. With that said, Howell continues to take positive steps forward running Ryan Grubb’s offense, as he completed almost 80 percent of his passes in Saturday’s defeat with a touchdown and no turnovers. The Seahawks should have growing confidence that if Smith gets banged up at any point, they can certainly win games with their new backup beginning to show off his skill set and play to his potential. The same can’t be said for PJ Walker, who has struggled in both preseason games and opened the door for the team to be looking closely to the waiver wire for a third quarterback.
Starter: Ken Walker III
Backups: Zach Charbonnet, George Holani, Kenny McIntosh
Practice Squad: Kobe Lewis
With Charbonnet nursing a lower body injury right now, it seems even more likely the Seahawks will hold onto each of their top four backs for the start of the regular season, as McIntosh may have locked up his spot with an impressive outing on Saturday night running the ball and snagging passes out of the backfield. Pass protection still remains a concern for him, but he’s shown more than enough to warrant inclusion on the roster, while Holani’s lack of snaps in Nashville suggest the team already has seen enough from him on offense and special teams to this point.
Starters: DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Backups: Jake Bobo, Laviska Shenault, Dareke Young
Practice Squad: Cody White, Easop Winston
Atop the depth chart, Metcalf, Lockett, Smith-Njigba, and Bobo all entered Saturday as locks to make Seattle’s roster, and at this point, Shenault should be in that group as well. He laid a tremendous lead block to spring Dee Williams for a 41-yard kick return on Saturday night and has continued to make an impact breaking tackles after the catch and as a runner with the ball in his hands, providing a different skill set than the top four receivers on the roster. As far as competitions go, Winston may have closed the gap a little bit on Young after catching a 23-yard touchdown against the Titans, but it’s debatable whether he has done enough to overtake his teammate for a roster spot. With Young being a better overall special teams player and a superior athlete who can line up at multiple spots on offense, he’s still likely the sixth receiver to round out the depth chart.
Starter: Noah Fant
Backups: AJ Barner, Brady Russell
Practice Squad: Tyler Mabry, Jack Westover
Injured Reserve: Pharaoh Brown
It remains to be seen how severe Brown’s foot injury suffered during joint practices is, but the fact he had to be carted off the field and the Seahawks have yet to provide an update on his status several days later suggests that he may need to miss extended time. Depending on the severity, they could wait until after the final cut downs to place him on injured reserve to ensure he has a chance to play later in the season. Assuming he’s going to miss the start of the regular season, Barner and Russell would immediately step into bigger roles on offense, while keeping both Mabry and Westover as insurance options on the practice squad would be more important.
Starters: Charles Cross, Laken Tomlinson, Connor Williams, Anthony Bradford, Abraham Lucas
Backups: George Fant, Christian Haynes, Olu Oluwatimi, McClendon Curtis
Practice Squad: Mike Jerrell, Sataoa Laumea, Max Pircher*
*Doesn’t count against 16-man limit on practice squad as International Pathway Player
If anything was proven on Saturday night, there’s a massive, Mount Everest crevasse-sized gap between the Seahawks first and second-string offensive linemen and the third unit, which struggled mightily throughout the second half both in pass protection and run blocking. As late round picks, the team will hope to keep Jerrell and Laumea for further development on the practice squad, but it’s tough to envision either of them making the team if Lucas and Williams both are ready for Week 1 as hoped. Bradford’s dominant performance on Saturday night may have been enough to fend off Haynes – at least for now – in the right guard competition, while Curtis looked better than Stone Forsythe playing with the starters to further cement his roster spot.
Starters: Leonard Williams, Johnathan Hankins, Jarran Reed
Backups: Byron Murphy II, Mike Morris, Myles Adams
Practice Squad: Devere Levelston
Though they had to play deep into Saturday’s game in large part due to lack of numbers, Morris and Adams both played solid football against the Titans, combining for five pressures, a sack, and four run stops. There’s no question each player should have a spot saved for them on the 53-man roster and will play meaningful roles as rotational defensive linemen, at least until the team potentially brings someone else in off the waiver wire later this month. Murphy only played a few drives last night, which means he’s already in the protection zone for the Seahawks, and it may not be too long before he’s starting alongside Williams and Reed.
Starters: Uchenna Nwosu, Dre’Mont Jones
Backups: Boye Mafe, Derick Hall, Darrell Taylor
Practice Squad: Jamie Sheriff, Nelson Ceaser
Since Jones remains sidelined, Mafe and Hall have played into the second half in both preseason games, but that shouldn’t send the message either player’s job is in jeopardy. Both have played well in the exhibition contests, with Hall being particularly effective registering a pair of sacks, and they will see extensive roles as rotational rushers in Macdonald’s defense. Taylor came back healthy to make his 2024 debut and while he had some promising rushes, he couldn’t turn any of them into sacks or quarterback hits. The lack of depth at the position keeps him on the roster as a situational rusher. In the undrafted ranks, Sheriff has been a revelation in the first two preseason games with seven combined pressures and the Seahawks would be wise to hang onto him for further development.
Starters: Tyrel Dodson, Jerome Baker
Backups: Tyrice Knight, Jon Rhattigan
Practice Squad: Patrick O’Connell, Drake Thomas
With Baker and Dodson not playing on Saturday, Knight saw his most extended action yet, leading the Seahawks with eight tackles and making an impressive stop sniffing out a screen for a tackle for loss. The fourth-round pick still has room to grow dissecting run concepts and handling coverage duties, but he stood out in a reserve linebacker group that had plenty of struggles on Saturday. Rhattigan was exploited a couple times in coverage with his inability to get deep enough on his zone drops, while O’Connell committed a killer defensive holding penalty on 3rd and 2 to extend a scoring drive for the Titans. Thomas should thrust himself into the competition in next week’s finale after returning from the PUP list last week, but this remains a position that could be ripe for improvement off the waiver wire.
Starters: Devon Witherspoon, Riq Woolen
Backups: Tre Brown, Mike Jackson, Artie Burns, Nehemiah Pritchett, Dee Williams
Practice Squad: D.J. James, Carlton Johnson
The Seahawks have a wealth of riches at cornerback with Witherspoon, Woolen, and Brown all being locks and Burns likely on the roster as well. Coming back from an injury, Jackson probably finds himself on the right side of the bubble, but he could potentially be dangled as trade bait for cornerback-needy teams with the goal of adding depth at another position or a late round draft pick. Rounding out the depth chart, Pritchett turned in a solid performance on Saturday night and has been far better than James, who gave up a touchdown in coverage and committed two bad penalties to lead to a Titans field goal in the second half. Of those two rookies from Auburn, Pritchett has earned the roster spot, while Williams continues to flash as a return specialist and looked good at cornerback on Saturday, which puts him on the right side of the bubble.
Starters: Julian Love, Rayshawn Jenkins
Backups: K’Von Wallace, Coby Bryant
Practice Squad: Ty Okada
PUP List: Jerrick Reed III
Saturday night was a clear step back for Bryant, who had two awful missed tackles in the first half, including one whiff that allowed Julius Chestnut to race off for a 23-yard gain on Tennessee’s lone touchdown drive. Still, his versatility and performance throughout camp should keep him on the roster, while Wallace’s spot appears to be safe as well. Recording a diving interception against Malik Willis, Okada has done enough in the preseason for consideration to make the roster as well, but he may be the odd man out due to a numbers game with Seattle likely to choose a player with kick return ability like Williams for one of the final spots instead. He should be a lock for the practice squad, however.
Starters: Jason Myers, Michael Dickson, Chris Stoll
Myers has irked some fans by his struggles with extra points – he missed one for the second straight preseason game on Saturday – but he also nailed all three of his field goal attempts, including a 50-yard connection that could have been a game winner if not for the defense folding in the final two minutes. There’s not another kicker, punter, or long snapper on the roster and the Seahawks have plenty of confidence in this trio moving forward.
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Seattle, WA
How to watch the Seattle Storms vs. Indiana Fever – WNBA (8/18/24) | Stream Caitlin Clark, channel, preview
![How to watch the Seattle Storms vs. Indiana Fever – WNBA (8/18/24) | Stream Caitlin Clark, channel, preview How to watch the Seattle Storms vs. Indiana Fever – WNBA (8/18/24) | Stream Caitlin Clark, channel, preview](https://www.mlive.com/resizer/v2/C4LRVWLVKVGITMZ5YV6BWKJZQ4.jpg?auth=a8e5da71ff5eb64fc484b32e46074c06c4528c5e770f5a97fe3be07c2af895fa&width=1280&quality=90)
INDIANAPOLIS — An intriguing matchup on Sunday between two teams in different standing in the WNBA Playoff race, as Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever host the Seattle Storm.
- Watch the WNBA on FuboTV (7-day free trial)
Both teams are coming off playing their first games since the Olympic Break on Friday.
The Fever hosted the Phoenix Mercury, as Caitlin Clark showed the time off did not cause any rust. Her 29 points led Indiana to pick up a 98-89 win, giving the Fever three wins in their last four games. Clark leads the team by averaging 17.1 points per game, with Kelsey Mitchell right behind her with 16.9 points a game.
The Fever come into Sunday seventh in the WNBA, three games up on the ninth-place Atlanta Dream.
The Storm stumbled in their first game following the Olympics. Against the Dream, Skylar Diggins-Smith’s 29 points was not enough, as Seattle fell, 83-81. The Storm were on a roll heading into the break, winning three straight games, and four of their previous five. They sit fifth in the WNBA, five games back of the first-place New York Liberty.
This is the fourth and final meeting between the two teams this season. The Storm have won each of the three matchups, including a 103-88 victory the first time they visited Indianapolis in late May.
WNBA BASKETBALL
Seattle Storm (17-9) vs. Indiana Fever (12-15)
When: Sunday, August 18
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Indianapolis. Ind.)
Channel: ABC
Stream: FuboTV (Free Trial), Sling, DirecTV Stream
Check out the WNBA standings and results here
Seattle, WA
Stock Watch: Which Seattle Seahawks are Trending Up, Down After Preseason Week 2?
![Stock Watch: Which Seattle Seahawks are Trending Up, Down After Preseason Week 2? Stock Watch: Which Seattle Seahawks are Trending Up, Down After Preseason Week 2?](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_5589,h_3143,x_0,y_75/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/all_seahawks/01j5hvscqqnta2f8w6gg.jpg)
Following a dominant Week 1 victory, the Seattle Seahawks dropped to 1-1 in the preseason after falling to the Tennessee Titans, 16-15, at Nissan Stadium on Saturday.
It’s preseason, so the result doesn’t matter much. But the first half was much better for the Seahawks offense and defense than the second half was. That’s telling for the depth of Seattle’s units.
Here are three players whose stock is rising after Week 2 of the preseason, and three players whose stock is falling.
QB Sam Howell
Sam Howell seemed anxious to begin the game but finished looking as confident as we’ve seen him in this new offensive scheme. Howell finished 11-for-14 for 153 yards and a touchdown, displaying perfect touch on a 23-yard score to Easop Winston Jr. in the first quarter. As the game went on, Howell only continued to get better.
On the first throw of Seattle’s next drive, Howell rifled another one between two Titans defenders to wide receiver Cody White for a 33-yard completion — the longest offensive play of the day for the Seahawks. The offensive line in front of Howell was fine, but parts of the front broke down and he could navigate it. He finished with two rushes for 11 yards as a result, evading the broken plays. Howell’s pocket presence, overall, looked more like his better days with the Washington Commanders.
DT Myles Adams
Playing for most of the first half, Myles Adams held it down in the middle of Seattle’s defensive line. He finished with three total tackles, but that’s not representative of his overall impact on the game. Adams’ interior pressure freed up edge rushers Derick Hall, Darrell Taylor, Boye Mafe and others, pushing the pocket around Malik Willis and forcing him to make quick decisions in the pocket.
Adams is the perfect depth interior lineman for Seattle. With Leonard Williams, Jarran Reed, Byron Murphy and Johnathan Hankins already anchoring that unit, Adams and Mike Morris will be the rotational players that could be difference-makers for the Seahawks during the season. At 6-2, 290 pounds, Adams presents the size inside the Seahawks want as well.
WR Easop Winston Jr.
With his play in this second preseason game, Easop Winston Jr. is making the competition at Seattle’s sixth wide receiver spot extremely close. It’s clearly between Winston and Dareke Young, and the latter has led the group through training camp and the first few weeks of the preseason. Winston, a fifth-year pro out of Washington State, displayed his veteran tendencies on the 23-yard score from Howell by showing his hands late, securing the touchdown against Titans cornerback Tre Avery. Winston’s release on the fade route was also impressive against Avery, burning the corner to make Howell’s decision to throw into a one-on-one situation easy.
Winston finished with three catches for 47 yards and a score, leading the Seahawks in receiving in every area. He also saw the most targets of any Seattle player with four. Even if he is relinquished to the practice squad, Winston would be a quality player to be elevated to the active roster in a pinch should the Seahawks need him.
CB DJ James
Despite being a sixth-round pick by the Seahawks, DJ James just looks out of place with Seattle. He’s been borderline lost in his two preseason appearances, and he allowed the Titans’ lone touchdown in off-coverage against Nick Westbrook-Ikhine on a 15-yard touchdown pass from Mason Rudolph with 38 seconds left in the second quarter.
James was also hit with two defensive penalties on Tennessee’s second drive of the second half, first on a holding call and then on a facemask just two plays later. That allowed the Titans to get back into the game and eventually convert on a field goal to make it 12-10. He hasn’t been good in coverage and hasn’t shown enough fundamentally to make the Seahawks’ 53-man roster to this point.
T Stone Forsythe
At this point, Stone Forsythe’s standing with the Seattle coaching staff is a mystery. He hasn’t been good in either preseason appearance after making eight starts last season and has continued to just look overpowered by edge rushers on a down-to-down basis. Forsythe was tripped by running back Kenny McIntosh on a sack-fumble by Sam Howell — recovered by Forsythe himself — given up in the first quarter, but he was already beaten off that block which is why he was dropping so far back into protection.
Seattle’s depth at left tackle is a concern with Forsythe’s struggles, even with veteran George Fant able to play both sides of the line. The margin for error is getting slimmer and slimmer for Forsythe heading into the third preseason game, and he could be cut if he doesn’t show a significant improvement in the final contest.
QB PJ Walker
Taking over the offense in the second half, PJ Walker had similar weapons to Howell but looked far less capable of operating the Seahawks offense. He did, however, have an even less effective offensive line in front of him. Regardless, even when Walker had time to throw, he was early on some timing routes, and that snowballed into a lack of progression from the offense. The offense looked much more sluggish with Walker at the controls.
Walker finished 4-for-8 for 38 yards in the game and also allowed a sack. The offense gained just 38 total yards in the second half with Walker leading the unit, as opposed to the 231 yards the offense gained with Howell under center.
Seattle, WA
Seattle Mariners Offense Continues to Struggle in Loss Against the Pittsburgh Pirates
![Seattle Mariners Offense Continues to Struggle in Loss Against the Pittsburgh Pirates Seattle Mariners Offense Continues to Struggle in Loss Against the Pittsburgh Pirates](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3072,h_1728,x_0,y_332/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/inside_the_mariners/01j5gz05nc34jyvdvgjc.jpg)
A familiar story was read again on Saturday when the Seattle Mariners went up against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The offense couldn’t take advantage of runners in scoring position and the bullpen couldn’t keep the game within reach.
The Mariners fell 7-2 and dropped to 63-61 on the season. It was their fifth straight loss — tied for the longest losing streak of the season. The loss dropped Seattle to 3.5 games back in the American League West standings as of this posting.
Pittsburgh got to Seattle starter Luis Castillo quickly in what was an unusual off day for the eight-year veteran.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa hit a lead-off home run in the bottom of the first to put the Pirates up 1-0.
Victor Robles tied the game up with an RBI single in the top of the second. Rowdy Tellez pulled the Pirates back ahead with a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth that put Pittsburgh back up 3-1.
Vic gets us on the board 🙌 #TridentsUp pic.twitter.com/ZsZzaTkG6j
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) August 17, 2024
The Mariners cut into the lead again in the top of the fifth off an RBI double from Jorge Polanco. That was the last run Seattle scored.
Polo gets one back 👊 #TridentsUp pic.twitter.com/IcWzQibkJz
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) August 17, 2024
Holding on to a narrow lead — the Pirates bolstered their advantage with four runs in two innings. Bryan De La Cruz hit an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth. Jared Triolo hit a solo home run, Joe Bart hit an RBI double and Tellez hit an RBI ground-rule double — all in the bottom of the seventh — for the eventual final of 7-2.
The Mariners loaded the bases and had a chance to rally in the top of the ninth with no outs. Robles popped out and Randy Arozarena and Julio Rodriguez both struck out to leave three runners on the base paths. They left 10 runners stranded for the game. Arozarena (0-for-5) and Dylan Moore (0-for-4) both earned golden sombreros and accounted for nine of Seattle’s 14 strikeouts for the game.
Everyone knows the Mariners are struggling. Everyone knows the reasons the team is losing games. There’s 38 games left in the season. With every loss the playoffs become less and less likely. Seattle needs to start winning. And it needs to start now.
PIRATES SNAP 10-GAME LOSING STREAK AGAINST MARINERS: The Pittsburgh Pirates snapped their 10-game losing streak with a 5-3 win against the Seattle Mariners on Friday. CLICK HERE
MARINERS RIVALS SUFFER INJURY TO KEY PLAYER: The Seattle Mariners American League West rival Houston Astros lost third baseman Alex Bregman for the weekend’s series against the Chicago White Sox with an elbow injury. CLICK HERE
TIGERS SWEEP MARINERS: The Detroit Tigers completed a three-game series sweep against the Seattle Mariners with a 2-1 win on Thursday. CLICK HERE
Continue to follow our Inside the Mariners coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following Teren Kowatsch and Brady Farkas on “X” @Teren_Kowatsch and @wdevradiobrady
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