Seattle Seahawks vs Oakland Raiders: 5 takeaways from Seattle’s win
By Keith Myers
Sep 3, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Kevin Smith (17) makes a reception against the Oakland Raiders during the fourth quarter at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Wide receiver will be very tough to call
Baldwin, Lockett, Kearse all seem safely on the roster. After that though, things get dicey.
Matthews has been hurt, but has looked great in practice and played well before his injury. He’s probably in, but nothing is guaranteed.
That leaves two spots for B.J. Daniels, Kasen Williams, Kevin Smith and Ricardo Lockette. Have fun picking 2 out of that group and feeling good about letting the other two go.
Lockette is in real jeopardy of losing his roster spot. The other three receivers can play, and Lockette no longer has a monopoly on being a special teams ace. All three other competitors for that roster spot can make plays on special teams too.
The Seahawks coaches are going to agonize over this one.
So will cornerback
Richard Sherman, Tharold Simon and Cary Williams are in. That much we know. You might notice that Will Blackmon’s name isn’t included in that list.
Blackmon hasn’t played well in the preseason. The presumed starting nickel corner is now in a tough battle with Tye Smith and Marcus Burley to hold on to his roster spot.
The Seahawks could save about $500,000 by cutting Blackmon and keeping a developmental player like Douglas McNeil in his spot. Or they could use the roster spot at another position.
This is a really tough call for the coaches and John Schneider.
It would have been even tougher had Mohammed Seisay not gotten hurt. He appears to be headed to injured reserve, and will be back ready to compete for a roster spot next year.
Next: The rookies and pass rush