Questions for Seahawks going into their first preseason game
By Lee Vowell
The Seahawks enter their first preseason game with question marks. Here are a few to look for resolution to on Thursday against the Broncos.
Wow! That lead-in sentence was awfully full of words. I apologize. But what I will not apologize for is being an unabashed Seahawks fan. Still, I try to be fair. And Seattle genuinely has some major concerns going into the 2019 season. We might find an answer to some of them on Thursday when Seattle plays its first preseason game of the year versus the Broncos.
What three of the more pressing questions surrounding the team? Maybe these.
Which rookie will remain healthy and most productive for the Seahawks this year?
OK. Maybe we won’t find the answer to this one on Thursday, but we may see the beginning of the answer. Coach Pete Carroll does really good things with young rosters and there is no mistake that Seattle went from its original four picks in the 2019 draft to 11. Seattle is remaking its roster and doing so in a way to add a lot of youth.
The rookie class will be expected to produce quickly. Everyone is looking forward to seeing what receiver D.K. Metcalf might do, but expectations for him are almost too high and he might fail even by being good.
My pick is on Marquise Blair. He has the surest path to starter by the end of the year because he can cover and likes to hit. In other words, he plays like a Seahawks safety should.
Who is going to be the third back?
This is a question that won’t be answered on the field Thursday which means it might be answered on Thursday. Wait…what? Here is the thing. Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny are the one-two for the Seahawks. After that there are a bunch of banged up backs. C.J. Prosise (of course) is out on Thursday with a hip injury. Seattle needs to release him. J.D. McKissic might play but he has a foot issue. If he plays he will at least get props for playing through pain that Prosise seems incapable of. Finally, rookie Travis Homer is out with a quad injury.
Probably two of those three make the Seahawks roster this year. The team might simply decide to take a chance on who stays healthier.
Who will replace Justin Coleman at nickel?
Coleman was so solid the last two years in Seattle that nobody concerned themselves with having an issue at nickelbackbecause there wasn’t one. Until now. Coleman left in free agency. This means that spot is wide open. Considering that most teams now play with five in the secondary – two safeties, two outside corners and one nickel – whoever gets the nickel in Seattle is a starter.
The battle might come down to two players: Akeem King and rookie Ugo Amadi. Veterans Kalan Reed and Jamar Taylor have outside shots too. But if King and Amadi play well in preseason, and whichever plays better, will probably be the Seattle starter when the real games begin.