4 Seahawks to watch in preseason game 1 against the Raiders

Stone Forsythe

Seattle head coach Pete Carroll has said any playing even hinting at being injured currently won’t play in the first preseason game. There is no reason to risk a player getting hurt in a meaningless game. Preseason games are more important to players trying to make teams than starters.

That said, Stone Forsythe, a rookie sixth-round tackle, has gotten a lot of first-team snaps in training camp so far. Seattle has several offensive linemen who are banged up, like Cedric Ogbuechi and Jamarco Jones, plus Duane Brown is holding-in and not taking part in on-field drills. Actually, Brown not playing in preseason would be OK anyway as he is more important once the real games begin.

Forsythe is a massive player who many thought would be drafted higher than the sixth round and so far in training camp has looked really good. If Brown decided to keep not playing once the season starts, there is a decent chance Forsythe could be the starter. But this is based on a lot in how he does in preseason.

Forsythe needs to show not only that he is big and hard to get around, but that he has the quickness a tackle needs to keep pushing edge rushers out wide. Forsythe’s seeming lack of athleticism is what pushed him down in the draft but starting in preseason game one against the Raiders, he could begin to show many pundits how wrong they were.