Three key Seahawks in danger of missing Week 1 versus the Broncos

The Seahawks already know Abe Lucas will miss time this season, but they could miss three more key players in the season opener. They have good backups in all three cases, but there's a reason they're the backups.

Seattle faces Denver in the first game of the season on September 8th, just 10 days away as I write this. Granted, that's practically an eternity when it comes to medical care in the world of the NFL. In an environment where players like Jordyn Brooks can return from ACL surgery in less than eight months, anything seems possible. I suspect some of these guys may be cousins of Deadpool or Wolverine. In a couple of years, they'll be regrowing limbs. Just think how happy that would make Ronnie Lott.

Okay, Mr. Lott probably wouldn't care, but you get the point. The Hawks could use some of that amazing healing ability in the next few days. Abe Lucas could use it too, but as we know too well, the Seahawks are being very cautious with his rehab. Yes, it's rough, but it's not like we didn't expect it. After all, Seattle brought George Fant back specifically to step in for Lucas. Unfortunately, the Hawks may face more injury problems than at right tackle in the season opener.

Seattle Seahawks may miss three key starters in Week 1

Starting the season without Lucas certainly isn't going to help Seattle get back to the playoffs, but it's not like John Schneider wasn't prepared for that scenario. Every team has to be ready to fill in for a starter if they go down. That's kind of why there are 53 guys on the roster, right?

So yeah, the Hawks have backups in place to cover these three positions. But in all three cases, these players could have a major impact on the game versus the Broncos. Two were just added to the team this year, and the third is returning from a devastating injury last season. We'll get into that soon enough.

Connor Williams

The Seahawks signed Williams less than three weeks ago to beef up their offensive line. As reported by John Boyle and Ari Horton on seahawks.com, the former Dolphins center tore his ACL in December, so it's not like Schneider didn't know the clock was ticking on his recovery.

I'm not saying it was a mistake to sign Williams, not at all. Seattle has Olu Oluwatimi in place if Williams can't go, and Olu was likely going to be the starter before the Hawks made the deal. As much as I like Oluwatimi, he didn't take over the position last year from Evan Brown. He wasn't graded the second-best center in the league by Pro Football Focus, either (subscription required).

Rayshawn Jenkins

Jenkins is another new face in Seattle, although he signed much earlier than Williams. The former Jaguars safety was brought in as the replacement for the much-loved Quandre Diggs. Some 12s were a bit aghast at the move, and I get it. Diggs was a solid player and fun to watch (and I expect he'll still be the same guy on the Titans).

Jenkins is a better fit for Mike Macdonald's defense. But if he can't play, he's not a good fit at all. He had a calf injury in practice last week, so his status is up in the air for Week 1.

If he's out, another new arrival, K'Von Wallace, will step into his role. As Wallace was expected to get a lot of looks in some sets, Coby Bryant would be the next man up in those situations. Jenkins seems to be the most likely of the three to be ready. But as with Williams, there's a reason he's the starter.

Uchenna Nwosu

Now we come to the big hitter - literally. Nwosu was 100 percent back from the pectoral tear that sidelined him in Week 7 last year. His impact on the Seahawks defense cannot be overstated. Seattle allowed just 79 yards rushing per game with him in the lineup. Without him, that average rocketed to an embarrassing 170 yards. And some people still wonder why Seattle traded Darrell Taylor.

Nwosu was injured on a chop block against the Browns in the final preseason game. Seriously, a chop block at any time is terrible, but in the second series of a preseason game? The 12s are not happy. If there's any good news here, it's that the Hawks didn't place him on injured reserve.

As Tim Booth reported for Seattle Sports, John Schneider had these encouraging comments: “If you’ve spent time with (Uchenna), this is a pro. The guy attacks the day like you want every professional football player to attack it. He’s a man and he’s going to do everything he can to get back.”

The other encouraging note regarding Nwosu is his backup. Derick Hall has looked great so far this preseason. Sure, it's just the preseason, but he seems ready to make an even bigger leap in his sophomore season than Boye Mafe did last year. I guess K.J. Wright was only off by a year when he said he expected great things from Hall.

That being said, the Hawks need Nwosu on the field, along with Jenkins and Williams. I still see Seattle handling Denver fairly easily, but life would be better with these three in the lineup on September 8th.

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