The Seattle Seahawks played the Dallas Cowboys in preseason Week 1 in what was an ugly performance for the team from the Pacific Northwest. Head coach Mike Macdonald indicated after the game that he was disappointed with what he saw from his team.
The good part is that the preseason is meaningless as far as final scores, and most of the time the starters don't play. Much of what fans see is misleading, and the games are glorified practices. That doesn't mean coaches don't learn a lot about their potential backups, however.
That was certainly the case against Dallas. The offensive and defensive lines were mostly dismal, for instance. Still, some players were able to prove their worth to the team.
Some Seattle Seahawks are moving up and some might be moving out after preseason Week 1
Locked up: Brady Russell
Russell was seemingly certain to be the team's main fullback this season, and under new offensive coordinator Brian Fleury, the team is definitely going to use a fullback a lot. 12s saw that against the Cowboys. Russell didn't disappoint, either. He was a solid blocker and good on special teams, too.
The team knows what it is going to get from the fullback, but can't know for sure how efficient Russell will be with a major uptick in importance. Had he looked wretched against Dallas, the Seahawks could have looked elsewhere for additional fullback help. That seems unneeded now.
Serious trouble: Shemar Jean-Charles
Jean-Charles has had a decent training camp so far, though he was always facing an uphill battle to make the roster. His best path forward in a cornerback group that has a lot of questions was to be a star in the preseason. That didn't happen against Dallas. He was targeted five times, allowed four completions for 78 yards and a touchdown.
Like rookies Andre Fuller and Michael Dansby, Jean-Charles appeared to lack quickness to keep up with receivers and was not big enough to be physical with wideouts. He has spent four years in the league, but if he spends a fifth, that isn't likely to be with the Seattle Seahawks.
Locked up: Anthony Bradford
The most telling part of Bradford's preseason Week 1 is that he didn't play. Starters don't normally play in the first preseason games, and maybe not the last either. This cements the thinking that Seattle doesn't have anything close to a roster battle at Bradford's spot.
He was also aided by the backups not being good. Beau Stephens, a rookie whom many hope will overtake Bradford as the starter, looked lost in a fog at times, which makes sense as he is only entering his first year in the NFL. The final year of Bradford's rookie deal is 2026, so maybe Stephens starts next season if Bradford leaves in free agency.
Serious trouble: Velus Jones Jr.
Because of a season-ending injury to Robbie Ouzts (neck), what isn't clear now is whether Seattle will keep three tailbacks or four. Before Ouzts was lost for 2026, the team might have kept two fullbacks (Russell and Ouzts) and three tailbacks. Keeping a fourth of the latter might make more sense now.
If that happens, Jones isn't likely to be the guy. Against the Cowboys, and even though the blocking in front of him was weak, Jones had seven carries but only earned 10 yards. He often tried to run wide to elude tacklers, but he wasn't able to outrun most of the Cowboys' backups. To make matters worse, Jones caught two passes, but for minus-five yards.
Locked up: Jake Bobo
The wide receiver was probably going to make the team as it was, especially after the Seahawks saw him as so valuable that they matched an offer that the Jacksonville Jaguars made for Bobo this past offseason when the wideout was a restricted free agent. That still didn't guarantee him a roster spot, though.
Against the Cowboys, Bobo caught three of five targets for 13 yards, but his most impressive catch didn't count due to a penalty on Seattle. After quarterback Jalen Milroe scrambled left and threw a ball in the direction of Bobo, who was well-covered, the receiver was able to reach with strong hands and take the ball away. It was the kind of play that makes Bobo a valuable possession receiver.
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