Pete Carroll's slogan, "Always Compete," may have been taken down at VMAC, but it's still a fact of life for the Seattle Seahawks. Three young veteran players will likely face the consequences of that competition this summer, unless they get it together and soon.
Competition is a beautiful thing, until you're the guy on the losing end of it. Every season, new players are brought in to improve the team. When any of those players wins a roster spot, another loses theirs. Fan favorites like Colby Parkinson and DeeJay Dallas find themselves in new unis despite being productive role players.
You can be sure it's going to happen again this season. None of these three players ever truly got a fair chance at proving themselves for the Seahawks. They all suffered injuries in their rookie season, so their development was set back in that critical year. All three players face new direct competitors this season, either through the draft or free agency. Unless they take big leaps forward, all three will lose out.
Three third-year players likely in their last Seahawks camp
So let's talk money. As all three players are entering their third season in Seattle, they're still on their rookie contracts. Releasing all three players combined would carry a dead cap hit of just $146,933. Or about what you'd pay for a case of Marshawn Lynch Zipfizz energy drinks. The release would also save $1,030,000 for each player. Again, it's not a huge amount, but saving money is never a bad thing.
Defensive end Mike Morris
Morris got just 34 snaps, including 26 on defense, as a rookie. A shoulder injury in the opening game against the Rams took him out for the season. Considering that he got 26 snaps on defense in his first pro game, he was obviously counted on to contribute. He had three tackles and two defensive stops in the game.
When he returned last season, he was even further down the depth chart. Leonard Williams came to Seattle in Week 9 of 2023, and rookie Byron Murphy II was drafted in 2024. Morris got just 70 snaps on defense and was largely relegated to special teams.
With Byron Murphy projected to play less at nose, the arrival of Demarcus Lawrence, and the possibility of a trade for Trey Hendrickson, I see Morris getting squeezed out.
Safety Jerrick Reed II
Jerrick Reed is the anomaly here. He got 157 snaps on special teams and another 29 on defense in his rookie season. Life was good until he was injured in Week 10 versus the Rams. His torn ACL kept him off the field until Week 8 last season against the Bills.
By the time he got back on the field, Coby Bryant had cemented the spot as the starting strong safety. Reed missed the final four games of 2024 as well. If that wasn't enough of a challenge to overcome, rookie Nick Emmanwori shows glimmers of being Kam Chancellor 2.0. Reed plays the same way, but he's 25 pounds lighter.
Jerrick Reed is half man / half motor, and all heart, but I can't see him sticking on the team this season.
Running back Kenny McIntosh
McIntosh didn't see the field until Week 12 as a rookie, and then only got 13 snaps on special teams for the year. Mired behind the Seahawks' dynamic tandem of Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet, there wasn't much to separate the former seventh-round pick from his peers. Unfortunately for KMc, his competition wasn't Eddie "I never pass the buffet" Lacy.
Last year, Walker missed six games. McIntosh looked good when he stepped in for him, but the team still turned to Charbonnet for the bulk of the carries. And now things have become that much tougher for McIntosh. Seattle drafted gifted running back Damien Martinez this year, and he is a hammer.
It's almost impossible to find a source that doesn't say Martinez was the best value pick for Seattle. With Klint Kubiak adding a fullback to the roster, it's even less likely that the Seahawks will carry four running backs this year.
All that being said, the new guys need to show up in training camp, too. The new arrivals on the defensive front need to play up to the standards of the Big Cat. Emmanwori needs to show he has consistent greatness. If Walker misses time, McIntosh could be a critical player for Seattle. They can all make it, sure. But they face bigger challenges than ever this year.