Preseason games are another chance for coaches to decide who should make the team. Many of those decisions are made in training camp, of course, but if Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald is waiting to see how certain players do against other teams, he might have gotten an answer to one question on Thursday.
The Seattle Seahawks looked solid against Pete Carroll's Las Vegas Raiders team. Seattle led 13-3 in the second quarter when Seattle really began to dig into their roster. The rest of the way, the game was set up for players trying to hang onto a roster spot to prove they belong.
Before that, however, one Seattle running back might have cemented his spot on the team while another will likely find himself on the practice squad. George Holani looked like he could be a starter for Seattle, if he was needed to do that. Meanwhile, rookie Damien Martinez was apprehensive and slow to react.
Seattle Seahawks rookie Damien Martinez appears to be a step behind George Holani for RB3
The issue for Martinez is that the Seahawks are probably only going to keep three tailbacks. Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet are the clear top two. Kenny McIntosh might have been RB3, but he tore his ACL in training camp and will miss the season. That leaves the battle for the spot to Holani and Martinez.
In the first half alone, Holani produced three plays of 20-plus yards. He averaged nearly nine yards per rush. Martinez was averaging less than two with the same offensive linemen in front of him. This wasn't a case of a veteran versus a rookie, either. Holani has only spent one year in the league, and most of that was on the practice squad for Seattle.
Holani was also tasked with returning kicks, though he did not have the chance to do so. The Seattle Seahawks clearly like his versatility. That will also give him a leg up on Martinez for the RB3 spot.
To be fair, while George Holani went undrafted out of college in 2024, a big reason was that he suffered so many injuries in college. When healthy, he was extremely productive. He is healthy now, and his abilities seem to finally be translating to the NFL.
Damien Martinez certainly did nothing to make the Seattle Seahawks think the team should keep him over Holani. When final roster cuts are made in late August, Martinez will probably be the odd man out in the running back group.