If Seahawks 53-man roster had same position count as 2023 Ravens
A 53-man roster projection based on Mike Macdonald's former team: Seaside Joe 1907
What if the Seahawks kept the same numbers at each position as the 2023 Baltimore Ravens did? This would make for some really difficult decisions, starting immediately with having to keep three quarterbacks.
I know that Mike Macdonald won’t repeat everything that the Ravens did during his tenure in Baltimore. I know that Macdonald only coached half of the team and didn’t make final decisions on position count. But rather than do a 53-man roster projection for no reason and with no rules, I would prefer to have a basis and philosophy for slotting names into positions because no matter how a writer approaches this exercise they will always get at least a few predictions wrong anyway.
This exercise also helps me stretch beyond traditional points of view on who the Seahawks will keep between the end of the preseason and Week 1 and to answer questions we didn’t necessarily know we should be asking like, “Do the Seahawks need another quarterback?” and “Would the Seahawks keep a fullback?”
And “How similar will the Seahawks be compared to Macdonald’s old stop?”
QB (3) - Geno Smith, Sam Howell, Tanner Mordecai*
Technically, the Ravens kept two quarterbacks initially but then added Josh Johnson right after final cuts because Tyler Huntley was hurt and essentially kept three QBs all season. The Seahawks don’t have a third quarterback on the roster right now so I had to look around the league for someone to pick up. There is no “right answer”, but Tanner Mordecai gives me something that few other quarterbacks who will be available can give me: Intel on Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers.
San Francisco signed Mordecai as an undrafted free agent but he’s got long odds to make the roster because the 49ers already have Brock Purdy, Brandon Allen, and Josh Dobbs ahead of him. Allen and Dobbs are likely to make the team, so Mordecai it is.
“Well, is Mordecai any good?”
It doesn’t matter. No quarterback picked up between now and the season is “any” good. Plus, this exercise helped me realize that the Seahawks don’t need a third quarterback; the best option to backup Geno is Howell because he’s experienced but he’s also young enough to have room to develop. Seattle doesn’t really need a veteran or a rookie added to the 53, the Seahawks are set at quarterback.