53-man Roster Projection: Pre-preseason

Will Jordyn Brooks return this week? Seaside Joe 1619

Pete Carroll told reporters on Sunday that linebacker Jordyn Brooks is “really close” to returning from PUP. Brooks, a really close friend of mine*, tore his ACL on New Year’s Day, making it very easy to figure out how long it has been since his injury:

Eight months, six days.

*Never met the guy, but I just think it would be funny if reporters started using descriptive phrases that were a bit more interesting and boastful like “a close friend of mine” or “a player who follows me back on Instagram”. In this case, it’s not true, but we know it could work for some people who cover the team so I’m getting the ball rolling for them.

A 2019 study published in the National Library of Medicine, examining NFL cases between 2009 and 2015, put the average time to return from a torn ACL at 50 weeks. I know there are “advancements in medicine” and all that, but I would be surprised if something dramatic has changed in the last few years with regards to surgery and rehabiliation to recovery for an ACL.

So the average is one year, but if Brooks returns to practice this week or next week, which seems increasingly likely, it won’t be unheard of to return in under nine months. Receiver Amari Rodgers recovered from a torn ACL in 23 weeks. (But never recovered from being in Aaron Rodgers’ doghouse.)

I have heard Pete Carroll speak on countless injuries—it is not an exaggeration to say that the number could be over 1,000 by now—and I have no reason to think that he’d be speaking on Brooks this way if he didn’t expect him to be ready for the first month of the season in some capacity. With Jamal Adams, I’m not as certain, but Pete’s at least been consistent about saying that the Seahawks won’t rule it out.

Remember, it’s not just about whether Adams and Brooks can play in Week 1 against the Rams. There’s also Week 2 against the Lions. And Week 3 against the Panthers. And Week 4 against the Giants.

It’s like learning to count and finding out that there are numbers after 10.

“There’s 11. There’s 12. There’s 45. And don’t even get me started on 112!”

Jamal Adams also needs to practice. It’s been 11 months since his last football-related activity, so the sooner he’s running around doing fake football, the sooner he can be back to playing real football.

I posted a 53-man roster a week ago and decided to have Brooks and Adams both on it because I felt like a lot of people were running a “cheat code” to sneak two additional players in by placing them on PUP. But we don’t know if that will happen! With Brooks, a guy who does not follow me on social media and I would be terrified if he did, it’s really starting to sound like it won’t.

The previous 53-man roster was a bonus article for Regular Joes. This one is free!

But if you want to join the greatest Seahawks exclusive club in the world, I know that I’d be happy to have you there for as little as $5 per month or $55 for the entire year. If you tear your ACL—and I pray that you don’t—I can guarantee you’ll get Seahawks articles from Seaside Joe during every day of your journey to recovery.

There are also two bonus articles from Monday:

Training camp updates on Monday, including Dre’Mont Jones news

Seahawks first 2023 depth chart is released!

Offense

QB - Geno Smith, Drew Lock (2)

RB - Ken Walker III, Zach Charbonnet, Kenny McIntosh, DeeJay Dallas (4)

FB/ST - Nick Bellore, Dareke Young (2)

WR - Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jake Bobo*, Cody Thompson* (5)

TE - Will Dissly, Noah Fant, Colby Parkinson (3)

OL - Charles Cross, Damien Lewis, Evan Brown, Phil Haynes, Abe Lucas, Stone Forsythe, Olu Oluwatimi, Anthony Bradford, Jake Curhan (9)

Total - 25

*new additions

Suspended - Dee Eskridge

In a recent bonus article, I noted Jake Bobo and Cody Thompson as two standouts from training camp and the mock game last week. And I’ll repeat what I said then: It is highly improbable that either would become a valuable NFL receiver just because they made the final roster.

I want to clarify something I wrote in that post with regards to the fact that approximately two-thirds of all “#1, 2, and 3 receivers” (top-three on the depth chart) were drafted in the first three rounds:

My opinion is that this is largely related to draft investment and not necessarily talent. An undrafted free agent doesn’t have to just be as good as a starter, he needs to be better. Before he can even be better, he needs to get lucky and hope that a spot opens up for him to move up into.

Literally 100% of us want to see Jaxon Smith-Njigba play a lot this season, right? Unless some of you have the last name “Bobo” (in which case, welcome, please don’t leave, I’m sorry!), you don’t want to see Jake Bobo take his snaps. Well, owners and general managers also don’t take it well when their $20-$30 million first round investments don’t get playing time.

Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf, and JSN were third, second, and first round picks. With any luck, these three will be Seattle’s top-three receivers for at least two more seasons. At best, your fourth receiver can be a legitimate receiving threat (the suspended Dee Eskridge, who isn’t on this 53-man roster for that very reason), but your depth at the position has to be able to play special teams.

That’s why Jake Bobo is on this roster. I don’t care if Bobo catches 30 passes in the preseason (I mean, I won’t not care either), Bobo is on this projection because I could see him as Dareke Young insurance and for special teams abilities and for practicing hard with 100% effort.

However, Cody Thompson made it onto this list because Eskridge is suspended for the first six games of the season. I expect Eskridge to return and be on the roster in Week 8, but while he’s out, Thompson may end up as the insurance policy who takes his place.

I don’t think there are any “tough cuts” on offense. The next closest for me was Greg Eiland as a 10th offensive lineman, but Pete must feel unusually comfortable with his starters and depth going into the season.

Defense

DL - Dre’Mont Jones, Jarran Reed, Mario Edwards, Cameron Young, Myles Adams, Mike Morris (6)

ILB - Bobby Wagner, Jordyn Brooks, Devin Bush, Vi Jones (4)

OLB - Uchenna Nwosu, Boye Mafe, Darrell Taylor, Derick Hall, Tyreke Smith (5)

CB - Riq Woolen, Devon Witherspoon, Mike Jackson, Tre Brown (4)

S/DB - Quandre Diggs, Jamal Adams, Julian Love, Jerrick Reed II, Coby Bryant, Joey Blount (6)

Special Teams - K Jason Myers, P Michael Dickson, LS Chris Stoll

Total - 28

Forgive me for throwing special teams in there but just wanted to get those three out of the way now.

The final cut here was Artie Burns. The 2016 first round pick had a strong mock game and has been “healthy” enough for now, but for how long? He’s played in 24 of a possible 66 games in the last four years. Seattle has four players who they could start at outside cornerback right now, not including Burns, meaning that they could play any of them outside and then use their depth at safety/DB (Love, Adams, Reed, Bryant) to play nickel and inside.

If I could say for sure that Adams will be on PUP to start the season, then perhaps I would keep Burns.

Though I have my suspicions that Mike Morris isn’t what Pete had hoped so far, I won’t “cut him” just yet. There are definitely more players on defense than on offense that I’m not confident will make the final roster. I’m not too shy to say that Tyreke Smith and Vi Jones are among them. Pete was asked about Blount on Sunday and said that he really likes how he’s progressed from his rookie year to now. I still haven’t heard much on Jerrick Reed.

Sorry, I mean to say, I still haven’t heard much on Jerrick Reed, a pal and a confidant.

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