Which bubble player are you most rooting to make the cut?

Who are the Seahawks bubble players at each position? Seaside Joe 2002

There will be a live game chat and a Seaside Joe article posted about tonight’s preseason game between the Seahawks and Browns, but we’re going to do things a little bit different this time: The Seahawks plan to play their starters against most of Cleveland’s starters (no Deshaun Watson), so what I’m going to do is publish a quick and immediate reaction to that part of the game after Mike Macdonald pulls the starters.

I don’t want there to be a two or three-hour gap between watching the starters play and us talking about how they did, so I’m just going to publish the “post-game article” while the game is still ongoing. You can use the comments to react to how the starters did, and any commentary you want to add about the game as it is ongoing if you don’t use the live chat function.

To summarize, at the start of the game join the Seaside Joe live chat by using the Substack app and entering the chat room at game time:

Live chat and commentary will be features for Regular Joes. That’s premium subscribers paying $5 per month or $55 for an entire year. Join here:

Then after the Seahawks pull their starting offense and defense, I’ll send out the “post-game” article. Then you’ll get some more immediate thoughts about how the starters did without having to wait 2 more hours through a slog of, well, the rest of a preseason game. Share your thoughts on how you think the starters did, or how the rest of the game is going, in the comments:

In the off chance that I would be unable to send the newsletter, plus I rarely ever wait until after 8 PM to send a newsletter so that kind of makes me nervous to wait that long, I decided to give Seahawks fans a little bit of side conversation related to final cuts that are coming on Tuesday.

I don’t think we need to have seen the final preseason game to already know which players on the roster bubble we are rooting for, so I want to open up the floor to the Seaside Joe community so you have one more chance to pound the table for your favorites.

What defines a player on the bubble?

Not an easy question to answer unless you’re on the Seahawks coaching staff.

But to me, a player on the bubble isn’t a lock to make the final 53 and isn’t so much of a long shot that we need to even root for him. Example: P.J. Walker making the roster would be too shocking to me, so I’m not going to put Walker “on the bubble” even though it is perfectly normal for teams to keep three QBs.

I’ll tell you my opinion of bubble players, position by position. And again, if you see a player, like a Kenny McIntosh or something, and you think, “No way he doesn’t make it!”, you may be 100% right, but I’m trying to be as open minded as possible.

QB - None

RB - Kenny McIntosh, George Holani

The Seahawks should most certainly keep one of these players. The questions are “Which one?” and “Why not both?”

TE - Brady Russell

Like you, I also think Russell has made the roster, especially given Seattle’s tight end injury issues right now. I’m just trying to be fair, as Russell was not on anyone’s mind at the start of camp despite being on the roster last year. I think A.J. Barner is a lock, while in my opinion Tyler Mabry and Jack Westover are for the practice squad. Saturday would be an opportunity for either of the two most recent signings (Devon Garrison, Michael Ezeike) to make their case for the practice squad.

WR - Dee Eskridge, Dareke Young, Easop Winston

I’m putting Laviska Shenault on the roster instead of the bubble. If the Seahawks keep six receivers, it would most likely be a special teams contributor, and any of these three could have a case for that.

OL - Stone Forsythe, McClendon Curtis, Raiqwon O’Neal, Ilm Manning, Satauo Laumea, Michael Jerrell, Garret Greenfield

If the Seahawks start 2024 with Abe Lucas on PUP, they’ll have an extra spot to keep someone. I count seven offensive linemen solidly locked into the final roster (assuming the team is happy with the players we think they’re happy with like Laken Tomlinson and Anthony Bradford) and then maybe they keep three of these seven names, maybe four? Curtis has spent so much time with the 1s, he feels fairly close to a lock too. I don’t see a Greenfield or a Manning make it, necessarily, but we’ve heard practically nothing of Seattle’s two sixth round rookies.

CB - Artie Burns, Nehemiah Pritchett, D.J. James

The Seahawks might be able to keep all three. I don’t consider Burns a lock, but then again, who is his real competition? If the Seahawks need a starting cornerback by Week 2 because of an injury, do they really want to play Nehemiah Pritchett? I may have talked myself into Burns as a lock. The Seahawks could have the best starting cornerback trio in the NFC, if not the NFL, but I’m not so sure about the depth here. It could take a year or two for anyone to be comfortable with a Pritchett or a James.

Returner - Dee Williams

Williams is listed as a corner, but is competing as a kick returner.

LB - Tyrice Knight, Jon Rhattigan, Drake Thomas, Michael Barrett, Patrick O’Connell, Blake Lynch

This is a LONG list for a SHORT list…As in, I can name seven linebackers behind the starters, but I don’t necessaerily want to see any of them on Sundays. Knight, yes, I’ll take him in 2025 or 2026, if all goes well in his development curve. I think he’s very close to a lock, I’m just being very safe so that I don’t have to come back here and explain why he wasn’t named on the bubble in the unlikely scenario that he’s cut. Rhattigan, the team might need to re-do his contract to save his job, because he doesn’t seem worth $3 million. Barrett, I mean, I’m not in Macdonald’s head, maybe he’s just that confident despite the context clues that Barrett isn’t going to make an NFL roster yet. This is a tough position to predict because you don’t necessarily want to see any of these players in a game right now.

Speaking of Knight, shoutout number two or number three for the Legion of 12s YouTube channel.

This is the type of Seahawks-specific Xs and Os content that fans have been waiting for and in my mind this is easily the most entertaining and informative and easy-to-watch of all the game explaining creators before him.

DL - Cameron Young (PUP), Mike Morris, Myles Adams

With a guy like Johnathan Hankins, there’s a part of me that really wonders if he is on the bubble because he’s simply not irreplaceable. However, his cap hit is under $2 million and there’s not another defensive tackle like him on the roster, especially with Young seemingly headed for PUP or IR. The Seahawks could and probably will keep at least six defensive linemen, meaning that both Morris and Adams would make it anyway.

S - Marquise Blair

I would count four safeties as a lock, including Coby Bryant, and then I’d say Jerrick Reed is going to land on PUP or IR. That only leaves Blair and it would be an upset if he makes the roster after being out of the NFL for a year. Did Macdonald unlock something in him with his scheme though?

EDGE - None

Darrell Taylor was the only edge rusher who I considered on the bubble. There appear to be four locks and three players trying to make the practice squad: Nelson Ceaser, Jamie Sheriff, and Sunny Anderson.

So that’s my list of bubble players, your list is probably different by at least a name or three. Just keep in mind that a name being here doesn’t mean I think he won’t make the team—I’d say at least half are names I DO think will make the team—just being generous as possible with what could happen.

Which Seahawks player on the bubble do you find yourself most rooting for to make the final 53-man roster and to stick around in Seattle for as long as possible? Share in the comments and we’ll see if there’s even maybe a consensus hovering around one or two names:

And remember: Live chat, mid-game preseason starters reaction article, leading into using the comments section for post-game takes on the exhibition finale. Share Seaside Joe with other Seahawks fans if you think they’d like it, get someone a gift subscription and you’ll be doing something nice for three people at once: You, them, and Seaside Joe.