Seahawks have potential TE star, but is it Noah Fant???
Grading all 4 Seahawks tight ends and projecting their futures with Seattle, 9/6/2024
For a team that ran the third-most 13 personnel plays in the league last season (Cardinals 106 plays in two-tight end sets, Ravens 97, Seahawks 86), you’d think that I would have spent more time worrying about the position in the offseason. However, for me this position had kind of fallen by the wayside in the midst of Seattle overhauling their entire coaching staff and re-thinking their philosophies on both sides of the ball.
I had expect the Seahawks to release Will Dissly, re-sign Colby Parkinson, and lose Noah Fant. The first thing happened, the next two were flip-flopped, but ultimately it feels to me like we’re left with a very similar tight ends room to 2023.
Fant is Fant, but Pharaoh Brown and Brady Russell are playing the roles of Dissly and Parkinson. Maybe.
I do not expect Grubb to run the third-highest rate of 13 personnel like Shane Waldron did. If his offense is anything like the Dolphins, and there are some signs to indicate a similarity, the Seahawks would cut their 13 personnel down to only one snap per game. That doesn’t leave much room for preseason standout Brady Russell.
But with Brown ruled out for Week 1 with a foot injury, Russell could end up seeing the field for Seattle almost immediately against the Broncos.
I thought it would be kind of impossible for me to meet my absurd goal of posting every position grade before Sunday, but then I’ve sort of become addicted to grading the Seahawks players one by one and using the “Close Your Eyes” test to imagine a future for each of them. I think because I surprisingly agree with most of the grades even though I don’t have any agenda when I start.
Part I: Running Backs
Part II: Wide receivers
Part III: Defensive Bigs
Part IV: Linebackers
Part VI: Interior O Bigs
Here are the four tight ends and their Close Your Eyes scores: