Kendall Randolph

Seahawks Set 53-Man Roster

A new-look running backs room and the continuation of one of the best stories of the preseason underline today’s announcements. The Seahawks had made some cuts in the days leading up to the deadline, but here are the remaining moves the team made to get down to 53 players:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

While not a shock, the established running backs group looks a bit different from last year. The sole returners, Kenneth Walker III and DeeJay Dallas, will be joined on the 53-roster by rookie draft picks Zach Charbonnet and Kenny McIntosh.

Undrafted rookie wide receiver Jake Bobo gets rewarded for his outstanding preseason performance and will be suiting up in Week 1 of the regular season. The UCLA standout could even earn some significant playing time early as rookie first-round pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba deals with a fractured wrist and Dareke Young and Cody Thompson also deal with injuries.

Veteran former first-round pick Artie Burns survives the final round of roster cuts. Finally healthy, Burns played well in the slot, moving inside as rookie first-round pick Devon Witherspoon dealt with injuries and Coby Bryant played a bit at safety.

Seahawks Add 25 UDFAs

Much like their division rivals in LA, the Seahawks signed a gigantic undrafted free agent class about two weeks after drafting 10 rookies in Kansas City. Here is the group of rookies looking to earn a roster spot this summer:

Adding Ahlers gives Seattle three quarterbacks on the roster. He started five games for the Pirates as a true freshman before starting every game for his hometown school for the next four years. The lefty left an indelible mark on Greenville, setting 10 school records and six conference records. He gives the Seahawks a strong third-string option behind Geno Smith and Drew Lock.

First-round pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba is likely to start alongside D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, but behind them, the Seahawks felt the need to bolster the receiving corps with some undrafted talent. Bobo had a standout year for the Bruins as a grad transfer from Duke. Landers also had a breakout year as a transfer after bouncing from Georgia to Toledo to Arkansas. He brings elite size at six-foot-5, 200 pounds. Johnson was one of Ahlers favorite targets at ECU, especially in the redzone, as evidenced by the 10 touchdowns between them last year.

The Seahawks have three strong contributors at safety after seeing Julian Love deliver a strong performance in relief of Jamal Adams last year. Still, Seattle felt the need to draft New Mexico safety Jerrick Reed II in the sixth round and sign four more safeties after the draft. All four bring some sort of versatility. Osling III covered a variety of roles over his six years in Los Angeles. Young and Sutherland can both shadow Adams as players who can split the difference in the hybrid role between safety and linebacker. Okada on the other hand can double in a nickel role, if needed.

With Carson Tinker and Tyler Ott‘s contracts expiring, the Seahawks didn’t have a long snapper on the roster. Stoll comes in as the de facto starter with about four months to show he can handle the job. He’s one of 35 rookies on the Seahawk’s 90-man roster (which currently holds 89 players). They should all have strong opportunities to find a roster spot with the chance they’ve been given this summer.