As the Seattle Seahawks enter their final warmups on Saturday night, they will give their offense and defense their most extensive preseason action as they face the Cleveland Browns in the final preseason game on home soil.
As coach Mike Macdonald confirmed after practice Thursday, quarterback Geno Smith will be among several starters who have not been on the field this preseason and will now make their first appearance. However, how many snaps the starters will play remains to be seen and will be decided on a player-by-player basis. Ultimately, Saturday’s home game will be most important for the bubble players trying to earn a spot on the 53-man roster and others who may not play in an NFL game again.
Who are the players fans should keep an eye on as the Seahawks head into their final preseason game? Six players to watch at Lumen Field:
Unlike the other players on this list, Smith isn’t fighting for a starting spot and/or a roster spot. However, he has yet to play a single snap in a game situation in Ryan Grubb’s offense, which creates plenty of excitement ahead of his 2024 debut on Saturday night. The veteran quarterback will have a chance to show fans why the early results on the practice field in Grubb’s scheme have been so promising, as he has shown great command of the system and played with plenty of confidence. He will likely be used for at least a series or two against the Browns with most of his talent and a handful of offensive linemen ahead of him. As long as Cleveland’s defensive front doesn’t screw things up, this will be a great opportunity for the gunslinger to shake off the rust and find some rhythm against a live defense for a short time before the season opener in two weeks. Fans will hope to see some explosive moments in the passing game and, most importantly, come out of the game injury-free.
While it’s close to midnight for Macdonald and his staff to name a starter at the right guard position, Haynes has been catching up to incumbent Anthony Bradford over the past two weeks, including not allowing any pressure in pass defense against the Titans last weekend. UConn’s third-round pick will face his biggest challenge yet against the Browns, as former Seahawks defensive tackles Shelby Harris and Quinton Jefferson, as well as freshman Mike Hall Jr., will be among the players likely to face him in the trenches when Saturday’s game begins. Given the stiffer competition, even if Cleveland starter Dalvin Tomlinson is unable to suit up, this will be Haynes’ biggest litmus test yet to see how he fares against Bradford as the team tries to determine who starts in the season opener, and a strong performance could catapult him into the lineup. If he also plays as a left guard, as he did in the first two preseason games, another storyline could develop in which he eventually displaces experienced starter Laken Tomlinson for playing time.
Even before Noah Fant and Pharaoh Brown suffered injuries that put their respective statuses in question for Seattle’s season opener, Russell seemed to have a secure spot on the final roster thanks to a stellar training camp and start to the preseason. Aside from being one of the Seahawks’ best all-around special teams players, his athleticism, soft hands and underrated blocking skills have been showcased frequently over the past month, including a 13-yard touchdown with multiple broken tackles in a win over the Chargers. Last week, he compensated for a bad drop with a fantastic display of his toe-drag swag to set up a field goal late in the first half. If he continues to shine as a receiver against the Browns while providing the flexibility to play multiple positions in Grubb’s offense, he has the opportunity to be more than just a core special teamer this season.
Undrafted rookies who are signed to an NFL roster more than a week after training camp begins often face impossible odds of sticking around beyond the preseason and mandatory cut date. But Sheriff has bucked that trend since strolling into town on Aug. 6. He’s made the most of his few appearances, impressing with a mix of verve and power as a pass rusher, generating seven pressures and one sack in the first two preseason games. Now that Darrell Taylor has been sent to Chicago, the former South Alabama star still has a slim chance of making Seattle’s 53-man roster, but another big performance against a solid Cleveland offensive line before the 12s could move him to the top of the list of prioritized practice squad signings and lay the groundwork for him to be ranked higher on multiple game days over the course of the regular season.
With Jerome Baker returning to practice later this week, Knight may not have to play any snaps on defense when the regular season begins. At the same time, Macdonald’s public comments suggest he hopes the fourth-round pick will be ready to play sooner rather than later, and he has shown noticeable development since training camp began in the first two preseason games. He played more than 40 snaps as a weakside linebacker against Tennessee last week, busting a block for a tackle for loss of yardage in KJ Wright-esque fashion and finishing the game with a team-best eight tackles. In doing so, he delivered a strong springboard audition and still has plenty of room to improve as a blitzer and in coverage. He will likely start alongside Tyrel Dodson on Saturday night, as will Haynes on offense. This will be the best competition the rookie has faced in a game thus far, giving him an opportunity to take another step forward and continue to earn the trust of Macdonald and his team.
Okada, who was on the edge, contributed to his goal of claiming one of the final spots on Seattle’s roster last weekend by taking several hard hits as a tackler and catching a pike interception with a bloody ear. Macdonald continued to praise him for his toughness. Earlier this week, his chances of sticking around as the fifth safety seemed questionable at best, but an injury to starter Rayshawn Jenkins during practice Wednesday has now led to a potential need for additional depth at the position ahead of the regular season. With Jenkins not expected to play Saturday and no timetable for his return at this time, another positive performance on defense and special teams could be enough to keep Okada over other backups as safety insurance is suddenly more important for the Seahawks.
