The Seattle Seahawks open training camp Tuesday at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton, Washington. The Seahawks hope to build on a 2019 season in which they won a playoff game and were less than a yard short (literally) of winning the NFC West title and having home-field advantage in the playoffs. The Seahawks have made the playoffs in eight of Pete Carroll's 10 seasons as head coach and seven of eight years since drafting quarterback Russell Wilson. Here's a 53-man roster projection.
QUARTERBACKS (2): Russell Wilson, Geno Smith
Wilson's durability allows the Seahawks to carry two quarterbacks on their active roster, and Smith is the clear favorite over undrafted rookie Anthony Gordon for the backup job. Things could get interesting in the event of an injury based on what coach Pete Carroll said recently about Colin Kaepernick.
RUNNING BACKS (4): Chris Carson, Carlos Hyde, DeeJay Dallas, Travis Homer
The strong possibility of Rashaad Penny (knee) beginning the season on the physically unable to perform list is why the Seahawks added Hyde as an early-down complement to Carson (hip), who's coming off a season-ending injury of his own. Dallas, a fourth-round pick, is in line for third-down work while Homer will have to fend off a pair of UDFAs for the fourth spot. The Seahawks talked with Marshawn Lynch and made an offer to Devonta Freeman before signing Hyde. Lynch would be an option in the event of another backfield emergency like last year's.
FULLBACK (1): Nick Bellore
Bellore is the only fullback on the roster, but his non-guaranteed $1.05 million salary means he's competing with whatever cheaper alternatives Seattle could find. Bellore only averaged about two offensive snaps per game last year. His value is on special teams, where he was third in playing time, and can play linebacker in a pinch.
WIDE RECEIVERS (5): Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf, David Moore, Phillip Dorsett II, John Ursua
Can Lockett and Metcalf become the only pair of Seahawks wide receivers other than Joey Galloway and Brian Blades in 1995 to each top 1,000 yards in the same season? Lockett (1,057) hit that mark for the first time in his career last year while Metcalf (900) made a run at it during his stellar rookie season. Seattle added Dorsett as competition with Moore for the No. 3 spot. With so many offseason reps eliminated because of the coronavirus pandemic, the odds are stacked against sixth-round pick Freddie Swain and other rookies fighting for spots on the bottom of the depth chart.
TIGHT ENDS (3): Greg Olsen, Jacob Hollister, Luke Willson
Could Seattle's third-leading receiver be a tight end? It's entirely possible with the pass-catching potential in this group, but availability is a concern. Olsen, a three-time Pro Bowler and Seattle's top offseason acquisition, is 35 years old and has missed a combined 18 games the past three seasons. Will Dissly (Achilles) and fourth-round pick Colby Parkinson (foot) are candidates to begin the season on the PUP and non-football injury list, respectively, which would help Willson. Tyler Mabry is a UDFA to watch. Cedric Ogbuehi can fill George Fant's old role as a hybrid extra tackle/tight end, allowing Seattle to carry only three true tight ends.
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (10): Duane Brown, Mike Iupati, B.J. Finney, Damien Lewis, Brandon Shell, Cedric Ogbuehi, Chance Warmack, Jamarco Jones, Phil Haynes, Ethan Pocic
Signing four offensive linemen in free agency and drafting another creates a numbers crunch here, with 17 players fighting for what could be 10 spots. Warmack is the only free-agent addition with no guarantees in his contract, but his low cap number ($750,000) and experience (51 career starts) work in his favor. He could start at right guard if Lewis, a third-round pick, isn't ready. If Haynes can beat out Iupati ($1 million guaranteed), Brown would be the only returning starter from last year. Joey Hunt's $2.133 million salary is high for a backup, which is why Pocic gets the nod for the final spot.
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (9): Rasheem Green, Jarran Reed, Poona Ford, Benson Mayowa, L.J. Collier, Darrell Taylor, Alton Robinson, Bryan Mone, Demarcus Christmas
Can this group -- which will include Bruce Irvin on third down -- generate more of a pass-rush even without its top guy from last season, Jadeveon Clowney? The Seahawks think so, but a lot will have to go right. Defensive tackle is an area where Seattle could make a low-cost addition, given the thin depth there.
LINEBACKERS (7): Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright, Bruce Irvin, Jordyn Brooks, Cody Barton, Ben Burr-Kirven, Shaquem Griffin
Brooks, the Seahawks' first-round pick, is expected to have a big role as a rookie despite a relative surplus at linebacker. He could start at weak side if Wright (shoulder) isn't ready coming off surgery or if Seattle moves its longest-tenured player to the strong side, where Irvin has been the projected starter on early downs. The only certainty is that Wagner will be starting in the middle. Can he get back into the conversation for defensive player of the year?
CORNERBACKS (5): Shaquill Griffin, Quinton Dunbar, Tre Flowers, Ugo Amadi, Neiko Thorpe
Dunbar's availability is up in the air with his alleged armed-robbery case, which could lead to an NFL suspension regardless of the legal outcome. If he's in the fold, Seattle would have a strong cornerback tandem with him and Griffin, who made the Pro Bowl as an alternate last season. If not, the Seahawks would turn back to Flowers and hope he improves his ball skills. Thorpe ($137,500 guaranteed) is on the bubble, but his experience and special-teams value give him an edge.
SAFETIES (4): Quandre Diggs, Marquise Blair, Bradley McDougald, Chris Miller
One of the top battles of camp will be at strong safety, where Blair will try to unseat McDougald. If he does, McDougald's $5.4 million cap hit could be prohibitively high for a backup. Blair is also competing with Amadi for nickelback duties. How those players and others look once they finally get on the field will help Carroll determine how much nickel he wants to run after going base-heavy in 2019. Safety is one position where a UDFA like Miller or Josh Norwood could crack the roster. Miller beats out veteran Lano Hill for the final spot in this projection. His $10,000 signing bonus was tied for third-highest among Seattle's 17 UDFAs.
SPECIALISTS (3): Jason Myers, Michael Dickson, Tyler Ott
Myers had an up-and-down year after making the Pro Bowl with the Jets in 2018. The structure of the four-year contract he signed in 2019 means the Seahawks are pot committed to Myers through this season.