The Seattle Seahawks open the 2020 season on the road at the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 13. 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 postseason. Seattle has 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:
QUARTERBACK (2): Russell Wilson, Geno Smith
Wilson's durability allows the Seahawks to carry only two quarterbacks on their active roster, and Smith is in no danger of losing the backup job to Danny Etling or undrafted rookie Anthony Gordon. Those two could be competing for a spot on the practice squad.
RUNNING BACK (4): Chris Carson, Carlos Hyde, DeeJay Dallas, Travis Homer
Rashaad Penny is still on the physically unable to perform list as he works his way back from ACL surgery, and the Seahawks' expectation all along has been that he'd likely begin the season on PUP. That's why they added Hyde as an early-down complement to Carson, who's coming off a season-ending hip injury. Dallas, a fourth-round pick, is in line for third-down work, and Homer looks like a safe bet to claim the fourth running back spot. Seattle's backfield could get crowded when Penny comes back.
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 can find. That salary could become guaranteed if Bellore is on the roster in Week 1, so you could see the Seahawks cut him and then bring him back, like they've done with veteran players in the past. Either way, Bellore's value is more on special teams than at fullback, where he only averaged about two offensive snaps per game last season.
WIDE RECEIVER (5): Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf, David Moore, Phillip Dorsett, Paul Richardson
The top two spots are set with Lockett and Metcalf, who have a chance to become the only pair of Seahawks wide receivers besides Joey Galloway and Brian Blades in 1995 to each top 1,000 yards in the same season. They key for Metcalf will be staying healthy; he couldn't do that in college, but he didn't miss a game as an NFL rookie. It's wide open behind them with Dorsett, Moore and potentially Richardson vying for the No. 3 job. Cody Thompson is a name to watch for one of the final spots, but he was slowed by an injury after a hot start to camp. John Ursua and rookie sixth-round pick Freddie Swain don't make the cut in this projection.
TIGHT END (4): Greg Olsen, Will Dissly, Jacob Hollister, Luke Willson
Olsen has looked healthy and spry, a good sign that the three-time Pro Bowler can still be a difference-maker at 35 years old. Also encouraging: He seems to have developed a nice rapport with Wilson. Dissly has come back strong from his second major injury in as many NFL seasons, so there's no doubt he'll be ready by Week 1. Still, their injury histories could be enough to justify paying $3.259 million to Hollister, who's the surest thing Seattle has at tight end. Fourth-round pick Colby Parkinson (foot) is a candidate to begin the season on the non-football injury list. That would open the door for Willson -- or maybe undrafted free agent Tyler Mabry -- to make it as the fourth tight end.
OFFENSIVE LINE (9): Duane Brown, Mike Iupati, Ethan Pocic, Damien Lewis, Brandon Shell, Cedric Ogbuehi, Jamarco Jones, Phil Haynes, B.J. Finney
The only undetermined starting spot appears to be center, where Pocic is now the favorite over Finney. That's a surprise given that the Seahawks gave Finney a two-year, $8 million deal in March. They wouldn't save any cash or cap space in 2020 by releasing him, so expect him to remain on the team even if Pocic starts. Multiple players have cited Lewis, a rookie third-round pick, as a summer standout. He and Shell will give the Seahawks two new starters on the right side of the line.
DEFENSIVE LINE (9): Rasheem Green, Jarran Reed, Poona Ford, Benson Mayowa, L.J. Collier, Darrell Taylor, Alton Robinson, Bryan Mone, Demarcus Christmas
This group will also include Bruce Irvin in passing situations. With no obvious primary pass-rushing threat like Jadeveon Clowney, the Seahawks need Irvin to give them something close to the career-best 8.5 sacks he got last year in Carolina. Taylor has been dealing with a leg injury since college, so early expectations of the second-round pick should be tempered, even if he begins the season on the active roster. With Taylor's injury and suspect depth behind Reed and Ford, defensive end and tackle are areas where Seattle could make an addition. They haven't ruled out Clowney, but he'd have to sign for significantly less than what he already turned down from Seattle.
LINEBACKER (7): Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright, Bruce Irvin, Jordyn Brooks, Cody Barton, Ben Burr-Kirven, Shaquem Griffin
Brooks, the Seahawks' first-round pick, is competing with Wright for playing time at the weakside spot. Even if Wright hangs on to the starting job, expect Brooks to see the field, perhaps in situations where the Seahawks need his speed more than Wright's experience. Irvin will play on the strong side on early downs. Could the addition of other playmakers on defense and a less base-heavy approach help Wagner get back into the conversation for defensive player of the year?
CORNERBACK (5): Shaquill Griffin, Quinton Dunbar, Tre Flowers, Ugo Amadi, Neiko Thorpe
Dunbar caught a massive break when his armed-robbery charges were dropped, but an NFL suspension is still a possibility. Dunbar and Griffin, who made the Pro Bowl as an alternate last season, give the Seahawks a strong cornerback tandem with a solid No. 3 in Flowers. Thorpe ($137,500 guaranteed) is on the bubble, but his experience and special-teams value give him an edge. Amadi is a candidate to share nickelback duties with Marquise Blair.
SAFETY (4): Jamal Adams, Quandre Diggs, Marquise Blair, Chris Miller
Adams gives the Seahawks' secondary the type of All-Pro talent and alpha personality it hasn't had since the Legion of Boom days. Blair would have competed with Bradley McDougald to start at strong safety had it not been for the Adams trade. Instead, he's in line to play nickelback -- likely against bigger slot receivers and athletic tight ends. 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.
SPECIALIST (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.