The Seattle Seahawks open training camp July 31 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton, Washington. The Seahawks hope to advance past the divisional round of the playoffs for the first time since 2014 and have hired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron from the Los Angeles Rams in an attempt to do that. The Seahawks have made the playoffs in nine of Pete Carroll's 11 seasons as head coach and eight of nine years since drafting quarterback Russell Wilson.
Here's a 53-man roster projection:
QUARTERBACK (2): Russell Wilson, Geno Smith
The system that Waldron is implementing looks like it will be Wilson-friendly in at least two ways: with its increased usage of tempo (something the QB has long endorsed) and a greater emphasis on short-to-intermediate throws (which should reduce the number of hits he takes, at least in theory). The Seahawks and Wilson are in a much better place since their early offseason drama, but it's too soon to say that it's resolved for good.
RUNNING BACK (5): Chris Carson, Rashaad Penny, Alex Collins, DeeJay Dallas, Nick Bellore
Carson will remain the lead back after testing free agency and returning on a two-year deal. The Seahawks hope Penny can re-emerge as a strong complementary option like he was starting to become in 2019 before tearing his ACL, though he needed a recent cleanup procedure that sidelined him during the offseason program. Bellore, Seattle's lone fullback and a Pro Bowl selection last year as a special teamer, is a virtual lock to make the team with a new deal that includes $1.2 million in guarantees.
WIDE RECEIVER (5): Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf, D'Wayne Eskridge, Penny Hart, Freddie Swain
Few teams can boast a better duo at wide receiver than Lockett and Metcalf, who became only the second pair of receivers in franchise history to top 1,000 yards in the same season last year. Eskridge has been the presumed favorite for the No. 3 role, but the second-round pick missed a lot of reps during the offseason program with a bothersome toe.
TIGHT END (4): Gerald Everett, Will Dissly, Colby Parkinson, Tyler Mabry
Everett looks like a breakout candidate. His production has increased every year since his rookie season in 2017, he has familiarity with Waldron's system from their four years with the Rams, and he upgraded at quarterback from Jared Goff to Wilson. If Dissly can stay healthy for a second straight year and Parkinson, last year's fourth-round pick, can add something, this could be one of the Seahawks' stronger position groups. They're also high on Mabry, a 2020 UDFA.
OFFENSIVE LINE (9): Duane Brown, Damien Lewis, Ethan Pocic, Gabe Jackson, Brandon Shell, Cedric Ogbuehi, Jordan Simmons, Kyle Fuller, Stone Forsythe
Jackson, acquired via trade with the Las Vegas Raiders, is the lone change from last year's starting five. The Seahawks hope his addition and Waldron's scheme will alleviate the pass-protection issues that contributed to Wilson's frustration. Over the last four years, the Rams ranked fourth in ESPN's Pass Block Win Rate and allowed the third-fewest sacks.
DEFENSIVE LINE (10): Carlos Dunlap, Al Woods, Poona Ford, L.J. Collier, Kerry Hyder Jr., Benson Mayowa, Rasheem Green, Alton Robinson, Bryan Mone, Robert Nkemdiche
The Seahawks are as deep on the edge as they've been since their 2013 Super Bowl championship team. That should help them manage Dunlap's snaps and keep the 32-year-old fresh. It also makes Aldon Smith much more of a potential luxury than a necessity. His minimum-salary contract and latest legal troubles have him on the bubble.
LINEBACKER (5): Bobby Wagner, Jordyn Brooks, Darrell Taylor, Cody Barton, Ben Burr-Kirven
Brooks and Taylor make up the Seahawks' post-K.J. Wright succession plan at linebacker on either side of perennial All-Pro Wagner. Their hope is that their top two picks from 2020 add speed, youth and, in Taylor's case, more of a pass-rushing presence to their linebacker corps.
CORNERBACK (5): Ahkello Witherspoon, D.J. Reed, Tre Flowers, Tre Brown, Damarious Randall
Pierre Desir, Jordan Miller or someone else could beat out Randall and/or Flowers, whose $2.2 million salary might make him vulnerable if he doesn't win back his old starting job. Either way, it's not going to change the fact that the Seahawks' current options on the outside make this their iffiest position group. Does GM John Schneider have another big summer trade in him a la Sheldon Richardson, Jadeveon Clowney and Jamal Adams?
SAFETY (5): Jamal Adams, Quandre Diggs, Marquise Blair, Ryan Neal, Ugo Amadi
If the Seahawks can't find an upgrade at cornerback, they can at least hope their Pro Bowl safety duo of Adams and Diggs will provide some cover. The organization has been confident that it will get a deal done with Adams, even if it takes all of training camp. Blair and Amadi will again play nickelback, which could be a strength depending on how close to full speed Blair is coming off his ACL tear from last September.
SPECIALISTS (3): Jason Myers, Michael Dickson, Tyler Ott
This trio returns after helping lead the Seahawks to a No. 3 ranking in Football Outsiders' DVOA ratings for special teams. Myers went 24-of-24 on field-goal tries, Dickson continued to punt well enough to earn a contract extension and Ott made the Pro Bowl as a long-snapper.