Seahawks 90-Man Roster Primer: Cody Barton

Hurt by impressive talent in front of him, Barton hasn't had many chances to impress on defense in his first two years with Seattle. Will the ex-Utah standout emerge in his third season? Or will he be relegated exclusively to special teams again?

Corbin K. Smith | Jul 2, 2021

With the calendar flipping to July and offseason programs recently wrapping up, NFL training camps will begin around the league in less than a month. To celebrate the new incoming season, we will be breaking down the Seahawks' 90-man roster over the next several weeks, exploring best and worst case scenarios and what to expect from each player entering the 2021 campaign.

Cody Barton, Linebacker

Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 237 pounds

2020 Stats: 35 tackles, two forced fumbles in 16 games

Late in his rookie season, Barton earned four starts at strongside linebacker while replacing an injured Mychal Kendricks, including a pair of playoff starts. But despite playing fairly well in those games, the arrival of first-round pick Jordyn Brooks and return of veteran Bruce Irvin left him without a spot in Seattle's lineup and he was relegated largely to special teams in 2020. Though he saw the field for only 114 defensive snaps and started just two games, however, the former Utah standout starred on kick and punt coverage, leading the team with a whopping 17 special teams tackles and forcing a pair of fumbles. Back for his third season, he could be in the mix competing for reps at multiple linebacker roles.

Best Case Scenario: With Darrell Taylor enduring growing pains at strongside linebacker during camp and the preseason, Seattle turns to Barton, who capitalizes on the opportunity and surprisingly vaults into the starting lineup in Week 1 alongside Bobby Wagner and Brooks.

Worst Case Scenario: Stuck behind Brooks and Taylor on the depth chart, Barton logs less than 100 defensive snaps and doesn't come close to repeating his production on special teams from a year ago.

What to Expect in 2021: Based on his performance in six career starts, Barton has displayed enough upside as a tackler and in coverage to suggest he could start for a number of teams. But even without K.J. Wright, Seattle has one of the best linebacker corps in the league led by Wagner, a rising star in Brooks, and an intriguing hybrid SAM in Taylor, leaving few snap opportunities for him barring injuries. While coach Pete Carroll insinuated he will have a legitimate chance to compete for a starting role, it seems more likely he will once again serve as the team's primary backup at all three linebacker spots and remain an integral special teams player.

Previous Seahawks 90-Man Roster Primers

Published Jul 2, 2021

CORBIN K. SMITH

Graduating from Manchester College in 2012, Smith began his professional career as a high school Economics teacher in Indianapolis and launched his own NFL website covering the Seahawks as a hobby. After teaching and coaching high school football for five years, he transitioned to a full-time sports reporter in 2017, writing for USA Today's Seahawks Wire while continuing to produce the Legion of 12 podcast. He joined the Arena Group in August 2018 and also currently hosts the daily Locked On Seahawks podcast with Rob Rang and Nick Lee. Away from his coverage of the Seahawks and the NFL, Smith dabbles in standup comedy, is a heavy metal enthusiast and previously performed as lead vocalist for a metal band, and enjoys distance running and weight lifting. A habitual commuter, he resides with his wife Natalia in Colorado and spends extensive time reporting from his second residence in the Pacific Northwest.