Seahawks Vs. Rams Injury Update: Full Strength in D-Line?

It's too early to know whether the Seattle Seahawks will have all hands on deck defensively up front in their regular-season opener against the Rams, but practice brings positive signs.

Now near the kicking off of the 2023 season, the Seattle Seahawks welcomed back several key defensive linemen from injury in Monday's practice session, creating optimism the group could be back at full strength on Sunday.

Among the players who were seen wearing a helmet and participating during the team stretch period open to reporters, edge rushers Darrell Taylor and Derick Hall as well as rookie defensive tackles Mike Morris and Cameron Young were all active after missing time recently due to injury.

With Monday's practice being a light, walkthrough-oriented one, time will tell whether or not players such as Taylor, Young, and Morris, who each missed multiple weeks during training camp and the preseason, will be ready to play against the Rams in Week 1. But the fact that none of those players landed on short-term injured reserve is a positive development on its own, indicating the Seahawks expect them to be back in action in the near future.

From an experience standpoint, getting Taylor back in time for Sunday's contest would be a major boost for Seattle's pass rush, as he finished tied for the team lead last season with 9.5 sacks despite playing 58 fewer defense snaps than he did the season prior. The explosive fourth-year rusher has been nursing a shoulder strain and hadn't practiced since way back on August 3.

But while getting Taylor back on the field to chase after Matthew Stafford would be significant news, the potential return of Morris and Young may be even more important for the Seahawks. After overhauling their defensive line in the offseason, the two rookies will be expected to contribute right away for a group with legitimate depth concerns.

As things stand, Seattle will begin the season with veteran Jarran Reed starting at the nose tackle spot. Behind him, the team will be counting on Young, a fourth-round pick out of Mississippi State, to be able to play immediate snaps as a rookie with veterans Bryan Mone and Austin Faoliu on the PUP list recovering from knee injuries and set to miss at least the first four games. Former West Florida standout and Tacoma native Matt Gotel is on the practice squad and could be called up if needed.

Mike Morris hasn't played since Seattle's preseason opener against Minnesota, but he did practice in some capacity on Monday, presenting optimism he could be ready to return as soon as Sunday

At the 3-tech defensive end spots, free agent prize Dre'Mont Jones and veteran Mario Edwards, who signed with the Seahawks in May, will start sandwiched around Reed. Rotation-wise, the team only has two other ends on the roster in third-year pro Myles Adams and Morris, who underwent a procedure on his shoulder and missed the final two preseason games last month.

Given the lack of depth without any other defensive ends on the practice squad currently, having Morris available would be a difference maker for Seattle come Sunday, as the fifth-round pick out of Michigan should see plenty of action in his NFL debut. But if he's not quite ready to play, the team may have to make a quick roster move bringing back Jacob Sykes or Roderick Perry, two players who spent all of training camp with the team who recently were cut.

It's also possible Seattle could consider elevating Levi Bell from the practice squad, but at 5-11, 262 pounds, he's undersized to play the 3-tech position as a three-down option and would likely only be used in pass rushing situations. If Taylor is down, he's a more natural fit to suit up as edge rusher insurance.

As hinted by general manager John Schneider during his visit with reporters prior to Monday's practice, the Seahawks hope to have their roster ironed out for Sunday's game by Tuesday afternoon. Whether or not the team makes any moves along the defensive line could be telling in regard to the status of Taylor, Morris, and Young in regard to availability this weekend, but simply getting all three back on the practice field is a positive development and opens the door for them to play this weekend.