TE Ed Dickson 'Ready to Go,' But Who Will Seahawks Cut to Activate Him?

With Ed Dickson nearing his return from injured reserve, Seattle must create space for the veteran tight end on the 53-man roster.

Following knee surgery way back in August, the Seahawks originally expected tight end Ed Dickson to return to practice within four or five weeks.

Unfortunately, Dickson's recovery took much longer than anticipated and Seattle placed him on injured reserve in Week 1, forcing him to miss the first eight or more weeks of the season.

With just seven games left on the 2019 schedule, the Seahawks have maintained hopes Dickson will be able to make an impact for the remainder of the season. With his recovery taking another step forward, he may have a chance to do just that.

In speaking with reporters prior to Thursday’s practice, coach Pete Carroll stated his veteran tight end should be ready to return to game action during Monday's marquee prime time game in San Francisco.

"He looks even better this week, I think his confidence of getting a week under his belt of practice," Carroll said. "He's ready, he's ready this week to go. If we can get him up there we'll do it. He's ready to help us now."

Before the Seahawks can remove Dickson from the injured reserve, they’ll need to decide which player to cut off their 53-man roster to create room for him. Even with three healthy tight ends, including Dickson, it’s unlikely that Seattle would subtract anyone from that unit.

However, with newly acquired Quandre Diggs nearing his Seahawks debut, corner Neiko Thorpe could be on his way out from the Pacific Northwest. The seventh-year cornerback is in his fourth season with the Seahawks and has never started a game or even recorded a single interception.

Thorpe has mainly been utilized on special teams throughout his four seasons with the Seahawks. During the six games he’s been active this year, Thorpe has produced just a pair of tackles that came against the Falcons in Week 8. This past Sunday at home against the Buccaneers, the Auburn graduate was on the field for just a single defensive snap.

Even if corners Shaquill Griffin or Tre Flowers were to sustain an injury at some point through the remainder of the season, fellow corners Jamar Taylor and Akeem King would be the primary choices over Thorpe to replace them anyway. Even considering his special teams prowess, Thorpe could definitely be a prime candidate to be released by the Seahawks upon Dickson’s activation.

Though unlikely, the presence of Diggs could also make Taylor expendable as a slot cornerback. Either way, it wouldn't be a surprise to see a defensive back cut to make room.

Only a few days after claiming Josh Gordon off waivers and releasing fourth-round pick Gary Jennings, another receiver could also be cut. Seattle still has seven wideouts on the roster, opening the door for either veteran Jaron Brown or a youngster such as Malik Turner or John Ursua to be on the chopping block.

Despite returning from injured reserve this week, Dickson likely won’t play a ton of snaps for the Seahawks against the 49ers or be a focal point in the passing game. With the impressive performance from fellow tight end Jacob Hollister, there’s no need to rush Dickson into extensive action.

Hollister, who hauled in a pair of touchdown passes against the Buccaneers, including the game-winning touchdown during overtime, has shown to be perfectly capable of serving as the primary tight end over a short period of time. Luke Willson has also been quite productive for the Seahawks since being brought back during Week 4, as the seventh-year tight end has caught eight receptions for a total of 79 yards.

Even without Will Dissly for the rest of the year, the Seahawks will have a very impressive group of tight ends to feature through the rest of the season and possibly the playoffs once Dickson gets fully up to speed.