5 Burning Questions For Seattle Seahawks Entering Preseason Week 2

The competition at right guard and running back is heating up, and new developments in the tight end room have the Seahawks needing questions answered against the Tennessee Titans.

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Easop Winston Jr. (13) runs after the catch when he beat Tennessee Titans running back Hassan Haskins (25) on the play at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park in Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday, Aug. 14 2024. This is the first day of the Titans joint practice with the Seattle Seahawks. / Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK

Following a competitive two-day joint practice arrangement with the Tennessee Titans, the Seattle Seahawks will face their Nashville foes in both teams’ second preseason game at 4 p.m. PDT on Saturday, Aug. 17.

The Seahawks will sit their starters, as head coach Mike Macdonald stated before the team flew out to Tennessee. The first team received most of the meaningful reps in practice, which presented a closed environment for Seattle to test the more intricate designs of its new schemes against another team without broadcasting it to the rest of the league.

As a result, there’s a bit less intrigue with this second preseason game, but there’s still plenty to watch out for over 60 minutes of football. Here are five questions we want answers to as the Seahawks take on the Titans.

1. Who will stand out at right guard?

For most of training camp, it seemed there wouldn’t be much drama at either guard position for the Seahawks. Third-round rookie Christian Haynes appeared well behind Anthony Bradford (fourth-round pick last season) at right guard, particularly because the latter was receiving the majority of the first-team reps in practice and ran with the starters in Seattle’s preseason opener against the Los Angeles Chargers.

That changed Thursday, as Haynes began taking first-team reps in the second practice of Seattle’s joint session with the Titans and performed well. After practice, Macdonald confirmed there was still a competition at that spot, adding “I wanted to see what Christian [Haynes] could do with the ones.”

Heading into Saturday, that battle will be one to watch closely. Haynes played 41 snaps in Week 1 while Bradford played 24, per Pro Football Focus — mostly with the starters. The Seahawks also may experiment with Bradford at right guard and Haynes at left guard, as Haynes played three of his snaps there against the Chargers. Seattle could opt for a youth movement, relinquishing veteran Laken Tomlinson to a backup role to begin the season.

2. Which wide receivers(s) will increase their stock?

So far in camp, 2022 seventh-round pick Dareke Young looks to be the favorite to snag a potential sixth wide receiver spot on Seattle’s 53-man roster, should the team keep that many (they probably will). However, Easop Winston Jr. and Cody White have performed well behind Young.

Winston and White each caught two passes for 30 yards in the 16-3 win over the Chargers, trailing Young (three receptions, 44 yards) and Laviska Shenault Jr. (two receptions, 31 yards). Shenault, with his added kick return capabilities, should be viewed as a roster lock as the fifth wide receiver.

Young, who is 6-2, 224 pounds and ran a 4.44 40-yard dash would be more difficult to release and retain on Seattle’s practice squad after final cuts with his athletic traits. Winston and White would be easier to re-sign, but if either posts a huge game against Tennessee, the competition could heat back up. Dee Eskridge, a 2021 second-round pick, was injured early this week and his status remains in question for Saturday. At this point, Eskridge needs every opportunity to re-enter the competition after a more-than-disappointing first three seasons of his career.

3. Who will take the lead in the competition for the third running back spot?

Aug 10, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Kenny McIntosh (25) runs the ball against Los Angeles Chargers safety AJ Finley (24) during the first quarter at SoFi Stadium. / Jonathan Hui-USA TODAY Sports

The Seahawks have nothing to worry about with their top two running backs unless Zach Charbonnet’s back injury results in an extended absence. But the battle for Seattle’s third running back spot has become increasingly spicy.

Undrafted rookie George Holani is pushing 2023 seventh-round pick Kenny McIntosh for the role, and may even be in the lead for that spot after taking first-team reps in joint practices. However, per The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta, McIntosh took lead reps in the final two-minute team period of Thursday’s practice.

McIntosh was Seattle’s fourth running back last season before DeeJay Dallas departed this offseason. He also suffered a knee injury that held him out for just over two months of the regular season.

McIntosh is a quality back who runs with a good blend of power, speed and quickness, but he struggles mightily with pass protection. Holani, on the other hand, has been excellent in pass pro and in laying blocks in the open field, while also being productive running the ball. The second preseason game is another opportunity, with starters out, to prove their worth.

4. Which defensive players on the roster bubble need to show up big?

A few notes first: Edge rusher Darrell Taylor and safety Coby Bryant will be players to watch, but neither is far out on the bubble at this point. Bryant played well in Seattle’s first preseason game, securing one interception and nearly snagging another, and Taylor is benefiting from there being no better fifth option on the Seahawks’ current roster.

Primarily, I will be watching how Auburn rookie cornerbacks Nehemiah Pritchett and DJ James handle an increase in snaps. James, particularly, is looking like a practice squad candidate to this point and will need to show up big in the final two weeks of the preseason if he wants to make the roster. Undrafted rookie Carlton Johnson has been pushing both of the rookie draft picks for playing time, and he may even be becoming the favorite to win the sixth cornerback spot.

The depth positions at inside linebacker also remain competitive, and it should be mostly bubble players getting the snaps in Week 2 outside of fourth-round rookie Tyrice Knight. Jon Rhattigan is also unlikely to play, opening the door for players like Patrick O’Connell, Blake Lynch, Drake Thomas, Easton Gibbs and Devin Richardson to get more game work.

5. How will tight end snaps be split up?

Aug 10, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner (88) gestures to teammates against the Los Angeles Chargers during the fourth quarter at SoFi Stadium. / Jonathan Hui-USA TODAY Sports

With Noah Fant not playing and Pharaoh Brown being carted off with an apparent knee injury on Thursday (Macdonald said it was a foot injury), Brady Russell, AJ Barner, Tyler Mabry and Jack Westover will split the tight end snaps on Saturday.

Russell was a roster lock even before Brown went down with an injury. He’s been too good in training camp and in his first preseason outing to let him go. Another team would absolutely scoop him off waivers if cut. Thus, I would expect most of the snaps to go to the following three, as Seattle tries to decide who will be the last one in.

Brown’s injury presents two wildly different possibilities for cutdown day: If it’s serious, the Seahawks could place him on injured reserve before cutdowns, ending his season but freeing up a roster spot. If Seattle expects Brown to be healthy during the season, they would have to place him on injured reserve after cutdowns to be able to activate him later.

The first scenario means Seattle likely keeps Fant, Russell and Barner (the fourth-round pick is likely to be scooped by another team) and places Mabry or Westover on the practice squad. The second scenario may force the Seahawks to keep four tight ends on its 53-man roster and, again, keep Mabry or Westover on the practice squad.

All that said, the real competition now appears to be between Mabry and Westover for who will be retained if they clear waivers. If one has a stellar performance, though, this conversation could completely shift.