Seattle Seahawks on Roster Bubble Entering Training Camp

With a new coaching staff ready to put together the best roster possible, returning Seahawks veterans such as Darrell Taylor will have much to prove.
Entering the final year of their respective contracts, Stone Forsythe and Darrell Taylor could be squarely on the roster bubble for the Seattle Seahawks.
Entering the final year of their respective contracts, Stone Forsythe and Darrell Taylor could be squarely on the roster bubble for the Seattle Seahawks. /
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After months of anticipation, the Seattle Seahawks will open their first training camp under the direction of new coach Mike Macdonald on July 24 with plenty of buzz surrounding the franchise entering a new era.

Looking towards the 2024 season, which Seahawk faces the most pressure to stick on the roster with a new coaching staff at the helm? Our writing staff dished out their picks examining which player they believe could be on the hottest seat heading into training camp:

Darrell Taylor

With 21.5 sacks over the past three seasons, Taylor has flashed brilliance at times as a pass-rushing threat. Despite his excellent athletic traits and ability to rocket past blockers as a speed rusher, he has lost his starting job during the season two consecutive years due to poor play as a run defender and wildly inconsistent performance in terms of pressures and winning pass rush reps. With veteran Dre’Mont Jones expected to play more off the edge and Uchenna Nwosu back fully healthy - if he can’t show improvement as an all-around player - his spot could be in jeopardy with the new coaching staff having no allegiance to him. -Corbin Smith

Anthony Bradford

Seattle’s biggest weakness heading into training camp is their interior offensive line, where three new starters will be sent out in Week 1 at guard and center. Bradford held his own at times as a fourth-round rookie last year but his metrics made him look like half of a quality guard. He mauls in the run game but is a liability in pass protection, giving up 28 pressures last year. If guys like McClendon Curtis and Christian Haynes surpass him as more balanced guards, Bradford could be the odd man out. If there's good news, he won't miss any time in camp after passing his physical and avoiding being out on the NFI list. -Nick Lee

Coby Bryant

Bryant's best bet to become a contributor with the Seahawks is to make a successful transition to safety. There is simply little to no room in Seattle's cornerback corps, especially after it drafted Auburn rookies DJ James and Nehemiah Pritchett. Even at the safety position, Bryant will have to standout from fifth-year free agent signing K'Von Wallace, second-year defensive back Jerrick Reed II and other young players to earn a spot on the roster. Bryant was productive as a rookie, posting 70 total tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks, four passes defensed and four forced fumbles. However, he struggled in coverage, allowing 50 catches for 515 yards and two touchdowns, according to Pro Football Focus. In 2023, he played in just nine games after missing a month of the season due to a toe injury, and he struggled to work back into the defensive lineup with rookie Devon Witherspoon controlling slot corner duties. Bryant has a lot of work to do in training camp to find his place with the Seahawks. -Connor Benintendi

Dee Eskridge

Coming out of Western Michigan, I was so high on Eskridge that some colleagues made fun of me for giving him and Ja'Marr Chase similar grades. Needless to say, I have been far from correct on his development and he is firmly on the bubble this year after catching zero passes in 2023. Competition for a roster spot will be intense with the likes of Jake Bobo, Dareke Young, and Laviska Shenault Jr. all in the mix. What makes Eskridge remain intriguing going into his fourth season, however, is the addition of offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb. His concepts help maximize space and allow players to run in open space, something that Eskridge excelled in during his college career. Is it too late to capture what made him great for Western Michigan? It might be, but Eskridge has five weeks to prove it's not. -Tyler Forness

Check out bubble candidates for all 32 NFL teams via Sports Illustrated team reporters here.


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Corbin K. Smith

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.

Connor Benintendi

CONNOR BENINTENDI

Nick Lee

NICK LEE

Nick Lee grew in San Diego, California and graduated from Brigham Young University-Idaho in 2017. He married a Washington native and moved to the Pacific Northwest after 2014. He began his writing career for Bolt Beat on Fansided in 2015 while also coaching high school football locally in Olympia, Washington. A husband and father of a two-year old son, he writes for East Village Times covering the San Diego Padres as well as Vanquish the Foe of SB Nation, covering the BYU Cougars. He joined Seahawk Maven in August 2018 and is a cohost of the Locked on Seahawks podcast. 

Tyler Forness

TYLER FORNESS