Here are the big decisions Seahawks face as they prepare to pare down roster

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Once the Seahawks touched down in Seattle following Saturday’s 19-15 loss against Green Bay in the preseason finale, the decisions began on who to cut and who to keep.

The Seahawks, like every other NFL team, must pare their 90-man training camp roster to 53 by 1 p.m. Tuesday .

The Seahawks began that process Sunday by waiving seven players: tight end Sal Cannella, defensive end Jordan Ferguson, receivers Malik Flowers and Justin Marshall, cornerbacks Benjie Franklin and Chris Steele and running back Wayne Taulapapa. Taulapapa played last year at the University of Washington.

There are even tougher decisions ahead for Seattle.

Here is a look at the position groups that might result in some of the team’s more difficult decisions.

Receiver

Jake Bobo doesn’t seem like a tough decision at this point, even if he said he was nervous about the coming cutdown day, saying, “I’ve had that day circled on my calendar for a while.’’

At this point, the surprise would be if he didn’t make the roster.

Assuming that Bobo is the fourth WR after the sure-thing trio of DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba (who we assume will not need to go on injured reserve despite his recent wrist surgery), the question is how many other receivers will the Seahawks keep?

Here is where it might be worth a reminder of how waivers work. Players with fewer than four years of accrued seasons are subject to waivers, meaning for a 24-hour period after they are released any team in the NFL can claim them. Those teams would have to put them on their 53-man roster, meaning they would have to get rid of one of their players.

In a typical year, only about 35 to 40 players are claimed in the initial waiver period throughout the league.

The 2013 Super Bowl-champion Seahawks, regarded as having one of the deepest rosters in NFL history, had four players they released claimed off waivers in the initial period. Since then, it’s usually been only one or two. Last year, they didn’t have any players claimed off waivers.

While there is much discussion of waiver-claim players, it’s worth remembering they are all players on the cusp of barely making a roster. Last year, the Seahawks claimed two players off waivers in the initial period, cornerback Isaiah Dunn and defensive end Darryl Johnson. Neither is still with the team.

That is part of the game teams play at this point, trying to guess which of their players might be claimed off waivers and those who will not. Once a player clears waivers, he can be signed to the 16-man practice squad, or back to the 53-man roster.

Do the Seahawks have any receivers other than their top three and Bobo who might be claimed off waivers?

That is what the Seahawks will have to figure out.

With Dee Eskridge suspended for the first six games and Dareke Young and Cody Thompson each dealing with injury issues, the fifth receiver at this point might be one of Easop Winston Jr., Cade Johnson or Matt Landers. But would any be claimed by another team?

The Seahawks could take that gamble as they try to keep players at some other spots.

Which leads us to …

Offensive line

The Seahawks have a set top nine at this spot – starters Charles Cross (LT), Abe Lucas (RT), Evan Brown (center), Damien Lewis (LG) and Phil Haynes (RG), and backups Jake Curhan, Olu Oluwatimi, Anthony Bradford and Stone Forsythe.

Given what is perceived to be a dearth of offensive linemen throughout the league, the Seahawks might err on the side of keeping all of the OLs they view as viable and take a chance at a player at another spot skipping through. Even though Forsythe didn’t appear to have a great preseason, the Seahawks may not want to risk losing him.

Considering that the starters, Curhan, Oluwatimi and Bradford all seem like sure keepers, Forsythe might be the one to watch here.

Defensive line

The question here is simply one of health. We saw nothing of rookie nose tackle Cameron Young in the preseason and only one game of rookie end Mike Morris. Both are a big part of the Seahawks’ future, and the injuries don’t appear season threatening. They might have to make some moves at other spots to keep both on the initial 53-man and then put either or both on injured reserve, where they would have to miss only four games before returning. Players placed on injured reserve before the initial 53-man roster is set have to sit out the entire season.

The Seahawks appear set to keep nose tackles Bryan Mone and Austin Faoliu on the physically unable to perform list to start the season, meaning they would be eligible to return after four games.

The Seahawks will surely peruse the waiver wires to see if any nose tackles or defensive ends become available who could provide immediate help given that it’s unclear if any of Young, Mone or Faoliu will be available to start the year.

Linebacker

What to make of the crowded inside linebacker situation? Nothing really seemed to be settled Saturday.

The Seahawks have a decision to make for the final few spots at inside linebacker after Bobby Wagner, Jordyn Brooks and Devin Bush.

Bush suffered a concussion in Saturday’s game, which might complicate things .

Assuming he’s OK, the Seahawks have a set top three with the question being if they want to keep four or more. And that would mean a choice of one or two of Jon Rhattigan, Ben Burr-Kirven and Patrick O’Connell.

O’Connell, an undrafted rookie free agent from Montana, finished the preseason with 17 tackles, second on the team behind the 25 of Rhattigan.

Burr-Kirven had 10 tackles in the preseason. He appeared to practice every day once he was re-signed in late July, showing he has moved on from the knee injury in 2021 that cost him two seasons.

Burr-Kirven is a vested vet, meaning the Seahawks could release him and he would not be subject to waivers. That might be one way to solve whatever number crunch the Seahawks feel they have.

Secondary

The Seahawks have lots of questions in the secondary.

But in terms of who will make the initial 53, the questions are mostly about who is healthy. Joey Blount, who seemed in line for a spot, suffered a shoulder injury Saturday that could impact his status. Rookie Jerrick Reed II, a sixth-round pick, had four tackles and garnered the best defensive grade from Pro Football Focus at 90.4, just ahead of the 85.7 of cornerback Artie Burns.

Either or both could make a tough decision for the Seahawks.