Seattle's 55 Man Roster Strategy

I felt compelled to respond to this, because I doubt anyone who reads this site doesn't also read Seahawks Insider:

But also, maybe they kept somebody like Brandon Coutu hoping that teams fill out their practice squads and active rosters this week, then they will cut him next week and try to slide them onto their practice squad after everybody else's is full. Or, if they happen to find a punt returner, they do the same thing with Forsett.

That idea doesn't survive scrutiny. 53 is a limit on a team's roster size. A roster is never "set". Neither is a practice squad, which may be added to or subtracted from at any time. Justin Forsett and Brandon Coutu are no less exposed after week one than they are now, because teams are just as capable of signing a player off another team's practice squad then as they are now. Teams cut and sign new kickers and return-men every season.

Honestly, I don't think any strategy is at work. Unless Tim Ruskell slipped something into Jordan Babineaux's drink, the team didn't decide to have two of its players suspended. Those suspensions delay two decisions, buy Seattle time, but haven't circumvented the waiver system or the practice squad. The only real gain, time, might be useful for weathering an injury.

Believe it or not, Seattle might just keep two kickers. The combined best kickoff and field goal units in the NFL (Houston and Tennessee, respectively) were worth 16.6 points above average. Despite all the fawning over Brown, Seattle was worth a combined 0.2 points above average in those same categories. Tim Ruskell showed his cards - signing a kicker, drafting a kicker and drafting a long snapper - so why should we be surprised he's willing to commit an abnormal amount of resources to special teams?

And when Seattle makes its second wave of cuts, look for the players returning, not just Babs and Bernard but also Branch and Engram, to determine who's sent packing. My guess? Logan Payne and Howard Green.