The Seahawks all-time 53-man roster, revealed

Field Gulls readers have spent the last week selecting the all-time 53-man roster for the Seattle Seahawks. Today: the reveal, at last.

After three wild-card defensive selections were added last week in intensely close balloting, we have reached a full complement of 53 Seahawks, a sparkling roster, overflowing with greatness and memories. From each era, too.

On the margins of the 53, a couple of very close calls bumped people like Chris Clemons and Rufus Porter to the practice squad. So a bit of controversy simmers.

The honorees are presented in depth-chart mode, with starters to the left. There are pictures. Get another cup of [insert choice beverage], tune out whichever family member is bothering you at today’s BBQ, sit down and soak in how many great men have worn the blue and green. And white. And grey.

Offense (25)

Quarterbacks (3)

Wilson was an automatic entrant; Hasselbeck won the poll. Krieg barely beat out Warren Moon for the third QB spot, which we’re using because it’s more fun to honor three guys than two.

Useful comparison stat: career Y/A

Wilson 8.0, Krieg 7.2, Hasselbeck 6.9. Krieg could sling it when necessary.

Running backs (3.5)

The intent, going in to the selection process, was to come away with four RBs and one FB. The voting led us to select three “true” running backs, one “true” fullback, and one hybrid.

Useful comparison stat: double-digit rushing TD seasons

Alexander 5, Lynch 4, Warner 3. All of Alexander’s five seasons featured 14 scores or more. All of the other guys’ best seasons topped out at 13.

Fullbacks (1.5)

While the use of the fullback has continued to decrease, historically it was quite important, and two men distinguished themselves the most at the position since 1976: Strong and Williams.

Michael Robinson took third place, with 11 percent of the vote.

Useful comparison stat: career games played

Strong is first in Seahawks history among offensive players, with 201, just edging out Largent’s 200 games played. Williams is 11th.

Tackles (3)

Few surprises. The Hall of Famer Jones is supported by Okung and Locklear, who were the two best other tackles on the Super Bowl teams.

Longtime right tackles Steve August and Howard Ballard just missed the cut. We’ll see them later when we get to the practice squad.

Guards (3)

Mild surprise here to see Sweezy on the list when half his career remains unwritten, and much of his performance here was maligned — fairly or not. Unfamiliarity with other guard names such as Edwin Bailey, Pete Kendall, Bryan Millard and Floyd Womack might have swung things in J.R.’s direction with newer voters. Nonetheless, congrats to Sweez on the honor.

Centers (2)

Tobeck took home 47 percent of the vote, Unger 35, and the rest of Seahawk history shared the remaining 18 percent. Clarity.

Tight ends (3)

A dynamic giant receiver, a versatile blocking-passing machine, and a tough guy who didn’t get the glory but did all the dirty work. Hard to imagine a better TE room.

Useful comparison stat: yards/game

They tell the story I just relayed. Graham is 1st with 56.6, Miller 4th with 22.8, and Tice 26th with 5.9 only, as befitted his role.

Wide receivers (6)

With room on the roster for six receivers, two automatic bids were given to Largent and Baldwin, and two polls, one from each half of Seahawk history, decided the other two. That’s how we got:

Useful comparison stat: total receptions

Largent is obviously 1st with 819, followed by Blades 2nd with 581, Jackson 4th with 441, Engram 5th with 399, Baldwin 6th with a very unfinished 368, Galloway 7th with 283. John L. is the only other Seahawk in the top seven in receptions. Knowingly or not, you prioritized volume.

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/intermission

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Defense (24)

Defensive ends (5)

Useful comparison stat: sacks, obviously

They go, Green 97.5 (1st), Sinclair 73.5 (2nd), Bryant 63 (3rd), Avril 33.5 (9th), Bennett 30.5 (10th). It’ll be interesting to see if any of the active guys catch Bryant, and even in which order they finish.

Defensive end was one category where it paid to be an old-timer. Though Bennett has shown himself to be able to swing inside when necessary. Which is why we can afford to carry only four...

Defensive tackles (4)

Useful comparison stat: Approximate Value

Among all Seahawks, not just D-linemen, Kennedy is 3rd in AV, Nash is 5th; with Mebane 24th and Adams 68th. It’s been a very productive position for the franchise.

Linebackers (5)

How you make the mid-era uniforms look good:

Pretty sure the all-time defensive coordinator (is it Dan Quinn?) would find a way to get more than two of those LB on the field at the same time. More than three, sometimes, too. You can play two Mikes at once if one of them can drop into coverage 30 yards downfield, like Wagner, right?

Useful comparison stat: All-Pro awards plus Pro Bowl berths, all Seahawks LB ever

Wagner 5, Young 5, Tatupu 4, Brown 3, Julian Peterson 3, Rufus Porter 2, Wright 1

Cornerbacks (5)

Listing Jordan Babineaux as a cornerback here, after he won one of the tie-breaking votes last week. There is justification. Big Play Babs did appear at all four defensive back positions while a Seahawk.

Let’s see you do that, little brother Des. (Please.)

Safeties (5)

Hitters. All.

Useful comparison stat: pictures

Specialists (4)

Kicker (1): Steven Hauschka

Hauschka was named on 83 percent of ballots. Norm Johnson is the franchise’s leading scorer but Hausch is the leading kicker by accuracy at 88.8 percent, edging out Olindo Mare by less than a percentage point. Josh Brown, John Kasay and Johnson all check in at 80 percent or lower.

Useful comparison stat: Total makes from 50+ yards

Hauschka 15, Brown 13, Johnson 10, Todd Peterson 7, Kasay 6, Efren Herrera 2

Punter (1): Jon Ryan

Ryan beat out Jeff Feagles and Rick Tuten by a 5-1 margin. Feagles somehow only scored 1 percent in the poll, which seemed odd considering his value to the offensively challenged teams of the 1990s.

Useful comparison stat: career playoff TD

Ryan is the only one with a playoff touchdown pass. The kids would say, ‘nuff said.’ (The 30-39 year-old kids, that is.)

Long snapper (1): Clint Gresham

The addition of Gresham means the entire kicking battery from XLVIII returns for the all-time team.

22 percent of you went for Blair Bush, also listed as a regular center who did regular snaps way back when. Similar result (15 percent) for Jean-Philippe Darche, who filled the center role in 2000. The elusive search continues for the adequate center who also long snaps, thus creating an additional roster spot. Anyway, Gresham was the clear winner, with 54 percent of the vote.

Useful comparison stat: Years of service

Darche 7, Bush 6, Gresham 6, Trey Junkin 6.

Kick returner (1): Leon Washington

Could’ve put Joey Galloway (10.4 average, 4 TD) on punts and someone like Baldwin or even Largent on kick returns. They both played that role at some point. But Washington ran away with the voting in this category, taking it to the house among a crowded field, with 63 percent of the vote outright.

Useful comparison stat: return averages

In franchise history, Washington is tops in kickoff return average (26.2) and 7th in punt return average (10.3).

Practice squad (10)

Behold, a fearsome practice squad, one that forms the core of a team that would win the NFC West in 2017.

Moon was fourth in QB voting; Tate was seventh among receivers. RT August, RT Ballard and C Mawae each polled in double digits.

Clemons, Bryant and Porter were the last three to miss the cut in our tie-breaking poll. Bernard and Browner were the next two men up in the DT and CB groups. Congrats to them no matter what. It’s an honor just to be nominated, they say.

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Because a poll is required, as per tradition.