With just one day to go until the 2020 NFL season kicks off with the Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Houston Texans, the time has arrived when fans of all teams, including the Seattle Seahawks, will finally get to see their favorite players in action. With the arrival of Week 1, teams across the league have set their initial roster, made adjustments based on waiver claims and roster shuffling, and the start of actual football is upon us.
That said, with roster cuts having been conducted Saturday, the 2020 Field Gulls 53-man Roster Armchair GM Challenge is complete and the results have been tabulated. There were 120 entries to the competition, but for those who did not complete a submission, here are the questions which made up the contest.
40 Point Question: How many running backs (this includes the fullback position as well) will the Seahawks have on the initial 53 man roster?
- Correct answer: 4
- Number of respondents with the correct answer: 56
39 Point Question: How many wide receivers will the Seahawks have on the initial 53 man roster?
- Correct answer: 6
- Number of respondents with the correct answer: 78
38 Point Question: How many offensive linemen will the Seahawks have on the initial 53 man roster?
- Correct answer: 10
- Number of respondents with the correct answer: 51
37 Point Question: How many tight ends will the Seahawks have on the initial 53 man roster?
- Correct answer: 4
- Number of respondents with the correct answer: 57
36 Point Question: How many defensive linemen will the Seahawks have on the initial 53 man roster? (For clarity ahead of time, Bruce Irvin and Shaquem Griffin are to be counted in this category if they make the 53 man roster)
- Correct answer: 9
- Number of respondents with the correct answer: 24
35 Point Question: How many linebackers will the Seahawks have on the initial 53 man roster? (For clarity ahead of time, Bruce Irvin and Shaquem Griffin are to be counted in the defensive line category if they make the 53 man roster)
- Correct answer: 5
- Number of respondents with the correct answer: 72
34 Point Question: How many defensive backs will the Seahawks have on the initial 53 man roster?
- Correct answer: 10
- Number of respondents with the correct answer: 14
33 Point Question: In 2019 Seattle selected 11 players in the NFL Draft. How many of those 11 players will be on the initial 2020 53 man roster for the Seahawks?
- Correct answer: 9
- Number of respondents with the correct answer: 22
32 Point Question: Which of the following tight ends will Seattle have on its initial 53 man roster: Jacob Hollister, Luke Willson, Colby Parkinson, Stephen Sullivan, Tyler Mabry? (This is all or nothing, no partial credit)
- Correct answer: Jacob Hollister, Luke Willson
- Number of respondents with the correct answer: 12
31 Point Question: Which of the following interior offensive linemen will the Seahawks have on the initial 53 man roster: B.J. Finney, Ethan Pocic, Phil Haynes, Jamarco Jones, Jordan Simmons? (This is all or nothing, no partial credit)
- Correct answer: B.J. Finney, Ethan Pocic, Phil Haynes, Jamarco Jones, Jordan Simmons
- Number of respondents with the correct answer: 15
30 Point Question: Which of the following tackles will the Seahawks have on the initial 53 man roster: Cedric Ogbuehi, Chad Wheeler, Tommy Champion, Jamarco Jones? (This is all or nothing, no partial credit)
- Correct answer: Cedric Ogbuehi, Jamarco Jones
- Number of respondents with the correct answer: 84
29 Point Question: Which of the following wide receivers will the Seahawks have on the initial 53 man roster: David Moore, Paul Richardson, Phillip Dorsett, John Ursua, Josh Gordon? (This is all or nothing, no partial credit)
- Correct answer: David Moore, Phillip Dorsett, John Ursua
- Number of respondents with the correct answer: 3
This was designed as a trick question, because without being reinstated Gordon would not be on the 53 man roster, and it worked. There were 73 responses which predicted Gordon would be on the roster. In addition, the release of Richardson tripped up contestants as 83% of respondents included Richardons in their answer.
28 Point Question: Which of the following running backs will the Seahawks have on their initial 53 man roster: DeeJay Dallas, Travis Homer, Nick Bellore, Rashaad Penny? (This is all or nothing, no partial credit)
- Correct answer: DeeJay Dallas, Travis Homer
- Number of respondents with the correct answer: 43
The inclusion of Rashaad Penny on this list tripped up a good number of entrants, with 22 different submissions including the projection that Penny would be on the 53 man roster
27 Point Question: How many offensive players will the Seahawks have on the initial 53 man roster?
- Correct answer: 26
- Number of respondents with the correct answer: 34
26 Point Question: How many defensive players will the Seahawks have on the initial 53 man roster?
- Correct answer: 24
- Number of respondents with the correct answer: 24 (that’s weird)
25 Point Question: Which of the following defensive backs will be on the Seahawks initial 53 man roster: Neiko Thorpe, Lano Hill, Ugo Amadi, D.J. Reed? (no partial credit this is all or nothing)
- Correct answer: Neiko Thorpe, Lano Hill, Ugo Amadi
- Number of respondents with the correct answer: 33
This one also tripped up a good number of entrants, with 20% of the entries including D.J. Reed. Many, the author included, believed Reed would be carried on the 53 man roster and then moved to injured reserve on Monday. However, that proved unnecessary, as the fact that he was on the nonfootball injury list meant that the same return late in the season could be achieved without needing to carry him on the initial 53 man roster.
24 Point Question: How many players will the Seahawks trade to another team prior to 4 PM New York Time Saturday?
- Correct answer: 0
- Number of respondents with the correct answer: 50
23 Point Question: How many players will the Seahawks acquire in trade from other teams prior to 4 PM New York Time Saturday?
- Correct answer: 0
- Number of respondents with the correct answer: 65
22 Point Question: How many of the Seahawks eight 2020 draft picks make the initial 53 man roster?
- Correct answer: 5
- Number of respondents with the correct answer: 42
21 Point Question: With the Seahawks have a fullback on the initial 53 man roster?
- Correct answer: No
- Number of respondents with the correct answer: 60
So, now that readers have had a chance to see the questions that were asked in the competition, here is how the standings shook out for the top ten, which is actually the top eleven. (Author’s note: The inclusion of eleven entrants in the top ten is the result of a tie for tenth place, and has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that some entrant with the username ‘rollsuphill’ happened to be that eleventh user listed when sorted by point total.)
10th Place (tie): rollsuphill, 321 points
10th Place (tie): Balhor, 321 points
9th Place: Montanarush, 345 points
8th Place: Kevbarry43, 346 points
7th Place: Largentium, 348 points
6th Place: Niklas from Finland, 349 points
5th Place: JJ16, 353 points
4th Place: GrantRyan, 355 points
3rd Place: bambamfan, 358 points
2nd Place: Bishhawks, 370 points
Champion: 509FishHawks, 393 points
So, that wraps up the competition, and hopefully everybody had fun and enjoyed themselves.