Seahawks vs. Chargers: Roster bubble battles, players to watch

53 MAN ROSTER PREDICTIONS

Danny Kelly and I text back and forth a bunch about who we think will makes the Seahawks final 53-man roster, and I think we are on agreement on about 52 of them. Hopefully we are actually digging into truth and not mind-melding in the groupthink bad way. Nevertheless, here is what we have come up with so far:

QB (2):

Russell Wilson, Tarvaris Jackson

TE (3):

Zach Miller, Luke Willson, Cooper Helfet

WR (5 or 6)

(If 5): Percy Harvin, Doug Baldwin, Paul Richardson, Jermaine Kearse, Kevin Norwood (if healthy)

(If 6): I believe Danny picks Phil Bates. That is the only one of his picks I was not sure about. I could see Richardo Lockette, Bryant Walters, or a 5^th RB like Demetrius Bronson or Spencer Ware]

RB (4 or 5)

(If 4): Marshawn Lynch, Christine Michael, Robert Turbin, Derrick Coleman

(If 5): I am leaning Bronson over Ware, for now.

OL (10):

Russell Okung, James Carpenter, Max Unger, J.R. Sweezy, Justin Britt, Eric Winston, Lemuel Jeanpierre, Alvin Bailey, Caylin Hauptmann, Garry Gilliam

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CB (5):

Richard Sherman, Byron Maxwell, Jeremy Lane, Tharold Simon, A.J. Jefferson

S (4):

Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor, Jeron Johnson, Deshawn Shead

LB (6):

Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright, Malcom Smith, Kevin Pierre-Louis, Mike Morgan, Brock Coyle

Edge (4):

Cliff Avril, Bruce Irvin (if healthy), Cassius Marsh, O'Brien Schofield

DL (6):

Michael Bennett, Brandon Mebane, Tony McDaniel, Kevin Williams, Jordan Hill, Greg Scruggs

SPEC (3):

Jon Ryan, Steven Hauschka, Clint Gresham

If the Seahawks go with 6 WR, under the scenario above, they would only retain seven rookies on the 53-man roster (eight if they control Eric Pinkins on PUP). Those seven rookies would be Richardson, Britt, Marsh, Norwood, Pierre-Louis, Coyle, and Gilliam.  If Bronson made it, then it would be eight rookies on the 53.

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PLAYERS TO WATCH

In light of this prediction above -- and knowing that things can easily change, here are some players on the bubble to watch versus the Chargers. These are players that both Danny and I believe will have to show up and ball out, in effect, to either keep the spot we see them in above, or leapfrog someone above to win themselves a roster spot.

OFFENSE:

- QB Terrelle Pryor
- FB Kiero Small
- RB Spencer Ware
- RB Demetrius Bronson
- WR Phil Bates
- WR Bryan Walters
- WR Ricardo Lockette
- OG Caylin Hauptmann
- G/C Steve Schilling
- OL Wade Smith
- OT Gary Gilliam

DEFENSE: 

- DT Michael Brooks
- DE Benson Mayowa
- CB Akeem Auguste
- CB Phil Adams
- CB Terrell Thomas

I would include A.J. Jefferson on this list-but he won't play with the ankle sprain. I don't think Trey Wolfe will make the 53 man roster, but I want to watch him just for fun. LB Korey Toomer is still hurt, and besides him I think I have seen what I need to see from the linebackers and safeties. If Dion Bailey and Eric Pinkins were both healthy (Bailey is now gone, of course), I think they would make the safety bubble more interesting.

Who will you be watching?

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