Gregg Bell

The News Tribune

Russell Wilson is right about this final week of the preseason.

The franchise quarterback said after their invigorating performance this past weekend in Minnesota Seahawks starters can skip this week. Skip past the preseason finale, and go straight to the regular season.

“Yeah, I definitely think we’re ready,” Wilson said late Friday night following the third preseason game, the most extensive summer rehearsal before the games get real Sept. 9 at Denver.

“We are prepared. I think coach (Brian) Schottenheimer (his new offensive coordinator) has done a tremendous job stepping in and teaching us all the fine details of what we want to do and how we want to do it, all the added stuff, as well. There’s a lot that we are excited about.

“But, you know me. I’m one of those guys: One-day-at-a-time kind of thing. You can’t get too far ahead.”

No, not with the Seahawks’ roster still at 90 players having to get cut down to 53 by this coming weekend.

This week, including Thursday’s final preseason game against Oakland at CenturyLink Field, is about the determining the final roster spots for the 53-man roster the Seahawks must set by 1 p.m. Saturday. The closest battles are at wide receiver and the depth spots on a thinned defensive line.

They still need to determine their starter at right cornerback, too. That decision has veteran Byron Maxwell’s roster spot in jeopardy.

Here are my projections of the 53-man roster:

QUARTERBACK (2)

Wilson, Austin Davis

Waive to practice squad:Rookie Alex McGough

The Seahawks can be confident McGough, the seventh-round pick who has improved from being overwhelmed early this month by the playbook and calls, will clear waivers. That’s the way they can keep all three of their quarterbacks, with Davis at least having starting experience in the NFL.

RUNNING BACK (5)

Chris Carson, Rashaad Penny, C.J. Prosise, J.D. McKissic, Tre Madden

Cut: Mike Davis, Gerald Holmes, Justin Stockton

Despite all his injuries, the Seahawks have a section of the playbook devoted to Prosise’s unique skills. If they think McKissic’s broken foot bone will indeed heal in the next three to five weeks, he will be on the roster. He’s too valuable as a special-teams player, receiver and runner—plus as insurance for Prosise getting hurt yet again. If they feel McKissic may be out into October, he could begin the season on injured reserve with the option to return after eight weeks. That would allow Davis onto the roster. The fill-in starter late last season is the last cut here. Madden makes it as the only fullback on a team that is going to use I formation, though he didn’t play in Minnesota.

WIDE RECEIVER (6)

Doug Baldwin, Brandon Marshall, Tyler Lockett, Jaron Brown, David Moore, Marcus Johnson

Cut: Amara Darboh, Malik Turner, Caleb Scott, Tanner McEvoy, Marvin Bracey

Waive to practice squad: Damore’ea Stringfellow, Keenan Reynolds

Marshall, 34, back from two surgeries, proved weeks ago he’s not only making the team but may start in the opener. Coach Pete Carroll said last week Baldwin may push to play Thursday. He’s been running on the side during practices coming back from a left-knee injury that’s had him out all month.

Moore and Brown have been studs this preseason.

Darboh, the third-round pick last year from Michigan, has missed the last three weeks with a hip-flexor and now clavicle injuries he got making a catch early in training camp, falling down and getting landed on. He knows he has to get on the field practicing and probably playing this week to have a chance to make the team in a crowded receiving corps.

“The injury is definitely making it tough, not being out there to show what I can do,” he told me last week. “But, do what I can do. Control the controllable. So there’s nothing I can do but just keep getting treatment, and then stay in shape and just whenever I am cleared to go hit it and start competing.”

Multiple reports this weekend citing league sources said the Seahawks had already waived McEvoy, who made the team as a surprise undrafted rookie in 2016. Johnson takes his role as do-it-all special-teams player. Plus, the Seahawks keep him to have something to show for on the roster from the trade of Michael Bennett to Philadelphia this offseason.

The big Stringfellow, a one-time University of Washington target who transferred to Mississippi, and Reynolds could be practice-squad bound. Reynolds, the former star quarterback at Navy, has been on Baltimore’s and Washington’s practice squads parts of the last two seasons. But without accruing NFL service years by not being on an active roster for more than six games Reynolds remains eligible for a third year on a practice squad, and the Seahawks have liked what they’ve seen from him.

TIGHT END (3)

Ed Dickson, Nick Vannett, Will Dissly

Cut: Kyle Carter, Clayton Wilson

Waive to practice squad: Tyrone Swoopes

Dickson hasn’t practiced at all this preseason because of what Carroll has described as quadriceps and groin injuries. The free agent signed from Carolina in the offseason to replace departed Jimmy Graham as the number-one tight end could begin the season on the physically-unable-to-perform list and miss the first six weeks if the Seahawks feel he’s not going to return before mid-October. Dissly has been a star of the preseason, especially blocking. They like Swoopes, the former University of Texas quarterback, and would like him to be one of the 10 guys on the practice squad again.

OFFENSIVE LINE (9)

Duane Brown, Ethan Pocic, Justin Britt, D.J. Fluker, Germain Ifedi, George Fant, Joey Hunt, Rees Odhiambo, Jordan Roos

Cut: J.R. Sweezy, Marcus Henry, Skyler Phillips, Willie Beavers, Isaiah Battle

Injured reserve: Jamarco Jones

Sweezy hasn’t played in the preseason and has practice just a couple days since getting a high-ankle sprain the day after the one-time Super Bowl starter with Seattle re-signed from Tampa Bay. The Seahawks could bring the vested veteran back after week one and not have to guarantee his entire $800,000 salary for this season; that way, they could pay him by the week at $47,058 per week instead to be the backup right and left guard. Carroll said last week the team was moving him from right guard to left. Rookie Jones had surgery two weeks ago for a severe high-ankle sprain. The fifth-round pick had been getting starting reps at right tackle before he got hurt. Hunt makes the team again as the backup center. Odhiambo makes it again because he can play both guard and tackle.

DEFENSIVE LINE (9)

Frank Clark, Branden Jackson, Rasheem Green, Tom Johnson, Jarran Reed, Nazair Jones, Shamar Stephen, Quinton Jefferson, Poona Ford

Cut: Joey Ivie, Ricky Ali’ifua

PUP list: Dion Jordan

Pass rushing and quality defensive-line depth remain the team’s biggest issues, which is why I project keeping a ninth lineman. Ford is short, 5 feet 11, but is very quick and aggressive for 310 pounds. His renown at the University of Texas could get him claimed by another team if the Seahawks expose the undrafted rookie to waivers. Jordan hasn’t practiced all preseason because of a stress fracture in his leg. He was going to be the starting defensive end opposite Clark, who looked like his wrist was still bothering him while he played Friday at Minnesota.

LINEBACKER (7)

Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright, Shaquem Griffin, Barkevious Mingo, Jacob Martin, Erik Walden, Austin Calitro

Cut: Jason Hall, Josh Forrest

Waive to practice squad: Emmanuel Beal, Jake Pugh

Waived/injured: D.J. Alexander

Walden, a double-digit sack man two years ago for Indianapolis, had two sacks late against reserves in Minnesota in his first game since signing 10 days ago. The 33-year-old edge rusher makes it because, well, Seattle remains in desperate need of edge rushers. They list Martin as a linebacker, but the Seahawks have been using the speedy rookie sixth-round pick as a rush end this preseason, and a good one. Calitro, a second-year free agent, makes it as Wagner’s backup in the middle. Pugh got the highest signing bonus of any Seahawks undrafted rookie free agent. They’d like to keep him.

CORNERBACK (5)

Shaquill Griffin, Tre Flowers, Dontae Johnson, Justin Coleman, Jeremy Boykins

Cut: Maxwell, Elijah Battle, Akeem King, Trovon Reed

Waived/injured: Neiko Thorpe

Johnson, the 26-year-old who started 16 games last season for San Francisco, beats out the 30-year-old Maxwell to be the place-holder starter until the rookie Flowers, the future at right cornerback, proves he’s ready to start. That could be soon. Maxwell may return after week one so Seattle doesn’t have to guarantee his $950,000 salary. He has been out all month with a hip-flexor injury. Thorpe hasn’t been on the field, either, and youthful imports for special teams cost him his place. One is Boykins, who surprised as an undrafted rookie, even getting some snaps in practice with the starters this month. The Seahawks have led the NFL in keeping undrafted rookies in recent years.

SAFETY (4)

Bradley McDougald, Tedric Thompson, Maurice Alexander, Delano Hill

Waived/injured: T.J. Mutcherson

Waive to practice squad: Lorenzo Jerome, Mike Tyson

Reserve, did-not-report list: Earl Thomas

Alexander, a former Rams starter, has a chance to win the job at strong safety that Hill hasn’t seized. I’m sensing the Seahawks would prefer their until-Thomas-shows-up pairing to be Alexander at strong safety and McDougald at free safety. That would give them interchangeable veterans with starting experience in the NFL who can switch between positions by the down.

SPECIALISTS (3)

Kicker: Sebastian Janikowski

Punter: Michael Dickson

Long snapper: Tyler Ott