Seattle Seahawks

Schefter's post on X somewhat contradicts ESPN colleague Brady Henderson's long-form article on the trade, which saw the Seahawks give up third- and fifth-round picks to Washington and receive fourth- and sixth-round selections along with Howell. Henderson notes Seahawks general manager John Schneider's public position is Howell will serve as Smith's backup, but adds that Schneider also talked up the third-year signal-caller extensively during a radio interview following the trade.

Walker returned from an oblique injury in Monday's Week 4 loss to the Lions and was extremely effective with three total touchdowns. However, he had just a 60 percent snap share and only 12 carries, which led to speculation that Zach Charbonnet has forced his way a more even workload split in the backfield. Henderson instead suggests that Walker only lost work due to game script, and that he will serve as the clear lead back moving forward.

Mafe will get a chance to add to his sack total after recording two through this season's first two games. The edge rusher had a career-high nine in 2023.

Macdonald didn't sound especially optimistic about Walker's recovery from an oblique injury that sidelined him in Week 2 against the Patriots. Charbonnet racked up 69 scrimmage yards and a touchdown in Walker's absence last week, and the fill-in starter could be even busier Sunday with the Seahawks expected to play from ahead against a Dolphins team that won't have starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa due to a concussion.

Walker ended up missing practice all week with the injury that forced him from the Week 1 win over the Broncos, and he's officially carrying a doubtful tag for Sunday's game versus New England. Walker's likely absence leaves Zach Charbonnet, who was effective with expanded duty on multiple occasions as a rookie in 2023, in line to serve as Seattle's lead back against the Patriots.

Zach Charbonnet was just okay in the featured role over two weeks, but Walker should resume his place as Seattle's No. 1 back against Detroit.

Walker reported abdominal pain near the end of the team's season opener, and the source of the pain appears to be an oblique injury. If Walker's unable to play Sunday, Charbonnet would presumably slide into the lead role. Charbonnet had just eight Week 1 carries compared to Walker's 20, though Charbonnet scored a receiving touchdown.

Walker's absence from practice isn't too surprising, considering it's the first session of the week and the running back is such a valuable member of the offense. The third-year back was in fine form against Denver before his exit, rushing for 103 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. Walker could be handled with caution throughout the rest of the practice week yet still suit up Sunday against the Patriots.

Smith-Njigba was just four snaps short of DK Metcalf's team-leading total among wide receivers, but JSN had just 19 yards on two targets. Conversely, Lockett led the team with six catches for 77 yards on seven targets. Lockett's modest playing time may have been due in part to the thigh injury he had been nursing coming into the game, so Smith-Njigba may not have overtaken one of Seattle's two veteran wide receivers in the pecking order just yet.

Lockett was a full practice participant Friday and Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald told reporters he expected him to play. The dependable veteran logged 79 catches last season but had a string of four consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns end when he finished with 894.

Metcalf draws a tough Week 1 matchup against one of the NFL's best cornerbacks, as Surtain was recently rewarded for his coverage skills with a four-year, $96 million extension. Few, if any, cornerbacks follow top outside receivers more than Surtain does, and he limited Metcalf to just 36 yards when they last faced off in Week 1 of the 2022 season. While Seattle's offense as a whole has a favorable matchup against a Broncos defense that surrendered 24.3 points per game last season, sledding could be tougher for Metcalf than many of his teammates.

Murphy was taken 16th overall in April's draft but was the second defensive player off the board, meaning an immediate impact should be expected even if Seattle already boasts a talented defensive line. That leaves his role and path to consistent snaps murky, though one scout compared Murphy to Nnamdi Madubuike due to his explosive ability and their low-to-the-ground playing style. Madubuike broke out in 2023 under the coaching of Mike Macdonald, who is now the head coach in Seattle.

Woolen was benched late in the 2023 season, a disappointing fall from his rookie campaign a year earlier. That was due in part to a 20 percent missed tackle rate in addition to a 62.1 percent completion rate allowed. There's optimism that he will improve with a new coaching staff in Seattle, and he's projected to start as an outside corner to begin the new season.

Eskridge hasn't produced at the level expected of his second-round selection in the 2021 NFL Draft. He registered just 17 catches for 122 yards and one touchdown over the first two years of his career, and he didn't record a reception in 2023 across four regular-season outings. Although he has some special-teams experience as a returner, Edholm believes the Seahawks have other options in that role and too much talent in the wide receiver room to include Eskridge in the final 53-man roster.

The Pro Bowl receiver was in one of the last of at least five separate practice skirmishes, as he got into a tussle with cornerback Tre Brown that could have been more serious than it ultimately was. Metcalf and Brown went after each other in the end zone, and in the midst of the fight, Metcalf removed his teammate's helmet and swung it in his direction but instead hit safety K'Von Wallace. Head coach Mike Macdonald was displeased with the degree of physicality among teammates overall, but Metcalf said after the session he was proud of the team's overall spirit and noted they couldn't wait until their preseason opener against the Chargers on Saturday.

The offseason trade acquisition was able to jump into the top role both Wednesday and Thursday due to Smith's injuries, giving the one-time Commanders starter a chance to work with a talented Seahawks first unit. However, Schefter and Henderson report testing on Smith did not reveal any serious issues, meaning Howell's time as the first-team quarterback is likely to come to an end soon.

The veteran signal-caller had gotten off to a hot start in camp, but head coach Mike Macdonald mentioned recently that Smith had gotten "banged up a little bit" during Tuesday's practice. Smith then missed Seattle's Wednesday walk-through session and did not participate in Thursday's padded practice either, but his outlook is apparently positive overall. Sam Howell, who was acquired from the Commanders during the offseason, is getting the opportunity to work with the first-team offense in Smith's stead at the moment.

Howell has been inaccurate to begin training camp, and Bell posits that Walker is far closer to Howell in the competition for the backup role than Howell is to Smith for the top spot on the quarterback depth chart. Walker has proven capable of filling in when called upon with seven starts over the past two years between the Panthers and Browns, and he could beat out Howell for the backup role if Walker's able to take care of the ball during the preseason, as Howell threw 12 interceptions in his last seven appearances for the Commanders last season.

Howell served as Washington's starting quarterback in 2023 but struggled mightily down the stretch, throwing four touchdowns versus 12 interceptions in his last seven outings. The Seahawks traded for the 2022 fifth-round draft pick in March in hopes of plugging Howell in as the backup and possible grooming him into a starting option down the line, but the struggles he showed late last season have persisted to begin training camp in 2024, and he's in danger of slipping to third on the depth chart behind Walker, who started seven games over the past two campaigns between the Panthers and Browns.

Despite finishing 2023 with career lows in catches, receiving yards and touchdowns, Fant opted to re-sign with the Seahawks on a two-year, $21 million deal. The Iowa product hasn't lived up to the expectations as a 2019 first-round pick, but Duggar believes Fant will have more opportunities as the No. 1 option at tight end after Will Dissley and Colby Parkinson departed in free agency. At 6-foot-4 and 249 pounds, Fant should be a matchup problem for opposing defenses and provide quarterback Geno Smith a large target in the passing game alongside wideouts DK Metcalf and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

Smith won the starting quarterback job for the Seahawks in 2022 and went on to have the best season of his career. He was awarded with a three-year, $75 million contract in March of 2023, and while his numbers dipped that season, Smith earned his second Pro Bowl selection. He will turn 34 this October, and given his age and 2025 cap hit of $38.5 million, coupled with the Seahawks trading for former Commanders starting quarterback Sam Howell, Duggar believes that Smith will need to prove in 2024 that he is more than a stopgap option for Seattle.

Witherspoon is coming off a strong rookie season in which the fifth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft posted three sacks among his 79 tackles while adding 16 passes defensed. The nickel cornerback offers a rare mix of coverage skills and physicality. The latter trait allows Witherspoon to excel as a blitzer out of the slot, and Sando anticipates that Witherspoon will get a chance to go after the quarterback more frequently in defensive coordinator Aden Durde's scheme than he did under Clint Hurtt in 2023.

Mcdonald told reporters during minicamp that he plans to "play a little matchup ball" by moving Jones around to exploit weaknesses in the opposing offense's scheme. Jones recorded a career-high 49 tackles over 17 regular-season games in 2023, but his 4.5 sacks were his lowest since his rookie season in 2019. Jones spent the first half of 2023 lining up primarily at defensive tackle, but he shifted over to defensive end for the second half after Uchenna Nwosu sustained a season-ending torn pectoral injury and Leonard Williams was acquired via trade from the Giants.

Smith-Njigba's rookie 2023 campaign was by no means a washout, as he recorded 63 receptions for 628 yards and four touchdowns while playing in all 17 regular-season games. Nevertheless, Brooks envisions even bigger things for him in his sophomore NFL season, as new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb is set to run a high-powered attack that will focus more on getting the ball to a speedy receiver like Smith-Njigba out of the slot.

Murphy's first NFL offseason got off to a highly inauspicious start when head coach Mike Macdonald publicly stated following rookie minicamp that the one-time Longhorn needed to get in better shape. However, Murphy did make strides as the offseason went along, and Williams stated he was taken with both his new linemate's football IQ and work ethic during their limited time together thus far.

Seattle figures to have three new starters along the line after a busy offseason, and right tackle Abraham Lucas will also return from a knee injury that cost him 11 games last year. Smith had a breakout 2022 campaign behind a unit that ranked eighth in pass block win rate, but the Seahawks' offensive line fell to 25th in that metric last season, giving the quarterback little time in the pocket. Improved protection will give the 33-year-old a strong chance of regaining his form.

Eskridge has been a disappointment since the Seahawks selected him in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft, and he failed to record a catch in 2023. Despite his draft pedigree, Eskridge is behind DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Laviska Shenault and Jake Bobo on the wide receiver depth chart ahead of training camp, leaving him in a battle for a roster spot. Eskridge missed the final six games of the 2023 season due to a rib injury.

The former Commander has already started 18 NFL games in his career, but he's the same age as 2024 prospects Michael Penix Jr. and Jayden Daniels and is a year younger than Bo Nix. Howell's presence on the roster after a March trade with Washington should allow Seattle to focus its attention elsewhere in the draft, continuing a pattern that has seen the franchise draft only two QBs over the last 15 years and none since 2018.

Schefter noted that with Seattle's No. 2 quarterback the last two seasons, Drew Lock, signing with the Giants, Howell has one less obstacle to potentially wresting the starting quarterback job. Schefter's ESPN colleague Brady Henderson reports that Seahawks general manager John Schneider has taken the public position that Howell is considered strictly a backup for the 2024 season, but given Schneider praised Howell's potential and prior body of work effusively in a radio interview after the trade, Schefter's report could ultimately prove prescient.

Schefter's post on X somewhat contradicts ESPN colleague Brady Henderson's long-form article on the trade, which saw the Seahawks give up third- and fifth-round picks to Washington and receive fourth- and sixth-round selections along with Howell. Henderson notes Seahawks general manager John Schneider's public position is Howell will serve as Smith's backup, but adds that Schneider also talked up the third-year signal-caller extensively during a radio interview following the trade.