By Bob Condotta
The Seattle Times
Let’s continue the countdown of Seahawks as training camp approaches on July 25 with players 75-61.
75. Cornerback Jamar Taylor
Potential role in 2019: Backup and slot corner.
Main competition: Akeem King, Ugo Amadi, Kalan Reed, Jeremy Boykins.
Why he’s ranked here: Taylor was another rather quiet offseason free agent signing who has some significant experience — 78 games and 41 starts with four different teams since 2013, spending last year with both Arizona and Denver. Taylor’s best shot is to make it as a nickel, a spot that remains fairly open, though King enters camp as the favorite.
74. Receiver Jazz Ferguson
Potential role in 2019:
Main competition: DK Metcalf, Jaron Brown, Malik Turner, David Moore.
Why he’s ranked here: Expect the Seahawks to do everything they can to get a sense of what they have in Ferguson, who is listed at 6-5, 228, which alone makes him one of the more intriguing players on the roster. Odds are they groom him for a year on the practice squad.
73. Running back Bo Scarbrough
Potential role in 2019: Backup tailback.
Main competition: C.J. Prosise, Travis Homer, J.D. McKissic.
Why he’s ranked here: The former Alabama star was signed as depth late last season, with one thought being the team knew it would need some players to replace Mike Davis, who the team never really expected to re-sign. Scarbrough doesn’t fit the third-down back mode, but could land a spot as the third everydown tailback.
72. Cornerback Davante Davis
Potential role in 2019: Backup corner, special teamer.
Main competition: Derrek Thomas, Simeon Thomas, Neiko Thorpe.
Why he’s ranked here: The 6-2, 203-pound undrafted free agent out of Texas has the kind of measurables Seattle likes. He’ll battle the Thomas Twins (OK, they aren’t really) to try to stand out as a potential option if the Seahawks wanted to go with a younger player as a backup and to also earn a practice squad spot.
71. Offensive lineman Jordan Roos
Potential role in 2019: Backup guard.
Main competition: Jordan Simmons, Marcus Martin, Phil Haynes, Ethan Pocic.
Why he’s ranked here: This is the third year for Roos, who spent all of last year on the practice squad after playing in seven games in 2017. And as with a few others on this list, it may be a make-or-break training cap with what appears to be increased depth on the offensive line. The starting guard spots are set (Mike Iupati, D.J. Fluker) leaving the six others listed as guards competing for one or two backup spots.
70. Receiver Terry Wright
Potential role in 2019: Backup slot receiver.
Main competition: John Ursua, Keenan Reynolds, Gary Jennings.
Why he’s ranked here: The 5-10, 177-pounder out of Purdue appears the prototypical slot receiver, and showed enough during the offseason program to think he could make a run at the backup spot. But with a couple of draft picks also in the running, it won’t be easy with Seattle potentially keeping as few as five receivers overall.
69. Linebacker Emmanuel Ellerbee
Potential role in 2019: Backup strongside linebacker, special teamer.
Main competition: Barkevious Mingo, Jacob Martin, Mychal Kendricks.
Why he’s ranked here: It may be easy to forget that Ellerbee finished last season as the third-team strongside linebacker behind Mingo and Martin. But with the Seahawks expected to use Kendricks at that spot there to get him in the lineup along with K.J. Wright, a roster spot will be tougher to come by this season.
68. Receiver Malik Turner
Potential role in 2019: Spot in the receiving rotation, special teams.
Main competition: Amara Darboh.
Why he’s ranked here: Turner played in six games for Seattle last season, but the drafting of three receivers and the return of Darboh — a 2017 third-round pick — will make finding a spot on the roster tougher this season.
67. Running back C.J. Prosise
Potential role in 2019: Third-down/two-minute tailback.
Main competition: Travis Homer, J.D. McKissic.
Why he’s ranked here: This is the make-or-break training camp for Prosise, who has been healthy for just 16 of a possible 48 regular-season games since being drafted in the third round in 2016. And in rookie Homer, Seattle has a legitimate other option for the third-down/two-minute back role that it has long envisioned Prosise filling. Prosise, though, appears healthy heading into camp and if he plays as he did in 2016, he could give the team a tough decision.
66. Defensive end Branden Jackson
Potential role in 2019: Rotational defensive end.
Main competition: Rasheem Green, L.J. Collier, Quinton Jefferson.
Why he’s ranked here: Jackson has played in 21 games for the Seahawks the last two seasons, but the drafting of Collier and what the team hopes is significant improvement by Green could make getting back on the roster this year difficult.
65. Cornerback Simeon Thomas
Potential role in 2019: Backup cornerback.
Main competition: Neiko Thorpe, Derrek Thomas, Davante Davis.
Why he’s ranked here: The Seahawks picked up Thomas last September and kept him on the practice squad all season with the thought that he could maybe make a run at a roster spot this year. At 6-3, he has the size and length Seattle likes in its outside corners.
64. Offensive lineman Joey Hunt
Potential role in 2019: Backup center, guard.
Main competition: Ethan Pocic.
Why he’s ranked here: Hunt has played in 20 games since 2016 with three starts, and has always impressed the coaches with his smarts and willingness to do whatever is asked. But while he has shown an ability to play some other spots, he remains viewed as mostly a center, and that always makes roster construction a little dicey. Pocic is listed as a guard and center and if the team is comfortable he can play center if needed, Hunt could be the odd man out.
63. Cornerback Kalan Reed
Potential role in 2019: Nickel cornerback
Main competition: Akeem King, Ugo Amadi.
Why he’s ranked here: The Seahawks promoted Reed to the 53-man roster last November with this season in mind — he didn’t play in any games for Seattle last year — and competing for what they figured would be an open spot at nickel corner with Justin Coleman entering free agency. Reed played in seven games for the Titans in 2016 and 2017 but he appeared to be running behind Akeem King for the nickel spot in the offseason and now has to also fend off rookie Amadi.
62. Running back Travis Homer
Potential role in 2019: Backup running back and third down/two-minute back, core special teams player.
Main competition: C.J. Prosise, J.D. McKissic.
Why he’s ranked here: A seventh-round pick out of Miami, Homer has a good shot to make the roster — Carroll has seemed particularly excited about what he may be able to contribute on special teams. He also has a shot to land the team’s third down/two-minute running back role held last year primarily by the departed Mike Davis. But he likely has to beat out Prosise to get it with McKissic also an option there.
61. Receiver Keenan Reynolds
Potential role in 2019: In the receiving rotation, largely in the slot.
Main competition: Gary Jennings, John Ursu, Terry Wright.
Why he’s ranked here: Reynolds played in two games last season and was on the practice squad the rest of the season. But like many of the veteran receivers, the drafting of three players at that position will make roster spots harder to come by. Tyler Lockett is expected to play more in the slot with Doug Baldwin gone, leaving Reynolds, Ursua and Jennings as the three main contenders for the backup spot there.
