**Bad Stuff (first)**
(1) Those going on pre-season IR so far for the '26 Seahawks are:
WR Jake Bobo (versatile player who helps the Offense succeed)
OG/C Mason Richman (most-improved O-Lineman from '25, per Rylie Mills)
S Bud Clark ('26 2.64 pick, speedy, ball-hawking Safety set to do cool stuff)
FB/TE Robbie Ouzts (was set to enlarge role in '26, catching long catches too)
ILB Joseph Vaughn (never go to known him much)
CB Shemar Jean-Charles (deep depth/forgiven him for Titans' score b4 half)
(2) Milroe's limited improvement in 2nd Training Camp causing fan division
(3) In preseason gms, DT Eastern got few snaps & DT Seumalo looked weak.
(4) Depth Edges (Marvin Jones and Aiden Hubbard) not up to snuff. Some help from others on the bubble (Connor O'Toole, Jamie Sheriff, and Jalan Gaines). Best solution for needed fifth Edge (on run defense get Edge help from DT Morris or DT Singleton; on pass defense get Edge help from ILB Tyrice Knight, Joker1 Emmanwori, or Joker2 D'Anthony Bell)
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**Good News!**
(1) **DT JR Singleton** is having another very good preseason as he did in '25. He's the best of the big guys who are battling for that possible sixth spot on the D-Line. If he splashes again with the Chiefs as he has with the Cowboys and the Titans, then he is on my initial 53-man roster. (DT Bubba Jones is not too far behind.) I don't think Brandon Pili has regressed, but the analysts have not been touting him so much in training camp or at the joint practice with the Titans. In 2025, Pili started the season on the PS (and got elevations until a spot opened on the active roster. So ditto for Pili in 2026)
DE Leonard Williams / Rylie Mills
NT Jarran Reed / JR Singleton
DE Byron Murphy / Mike Morris
(2) I'm not forcing a player into the **fifth Edge spot** that MM prefers to have.
R Edge Uchenna Nwosu / Derick Hall
L Edge DeMarcus Lawrence / ("situational help" from other positions)
Roving Speed to Power 3rd & Long Edge Rusher: Dante Fowler
Situational help on run downs can come from **DT Morris** or **DT Singleton**. Situational help on passing downs can come from **Edge Fowler** or **ILB Knight** or **Joker1 Emmanwori** or **Joker2 D'Anthony Bell**)
(3) Not only did OG/C Mason Richman make giants forward from '25 to '26. but so did **OG Christian Haynes**. Some say that one of the best DTs in the NFL is Jeffrey Simmons on the Titans. In Preseason Game 2 in the first half, Titans' first-string defense played the Seahawks' second-string offense. Some analysts are saying the Haynes shut down Simmons that entire first half in that Titans game. In the Cowboys game, Haynes only screwed up on one play, when he ran, at first, in the opposite direction than the rest of his O-Line, but he quickly corrected to somewhat slow his man down. I almost can't believe it, and it's really hard to say, but here goes, "**Haynes is good!**" as he goes into his third year. Thank you, John Benton! Talented Rookie Guard Beau Stephens can learn the art of becoming a quality interior O-Lineman without being thrown to the wolves in his first year.
(4) I had to pry open a spot on my '53-man roster to get in **WR Montorie Foster,** but he's onboard now on my predicted initial roster. (Who knew that an alternative spelling of Baldwin is F-o-s-t-e-r!) Foster is that undrafted rookie WR who cannot be denied a spot on the active roster, just like Doug Baldwin was some years ago.
(5) Some players on the '25 Seahawks' roster should have even better years in 2026.
WR Rashid Shaheed - In '26, Darnold is connecting with Shaheed on routes about as smoothly as he did with JSN in 2025.
TE Elijah Arroyo - He's been touched by an angel in the offseason, becoming that dream TE that we hoped he would be one day. Tackling better than ever (after putting on some muscle weight in the offseason, but running beautiful routes, getting open, and catching the ball frequently with soft hands. I look for Arroyo to be the team's YAC leader in 2026. Imaging Arroyo and Barner working the field at the same time!
CB Nehemiah Pritchett - He had a slow start at CB in his rookie year in 2024. In 2025, he made 2-3 spectacular defenses. In 2026 (his third year), he appears to have improved even more, now playing with far more consistency.
DT Byron Murphy - Although he had a great year in 2025 (his second year in the NFL), Murphy's openly stated goal is to play like the DPOTY in 2026, and he's determined not to be denied. I'm not going to argue with him. That certainly could happen, especially with more help at the NT spot. Hence, the emergence in 2026 of DT Singleton should help Murphy a lot to achieve success for himself and the team.
(6) Some acquired FA veterans for the '26 season are looking darn good.
Slot CB Noah Igbinoghene - I finally can say his surname without my tongue getting lost in my mouth. He's been spectacular in the slot for the Seahawks throughout the '26 pre-season and its first 2 pre-season games. JS has long coveted Noah, thinking Noah could be great if used properly. Noah was drafted in 2020 at 1.30, and he's now topping the early expectations of him when he was drafted. He'll be 27 for the '26 season while Witherspoon will be 26 and Jobe will be 28. Noah is in his prime as are Witherspoon and Jobe.
Third & Long Speed to Power Edge Rusher Dante Fowler. The '25 Seahawks did not have anyone like Fowler on its team. The '26 Seahawks should get more pressure on opposing QBs in the 2026 season than last year.
(7) When making out the initial 53-man active roster, the name of the game is using the rules to keep as much talent on the team as possible.
(7a) The NFL allows two players to go onto in-season IR as the active rosters are being filed on August 30, 2026. I suggest these two players for that in-season IR list to help keep more talent on the team. A player that goes on in-season IR must miss four games. Ten players who go on IR can come off it to play in the season. There are no limit on the number of players who can go on in-season IR.
The '26 Seahawks In-season IR List to start the regular season could be:
(i) RB Emanuel Wilson (who has been out with an injury recently)
(ii) CB Julian Neal (who has been out since the end of Week 1 of Training camp)
RB Jacardia Wright has a similar style to that of Wilson. Let Wilson heal properly by putting him on in-season IR. Let's keep right safer too than he would be if he had to clear waivers.
CB Trevon Diggs or CB Mike Dansby - Let Diggs or Dansby be the CB5 who makes the roster while Neal has time to heal and get ready for the NFL.
CB1 Devon Witherspoon (Boundary CB)
CB2 Josh Jobe (Boundary CB)
CB3 Noah Igbinoghene (Slot CB)
CB4 Nehemiah Pritchett (Backup Boundary CB)
CB5 Either Diggs (Backup Boundary) or Dansby (Backup Slot CB) I pick Diggs.
(7b) Another way to keep a talented rookie from going through the waiver-claim process is to put that talented rookie (say CB Mike Dansby) on the initial 53-man active roster and to cut instead a vested veteran who is wanted on the team (say TE Eric Saubert). As a vested veteran Saubert can sign almost immediately to the Seahawks' PS, from where he can be elevated three times to the gameday roster. Before Game 4, Saubert goes back on the active roster (from where a spot has opened up for some reason, say an injury to a player.
(8) Let's look at the pre-season IR list and its likely impact to the '26 Seahawks.
**On preseason-IR .................................. Partial Solutions**
WR Jake Bobo was WR5 Foster catches well/C. White is a vg blocker.
OG Mason Richman Haynes has become an excellent backup G.
S Bud Clark (ballhawk) Diggs led the NFL w/ 11 interceptions in 2021
FB Robbie Ouzts .................... Oher blockers on team can help w/ FB role.
CB Shemar Jean-Charles ....... Team has other good depth CBs
ILB Joseph Vaughn .......................... Seahawks have a lot of vg ILBs
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The '26 Seahawks are still a very good team.