It’s a difficult thing to secure a roster spot with the Seattle Seahawks or any other NFL team. Training camp rosters get cut nearly in half before the regular season gets started, and with just a few weeks and three preseason games to make a statement, there isn’t enough opportunity to go around.
But the guys who stick on the roster earn it, especially the ones taking up those final 10-15 spots. Those are the players who have to be useful in a variety of ways, be it swing lineman or special teams production.
One of the players likely to be in that section of the roster layout has to be much more versatile since the rookie in front of him on the depth chart has a stranglehold on their already dying position. Conventional wisdom would indicate that if Brady Russell couldn’t beat Robbie Ouzts for the fullback job, he’d be one of the first names on the chopping block - but that doesn’t appear to be the case.
Seattle Seahawks special teams coach singles out unsung roster lock
Ouzts’ performance in the Seahawks’ preseason opener was impressive, especially considering the state of the fullback position around the league. Most teams don’t carry any fullbacks, but Seattle could be prepared to keep two.
Russell recently received some high praise from special teams coordinator Jay Harbaugh that might just indicate that Russell’s spot on the 53-man roster is all but locked in. Harbaugh was asked which player best expresses the traits he looks for on special teams, and he singled out Russell.
“I would say Brady Russell would be the one. But there's a bunch of guys that come to my mind,” Harbaugh said, via Fox 13 Seattle. “... There's a ton of people, and that's what you want, right? There might be a guy who is kind of the flagbearer, Brady literally is the flagbearer, but everyone understands what the standard is.”
Naturally, Harbaugh gets some say in who sticks around to play on his special teams unit. As such, Russell’s value on special teams might be his saving grace to stick on Seattle’s roster for the regular season, which also gives the Seahawks rare depth at fullback and tight end.
Of course, Russell can’t necessarily replace Elijah Arroyo or AJ Barner if they become unavailable for a length of time, but he can certainly step in and throw a few blocks around the tackle box. Still, he came into the league as a tight end, standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 250 pounds. He caught 78 passes for 799 yards and three scores in five seasons at Colorado.
Still, his official offensive position is moot overall. He’s played just 49 snaps on offense over the past two years, and with Ouzts taking over at fullback, it’s unlikely he’ll get very many more. Russell played 312 special teams snaps in his rookie season for Seattle in 2023 and another 230 last season.
Certainly, Harbaugh and Seattle are comfortable with what he provides in the third phase of the game, and that’s all the team needs to ask out of him for now..
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