Versatile B.J. Daniels does it all in Seahawks’ preseason finale

The more you can do.

It’s a saying in the NFL, especially around this time of the year when battles for final roster spots are often given to the players who can fill more than one role.

B.J. Daniels filled three of them Thursday night in Seattle’s preseason finale, playing wide receiver, quarterback and special teams as he made a final case to stick with the Seahawks as a jack-of-all-trades. Afterward, one sentence from coach Pete Carroll summed up both the value of a player who can do as much as Daniels but also the uncertainty over whether or not he’ll make the cut when Seattle sets its 53-man roster by Saturday afternoon.

“It was really clear that we’ve got a guy who’s a threat for us,” Carroll said, “if we can keep him on the team.”

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When Daniels converted from quarterback earlier this offseason, he first seemed like a longshot to crack Seattle’s roster amid a crowded group of wide receivers. That he’s found himself squarely in the competition for one of the final spots – along with former Huskies Kevin Smith and Kasen Williams – is a testament to not only how well Daniels has adjusted to receiver but also how he’s shown an ability to contribute on special teams while also giving Seattle another option at quarterback.

He did all of the above Thursday night. Daniels returned two punts (for only 9 yards), spent the first two quarters at receiver (his only target was broken up) then quarterbacked the Seahawks for most of the second half, completing 6 of 14 attempts for 45 yards and a touchdown. Daniels carried seven times for 75 yards, 20 of them coming on a scramble in which he got by a defender with a nifty pump fake.

“B.J. had a great night tonight,” Carroll said. “It was a blast watching him.”

Seattle’s wide-receiver mix became a bit less crowded earlier this week when the team traded Kevin Norwood. Doug Baldwin, Jermaine Kearse and Tyler Lockett are locks to make the team. Ricardo Lockette and Chris Matthews seem safe, but their spots are by no means set in stone. That still leaves Daniels, Williams and Smith competing for what could only be one or perhaps two spots, and that decision won’t be any easier after their respective performances Thursday night.

Smith led Seattle with four catches and had returns of 27 and 28 yards on special teams. Williams made a diving catch in the end zone to haul in a touchdown pass.

And Daniels did it all.

“He ran the ball really well. He threw the ball, managed the team really well,” Carroll said. “It’s kind of what we’ve been waiting to see. We finally broke him out. We were really excited to see that happen.”

Asked what more he could have done, Daniels joked that he should learn to kick field goals to add to his repertoire.

“That’s the slogan that goes around the NFL – the more you can do,” he said. “I don’t know if I’ve done enough or not, but I’m very pleased with the dedication and time and effort that I’ve put into it.”