Seahawks notebook: Healthy for Week 1, no second CB starter named

The Seahawks are just days away from their first game of 2020 and after a year where injuries were piling up, Seattle is healthy heading into Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons.

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During his latest press conference, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll provided the latest injury report before his team departs for the East Coast, and also gave an update on who will be playing at cornerback and running back on Sunday.

Injury report

The Seahawks have one player ruled out for Sunday and just one player who is questionable.

Offensive tackle Cedric Ogbuehi will not play due to a pectoral injury. He was a limited participant in practice this week.

Ogbuehi, who signed as a free agent this offseason, is a backup, but it was thought he may see some time as a sixth lineman like former Seahawks tackle George Fant was the last two seasons. His injury leaves the Seahawks with eight offensive linemen heading into Sunday, but there are multiple offensive tackles on the practice squad who could be called up.

Wide receiver Phillip Dorsett has battled a foot injury all throughout camp and that injury has his status for Sunday as questionable. Dorsett is Seattle’s presumed No. 3 receiver behind Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf and is expected to be a deep threat for quarterback Russell Wilson and Carroll said he’s had a good camp when he’s practiced. Aside from those three, the Seahawks also have David Moore, Penny Hart and rookie Freddie Swain at receiver on the current roster.

“We rested him today and we’ll see what happens,” Carroll said. “But David Moore is ready to go … We’ll play a lot of guys. Freddie Swain has done a nice job, so we’re anxious to see Freddie and we really won’t have any hesitation playing Fred. You’ll see what happens at gametime as far as what else is going on.”

Some good news for the Seahawks is that starting left tackle Duane Brown, third-year tight end Will Dissly and third-year offensive lineman Jamarco Jones, who were all limited in practice at various parts of this week, are off the injury report and will play.

Brown had knee surgery late last season that caused him to miss time, but the Seahawks have given him time off in practice to make sure he is ready to play and protect Wilson’s blind side.

“We’ve managed him all throughout camp. If you take a look at the days, we’re just working him on a schedule,” Carroll said. “He’s been around a long time and we want to make sure to take care of him.”

Dissly, who has flashed in 10 career games the last two seasons, tore his Achilles last year in Week 6 after another hot start to the season. As a rookie, he played in just four games before tearing his Patellar tendon in his knee.

“It really was the training staff and coaches holding him back throughout camp. He’s ready to go. He had a phenomenal offseason … He had a great camp. He’s fine and we’re just making sure that he’s ready to go for his first game and we can play him as we want to.”

Jamarco Jones was limited on Thursday due to an illness, but he is also not listed on the injury report.

For the Falcons, they will be without backup cornerback Kendall Sheffield and backup edge rusher Charles Moore. Rookie second-round defensive tackle Marlon Davidson is listed as questionable with a knee injury.

Quinton Dunbar vs Tre Flowers

Carroll, once again, would not declare who would start at the second cornerback spot opposite Pro Bowler Shaquill Griffin. Two-year starter Tre Flowers and trade acquisition Quinton Dunbar have battled for that spot this training camp.

“Both guys are similar in stature and their ability to run and to cover. Quinton has more experience, he’s played a bit more and you can tell by his style of play,” Carroll said. “Both of those guys are likely to play in this game and we’ll let you know at gametime who’s going to start. Quinton’s had a good camp and shown us the things we need to see and this is the best we’ve seen from Tre, so it’s a good situation. The competition has helped us.”

L.J. Collier is a starter

On an unofficial depth chart released earlier this week, second-year defensive end L.J. Collier, Seattle’s first-round pick in 2019, was listed as the starting five-technique defensive end over Rasheem Green, who led the Seahawks with four sacks last year. Carroll said that was still the plan on Friday.

“He’s in better shape than he was a year ago. He’s just healthier and quicker and stronger in every way and he made it through camp healthy as well,” Carroll said, noting an ankle injury last offseason derailed Collier’s rookie season. “… We’ve just seen him much more to his ability level. His ankle bothered him even when he came back last year, so we never really saw him. He’s had a good camp, we’re giving him the chance to start in this game. There will be a good rotation there, but it’s because he’s earned it and he’s played really well, so I’m anxious to get him out there.”

Collier, Carroll said, has good quickness, length and is “a really good technician” who plays with a high motor.

“He’s got a lot of positives about him,” he said.

Running back approach

The Seahawks suddenly boast a pair of 1,000 yard rushers with Chris Carson, who has started for Seattle since 2018, and free-agent signing Carlos Hyde, who shined as a late pickup by the Houston Texans in 2019.

Carroll praised both backs for being physical and “on the attack” as bigger running backs, and though Carson is the starter, he expects both to get solid playing time, but he could feed the hot hand.

“As far as how we play them, as always, I like having choices and sometimes you go with who’s hot and sometimes you know it’s going to happen one way for a guy,” he said. “They’re going to both play and we’ll see what happens when they get out there and most likely if someone looks like they’ve got a little something going on that day, we’ll stick with it.”

Coaching change

At the end of his press conference, Carroll announced that special teams coordinator Brian Schneider has left the team “for personal reasons” and Larry Izzo, who was the assistant special teams coordinator, will take over Schneider’s role.

Schneider had been in that role since 2010, which was Carroll’s first year as head coach of the Seahawks. Izzo was hired in 2018 and is entering his third year with the Seahawks.

Listen to Carroll’s press conference at this link.

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