Bump: 3 Seahawks dark horses to make the 53-man roster

Aug 26, 2024, 3:01 PM | Updated: 3:32 pm

Seattle Sports

All eyes in Seattle are on the Seahawks’ roster, as the Hawks need to cut it down to 53 players by 1 p.m. Tuesday afternoon as the NFL readies for the regular season.

Sizing up Seahawks’ top roster-spot battles ahead of cutdown

Naturally, Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy set their sets on the roster bubble during Monday’s edition of their daily Four-Down Territory segment.

Stacy Rost asked her co-host, former Seahawks wide receiver and current analyst Michael Bumpus, for some dark horse candidates to make the cut. Here are the three Bumpus shared.

• 1. Dee Eskridge, WR/KR/PR

You’re shaking your head while reading this, aren’t you? Of course the first name that Bumpus said was Eskridge, who Bumpus notably championed as a potential Seahawks draft pick out of Western Michigan before the Hawks did just that in 2021. We can go back through the archives here at SeattleSports.com and find numerous posts of Bumpus talking about Eskridge from every year since then (here’s 2021, 2022 and 2023), but Eskridge has struggled to produce as a pro, making his spot on the roster going forward far from a guarantee.

The 27-year-old Eskridge has something in his favor, though: his 79-yard punt return for a touchdown in Saturday’s 37-33 preseason finale win over Cleveland.

When you can’t go left, go right. pic.twitter.com/gbpNETtilF

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) August 26, 2024

“My man, Dee Eskridge. Come on, Dee. Come on, Dee,” Bumpus said. “When he took that 79-yarder to that house, I know y’all was thinking about me. I know you were for sure because (Bump and Stacy producer Curtis Rogers) texted and said, ‘Congratulations, your adult son just made a play.’

“… He took one to the house. If he does not (make the Seahawks roster), that just tells me that he’s not picking up the playbook or there’s something else going on at the receiver position. But as a returner, he showed, ‘Look, I can do this.’ I haven’t seen a punt return to the house in Lumen in a very long time. That was fun to watch.”

• Brady Russell, TE

Bumpus has been impressed by what the 6-foot-3, 250-pound Russell has shown, relating the 25-year-old Colorado product to former Seahawks Pro Bowler Nick Bellore, who was key on special teams while also able to play fullback on offense and linebacker on defense.

“I think Russell’s going to make this team,” Bumpus said. “He is great in the run game, and I think there is going to be a time where you need a true fullback. He can be the Nick Bellore. He can be the guy that plays multiple positions. You can line him up at tight end, you can line him up at fullback, he might even be able to play linebacker if you need him.”

Russell signed with Seattle last September and played 15 games for the Seahawks on special teams. In three preseason games this month, he made five catches for 47 yards and a touchdown.

• Patrick O’Connell, LB

Speaking of linebacker, Bumpus zeroed in on a player who actually does play the position – the 25-year-old O’Connell, who played in college at Montana and appeared in one game with the Seahawks last season.

“I really like what he’s done so far. I don’t know if he’ll make the active roster, but if they can slip him on the practice squad, I think that’s the guy that you need on your squad.”

O’Connell, who checks in at 6-1 and 227 pounds, made 12 tackles combined in Seattle’s three preseason games.

Catch the Four-Down Territory segment at 11:15 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. during each edition of Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy, which airs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays on Seattle Sports.