What we’re trying to figure out: Is Seahawks punter Michael Dickson a wizard, a witch or a warlock?
Aug 28, 2018, 11:00 AM
“Final roster cuts” are an oxymoron that’s right up there with “jumbo shrimp” and “working press.”
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There’s nothing final about Saturday’s deadline to set a roster other than the fact that Seattle has to get down to the 53-man limit. There will be dozens of adjustments, additions and injuries over the course of the season, which will require the Seahawks to make weekly changes to that 53-man roster.
With that in mind that it’s all a work in progress, here are three things we’re still trying to sort out:
Three things we’re still trying to figure out
1. Is Seahawks punter Michael Dickson a wizard, a witch or a warlock?
Because there seems to be something unholy in his ability to punt with the precision and the spin with which pro golfers hit their irons. He showed off his side-spinner last Friday in Minnesota with two punts that touched inside the 10 and then bounced laterally out of bounds without going into the end zone. Look, I like to make fun of punting as much as the next guy. Actually, I probably make fun of it more. But Dickson not only looks like the best punter in the league right now, but he’s showing off tools and techniques that no one else uses.
2. Will Byron Maxwell make this team?
I think he will. He’s a veteran cornerback who can be trusted in this system. He showed that last year after being picked up following Richard Sherman’s injury. However, Maxwell wasn’t around for much of the team’s voluntary workouts this offseason, a sign he was less-than-overwhelmed by the $2 million contract he agreed to. He has yet to play in a preseason game this month, and while no one thinks his availability for the regular-season opener is in doubt, his status on the 53-man roster bears watching. Maxwell has never been known for the diligence of his practice habits, but even by those standards, his lack of offseason participation and training-camp activity has been notable. Shaquill Griffin, Justin Coleman and rookie Tre Flowers are locks to make the roster. Dontae Johnson has starting experience and is now healthy, too. Maxwell’s salary of $2 million seems a small price to play for depth at a position where you can never have too many capable players … but he is a big-name worth watching when final cuts are made.
3. Are the Seahawks going to use a fullback?
It sure didn’t look like it on Friday as Tre Madden did not play in the preseason game in Minnesota and the Seahawks lined up tight end Nick Vannett in the backfield. Then the Seahawks went and signed Daniel Marx this week, a rookie from Stanford. It appears that Seattle’s use of the fullback is a lot like Communism: It works better in theory than in actual practice.
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