Seattle Seahawks: Land of 1,000 tight ends
Going into training camp, the Seattle Seahawks have seven tight ends on their 80-man roster. Where do they all fit?
Covid-19 virtually halted the country this spring. It didn’t stop the Seattle Seahawks from signing three-time Pro-Bowl tight end Greg Olsen. Six years ago, that would have been a nice pickup. In 2020, the 35-year-old isn’t the same quality acquisition he was in his prime. His production has fallen off considerably in the last three years. What Olsen does bring is a valuable veteran presence in the locker room. Additionally, he can be almost a player-coach with the tight end group.
Right now, there is an overabundance at his position. Olsen may be a former Pro-Bowler, but the Seahawks have another TE who looks like a future Pro-Bowl selection. Will Dissly, if he can stay healthy, has all the tools to reach that level. At his press conference last week, Caroll praised Dissley’s incredible work ethic as the former Washington Huskies star busted his tail to come back from the second serious injury of his career.
The Seahawks have not only the pair mentioned above, but they also have two other veterans that fit the position. Seven-year-pro Luke Willson is an above-average blocker. Among tight ends with over 250 snaps last year, Pro Football Focus ranked him 13th in pass blocking with a grade of 75.1 He’s a good man to protect Russell Wilson‘s blindside. Then there is Jacob Hollister who can also block (especially in the run game), and has good hands when called on to make a play.
Youth on tap
Having those four tight ends on the roster wasn’t good enough. During the NFL draft in April, they selected another pair of tight ends on Day 3. Drafting Colby Parkinson from Stanford was a nice add in the fourth round. At 6-7, 252-pounds, he meets the size, weight, and talent standards that Rob Gronkowski set. Parkinson is what the league is looking for from the tight end position these days. Unfortunately, he broke a bone in his foot while training in June. The team will slowly work him into the mix.
Seattle also drafted Stephen Sullivan in Round 7. He’s raw as a tight end. What Sullivan is capable of at the next level is a bit of a mystery. Maybe Carrol and Schneider saw something that I missed. Why stop at six, when there can be seven. After the draft, the Hawks signed Tyler Mabry from LSU as an undrafted free agent.
It looks like there are too many mouths to feed among the tight end set. The only thing I can think of is a four tight end set when the Seahawks are in short-yardage. But they can’t run that play every down. 12s will have to wait and see how Seattle juggles so many players at one position.
What do you make of the crowded Seattle Seahawks tight end group? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.