The Seahawks will be kicking off their first preseason game of the year on Thursday night against the Vikings. While these exhibition contests are a great way to evaluate rookies and players on the roster bubble, teams are rightfully getting more careful about protecting the most-critical pieces on their rosters during this time. Some teams even refrain from playing their starters entirely during the month of August.
Seattle doesn’t need to go that far, but there are some guys who they should be keeping in bubble wrap until the regular season begins. Here are six players who are too important to risk injuring during something as stupid as a preseason game.
QB Geno Smith
Fans may recall that Geno Smith got absolutely clobbered by the Raiders pass rush in the first preseason game of 2021. Smith was eventually ruled out with a concussion and wasn’t cleared from the protocol until a week later. That’s all the reason you need to keep your starting quarterback off the field in three games that ultimately don’t count for anything.
Instead, we should be treated to a large helping of Drew Lock and rookie Holton Ahlers. Last year during the preseason Lock displayed more of the same that we saw in Denver: remarkable athleticism and arm talent cut off at the knees by poor decision making. Lock got COVIDed out of a preseason start last year, so it’s only fair to give him extended playing time this month.
WR Tyler Lockett
Now 30 years old, Lockett is firmly established as the most consistent producer at his position in the league. Lockett is as good as Russell Wilson was in his prime at avoiding contact. However, it only takes one big hit to seriously injure someone Lockett’s size. There’s no good reason to jeopardize a virtually-guaranteed 1,000 yards and 8-10 touchdowns by putting No. 16 on the field in August.
WR DK Metcalf
There’s a decent chance that DK Metcalf is an alien and it may not matter if he gets hurt or not. In 2021 he played through a significant foot injury the entire year and he still finished with 12 touchdowns and nearly 1,000 yards. Just in case Metcalf is actually human afterall, it’s safer to rest him.
OLB Uchenna Nwosu
The Seahawks had exactly one consistent performer up front for the entire 2022 season. Uchenna Nwosu balled out from September all the way through January, earning himself a handsome three-year contract extension in the process. Seattle’s pressure game was awful last year by most metrics and they can’t risk losing their best edge rusher. Nwosu should stay on the sidelines until Week 1.
ILB Bobby Wagner
Seahawks fans have fully embraced Bobby Wagner after his one-year absence in Los Angeles. Part of that is because they now know what life is like without No. 54 leading your defense and erasing a whole lot of mistakes that might happen around him. Wagner is simply too valuable for this defense to risk injury during the preseason.
FS Quandre DIggs
Everything that applies to Nwosu and Wagner also applies to Quandre Diggs, who is now the team’s best defender overall and by far their top option on the back end. Diggs is a pro’s pro and doesn’t need preseason reps to be ready for Week 1 in any case. What happened to Joey Blount in practice on Monday is a reminder how dangerous this position is. Let’s not allow the same to happen to Diggs.
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