Seattle Seahawks

Seahawks vs Raiders: 5 Takeaways from Seattle's sloppy win

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The Seattle Seahawks beat the Oakland Raiders, but the game created some serious doubts about the overall depth on Seattle’s roster.

The Seattle Seahawks topped the Oakland Raiders 23-21 tonight in the last preseason game for both squads. The result is meaningless, but this was the last chance for coaches to evaluate players before roster cuts.

Honestly, this game was ugly. Neither offense did much of anything until late in the game. It was sloppy, and not particularly fun. It was a great showcase for some backups on defense, and not all the impressions that were made were good.

Here’s my 5 takeaways from tonight’s game:

1. CB depth isn’t what we thought it was

Marcus Burley is the team’s No. 4 CB. He’s moved up passed Tye Smith and Tharold Simon, both of which have been massively disappointing. There was a point in second half when I was thinking that DeAndre Elliot was going to make the roster over Simon and Smith, but then Elliot was carted off and didn’t return.

This isn’t a great position group. Even Jeremy Lane didn’t look great. Richard Sherman better not get hurt. He and DeShawn Shead have been the only dependable corners in the preseason.

Sep 1, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Alex Collins (36) scores a touchdown against the Oakland Raiders during the fourth quarter at Oakland Coliseum. The Seattle Seahawks defeated the Oakland Raiders 23-21. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

2. Collins vs. Pope will be an insanely tough decision

Lets face it, Pope looked really good once again. The kid can play. He’s got a great burst to go with solid vision and balance.

The only problem is that if Pope only makes the team is Alex Collins doesn’t. Collins didn’t have a great preseason, but he made enough plays to make this decision difficult.

It should be noted that the roster decisions aren’t made just based on preseason games. Coaches evaluate these guys every day, both in practice and in meetings. Collins has been above Pope on the depth chart in every game.

Collins also was the third-down back with the starters for the first two weeks of the preseason. He has a more complete game in terms of passing, blocking and receiving.

On the other hand, Pope looks like he might be the second coming of Thomas Rawls. There’s no way you pass on that, do you?

Ultimately it might come down to which player is most likely to clear waivers and hit the practice squad. That’ll make for a tough decision for the Seahawks.

Sep 1, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders linebacker Shilique Calhoun (91) sacks Seattle Seahawks quarterback Trevone Boykin (2) during the second quarter at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

3. Offensive Tackle is a complete mess

Sowell is a replacement level LT, and he’s the starter. The Seahawks rotated Gilliam and Webb at RT for 3 quarters. There was no question that Gilliam was better. That doesn’t mean Gilliam was good.

Webb looked like a fish out of water out there. He flopped around and didn’t actually block very many people. If his salary wasn’t fully guaranteed, I don’t think he’d make the roster. As it is, I still think there’s a chance he gets cut.

Terry Poole did some nice things against Minnesota, but he didn’t play well the last week or tonight. It is tough to see him make the roster, but the team might not have a choice since there simply isn’t anyone else available.

The only good things at tackle to come out of this game came from George Fant. The former TE played LT for most of the game and did well. He still has a lot to learn, but he’s improved enough over these 4 games for him to make the roster.

Aug 18, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Kenny Lawler (11) catches a pass against the Minnesota Vikings during the third quarter at CenturyLink Field. Minnesota defeated Seattle, 18-11. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

4. I have no idea who makes it at WR

We know the team’s “big 4” are set. Doug Baldwin, Tyler Lockett, Jermaine Kearse, and Paul Richardson are all on the team. After that it is a complete mystery.

Tonight was supposed to be a chance for a few guys to make their case that they deserve the other spot(s). Unfortunately, the offensive line and QB play was so bad that it was impossible to make any such assessments.

It didn’t help that Tanner McEvoy and Kasen Williams didn’t play. Those two have both been favorites to make the roster at points during training camp. Now they’re not healthy, which certainly doesn’t help their case to stick with the team.

It is also tough to say that either was passed on the depth chart tonight though. There simply wasn’t many opportunities for other guys to make plays.

The one exception might be Kenny Lawler. The 6th round pick made a really nice grab in the first quarter and followed it up with some solid special teams play.

I honestly have no idea where the Seahawks will go here.

Sep 3, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; General view of the CenturyLink Field and the downtown Seattle skyline during the NFL game between the Oakland Raiders and the Seattle Seahawks. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

5. Now begins is the worst 2 days of the NFL year

The Seahawks have until Saturday at 1 PM PT to cut 22 players. A few will be claimed by other teams. A few will land on practice squads. Many will never play football again.

That’s the nature of NFL. Guys who aren’t immediately signed to a practice squad have to go find non-football jobs. They wait for another chance, but a year from now another whole crop of rookies will come in to fill out rosters.

It is a tough reality for many of these guys. Most have spend most of their lives dreaming about playing in the NFL, and that dream will come to an end on Saturday.