Pete Carroll provided a few significant injury updates following the Seattle Seahawks win on Thursday night against the Oakland Raiders – some of which might have an impact on the team’s initial 53-man roster.

DL L.J. Collier (ankle)

Collier continues to make steady progress in his road back from a high-ankle sprain. He worked out at CenturyLink Field prior to Thursday’s game, and he might get some work in practice next week. However, it doesn’t sound like the Seahawks expect to have Collier ready in time for Week 1.

The team will exercise extreme patience with its 2019 first-round pick.

“This is not the injury or the guy, in my mind, to rush,” Carroll said. “He just hasn’t been with us enough, to think he’s going to come in and save the day, I’m not doing that with him. We’ll get him well and make sure he’s well. But, if we can get him back to practice, that would be really important for us. We’ll see what happens. He did good stuff before, but he just hasn’t had enough body of work to go on right now.”

DE Ezekiel Ansah (shoulder/groin)

Ansah appears to be all systems go. He practiced for the first time this week and didn’t suffer any setbacks. Ansah went through a full pregame routine on Thursday and is on track to make his Seahawks debut in Week 1.

“He’ll practice this next week and he’s ready to go,” Carroll said. “The docs have given him the ready to go, as long as he makes it through his days. We’ll have a plan on how to do that. I’m thrilled.”

G Mike Iupati (foot/calf)

Carroll was left optimistic regarding the team’s starting right guard. It seems like Iupati isn’t recovering as expected from his foot and calf injuries. He’s likely to be a game-time decision, if not out all together against the Cincinnati Bengals. The same goes for George Fant, who is recovering from a high-ankle sprain.

“Mike’s going to be close,” Carroll said. “Mike’s fighting to get back and play in this game, as is George. They both want to. We’ll see if they can pull it off. We’re going to be fortunate to make that happen. They’re battling for it. Every day next week is going to be important. We won’t know until Thursday or Friday, (and that’s) if they’re successful in the first couple of days. We’ll have to wait it out.

QB Geno Smith (knee)

Smith tweaked his knee after getting sacked late in the second quarter against the Raiders. He called the play “a little scare” but added that he’s feeling OK. He’s still likely to get an MRI to make sure it’s nothing serious.

“We don’t know what that’s going to be,” Carroll said. “We’re going to check it out. I’ll know more in the next couple days.

Smith will be the Seahawks backup QB in 2019 as long as his knee checks out OK.

LB Shaquem Griffin (knee)

Griffin was one of my top players to watch going into Thursday’s game, but his nagging knee injury kept him from playing a single defensive snap. Carroll sounded concerned that the ailment could keep Griffin out a while.

“I don’t know what to tell you," Carroll said. "It has persisted some, so we’ll see. I think we’re going to get him checked out again, tested again, MRI him again, just to make sure we know what’s going on. It’s been a little bit different injury than a normal knee injury. He got hit on it. We thought bruised early on, but it just hasn’t gotten well fast enough for us.”

Griffin is a candidate to be stashed on Injured Reserve for the season, which would open up a roster spot for Ben Burr-Kirven.

It’s still hard to fathom how the Seattle Seahawks pulled off the Jadeveon Clowney trade. Not only did Seattle land a Pro Bowl pass rusher, one who is in his prime and has yet to reach his ceiling, but they did so without giving up much of anything that impacts their plans for 2019.

There’s no question that Clowney (6-foot-5, 255 pounds) improves the Seahawks outlook for this season. The question is how much? How many wins is Clowney worth?

The answers to those questions are potentially more significant than you might think. Not only does Clowney play the most impactful position on defense, but he’s a drastic improvement compared to who Seattle had slated to play that spot in 2019.

Cassius Marsh (cut) and Jacob Martin (part of the Clowney trade) would have likely split time opposite Ezekiel Ansah. They posted a combined 8.5 sacks in 2018. Clowney had nine by himself, which isn’t a gaudy number, but it’s an indicator that there’s a high floor from a pass rush standpoint. He’s also an elite run defender. Pro Football Focus had Clowney as the second-highest graded edge player against the run in 2018. During his current run of three-consecutive Pro Bowl seasons from 2016-18, Pro Football Reference gave Clowney an approximate value (AV) of 34. Over those same three seasons, Marsh's AV was just eight. Frank Clark's AV was a combined 21 during that span.

The addition of Clowney takes a ton of pressure off Ansah’s shoulders. Ansah, who just returned to practice last week, is now part of a potent 1-2 punch rather than having to carry Seattle’s pass rush by himself. The trade should also allow Seattle to get by just fine during Jarran Reed’s six-game suspension. Upon his return, the front four of Ansah, Reed, Poona Ford and Clowney combined with the linebacker trio of Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright and Mychal Kendricks give’s Seattle’s defense a chance to be dominant.

Clowney’s impact should trickle down to the secondary as well. An improved pass rush will force quarterbacks into quicker decisions – a direct formula for more takeaways. Seattle’s projected starting secondary (Bradley McDougald, Tedric Thompson, Shaquill Griffin and Tre Flowers) had just six combined interceptions in 2018. That number should be a lock to go up this season if the front seven lives up to the hype.

So back to the questions at hand. I believe that the addition of Clowney boosts Seattle’s expected win total by at least one. Should he take a step forward into the upper echelon of the NFL’s pass rushers, there’s no reason why it couldn’t be a two or three-game swing in the win column.

No team is void of question marks all together. It remains to be seen who will step up as Seattle’s No. 2 receiver behind Tyler Lockett. The secondary is still largely unproven. But it was the pass rush that was largely viewed as the Seahawks' greatest weakness.

With Clowney, that deficiency immediately turns into a position of strength that could ultimately be what propels Seattle’s playoff run come January. And that fact alone made this a no-brainer decision for the Seahawks, regardless of whether or not they're able to re-sign Clowney beyond 2019.

The Seattle Seahawks simply needed to borrow Geno Smith's roster spot for a day. ESPN's Josina Anderson reported that Smith has rejoined the Seahawks on Sunday. The move was widely expected when Smith was a part of Seattle's roster cuts on Saturday.

It's still unclear who's spot Smith is taking on the Seahawks roster. A spot will be created when the Jadeveon Clowney trade becomes official given that Seattle will be losing two players in the process (Barkevious Mingo and Jacob Martin are still technically on the team). Ed Dickson and Shaquem Griffin may also be played on Injured Reserve with respective knee injuries. That would open up two more spots. Seattle had to keep both of them on the roster for one day in order for them to play at any point in 2019.

Smith earned the job to be Russell Wilson's backup with his play in the preseason. He was far superior than Paxton Lynch, which made the decision very easy to make Smith the No. 2. Smith completed 18-of-34 pass attempts in the preseason for 282 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions. He added 10 carries for 47 yards and another score on the ground.

Despite the NFL’s 1:00 p.m. PT deadline, the Seattle Seahawks stayed true to form, making us all wait a few extra hours to find out who made the initial 53-man roster.

Saturday’s blockbuster deal that saw Seattle acquire Jadeveon Clowney resulted in a huge shakeup of who the Seahawks kept around. Jaron Brown and Cassius Marsh, a few surprise veteran cuts, were the casualties of Seattle’s pending addition of Clowney’s 15.967 million salary in 2019. The Seahawks haven’t made the trade official, which means Jacob Martin and Barkevious Mingo are still on the roster while Clowney isn't.

Geno Smith was also released along with Paxton Lynch and J.T. Barrett, leaving Seattle without a backup quarterback at this point. Smith could return on Sunday or the Seahawks could look for their backup QB outside the building.

Below is a list of Seattle’s transactions as well as a position-by-position look at who’s left on the team. I’ll also compare the list of 53 names to my final roster projections and note where I misfired.

It’s important to add the caveat that the roster will change, at a minimum to reflect the Clowney trade and to add a QB, before Seattle returns to practice on Monday.

Who was cut: Nick Bellore, Jaron Brown, Cassius Marsh, Marcus Martin, DeShawn Shead, Geno Smith, Jamar Taylor, J.T. Barrett, Jazz Ferguson, Jackson Harris, Will Holden, Jacob Hollister, Jawuan Johnson, Kahlil Lewis, Shalom Luani, Paxton Lynch, J.D. McKissic, Earl Mitchell, Nyqwan Murray, Elijah Nkansah, Keenan Reynolds, Jordan Roos, Wes Saxton, Bo Scarbrough, Logan Tago, Simeon Thomas, Landon Turner, Xavier Turner, Brian Wallace, Terry Wright and Juwon Young.

Who was waived/injured: Jeremy Boykins and Justin Currie.

Who was placed on PUP: Demarcus Christmas and Phil Haynes.

Who was placed on IR: Jordan Simmons.

Who was acquired via trade: Parry Nickerson

Who was placed on suspended list: Jarran Reed

The 53-man roster:

Quarterback (1)

Russell Wilson

Analysis: Who will be Wilson’s backup? Smith could re-sign on Sunday. Seattle might also look outside their preseason roster to get their guy.

Running back (4)

Chris Carson, Rashaad Penny, Travis Homer and C.J. Prosise

Analysis: Seattle picked Homer over McKissic. As it stands right now, the Seahawks will go into the season without a fullback as Bellore was part of the cuts.

Wide receiver (6)

Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf, David Moore, Gary Jennings, Malik Turner and John Ursua

Analysis: Letting go of Brown allowed Seattle to keep the trio of Ursua, Turner and Jennings.

Tight end (3)

Nick Vannett, Ed Dickson and Will Dissly

Analysis: Dickson (knee) will almost assuredly be placed on IR on Sunday, which means he can return after missing eight weeks. My biggest surprise of the day was Seattle cutting Hollister, who I thought could have been a contributor in 2019.

Offensive line (9)

Duane Brown, Mike Iupati, Justin Britt, D.J. Fluker, Germain Ifedi, George Fant, Jamarco Jones, Ethan Pocic and Joey Hunt

Analysis: Hunt being on the roster is a good indication that he won't miss much time. This was the expected list of names.

Defensive Line (10)

Quinton Jefferson, Al Woods, Ezekiel Ansah, L.J. Collier, Rasheem Green, Poona Ford, Brian Mone, Brandon Jackson, Barkevious Mingo* and Jacob Martin*.

Analysis: Clowney will be added on Sunday or Monday when the trade is finalized and Martin and Mingo will be removed. Jackson’s strong preseason earned him a spot on the initial roster. Mone, as an undrafted rookie, earned a spot over vested veteran Jamie Meder. Both were impressive in the preseason.

Linebacker (7)

Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright, Mychal Kendricks, Cody Barton, Austin Calitro, Ben Burr-Kirven and Shaquem Griffin

Analysis: Griffin (knee), like Dickson, seems destined to begin the season on IR.

Defensive Backs (10)

Shaquill Griffin, Tedric Thompson, Bradley McDougald, Tre Flowers, Neiko Thorpe, Ugo Amadi, Akeem King, Marquise Blair, Parry Nickerson and Lano Hill

Analysis: Seattle clearly favored Nickerson, who they acquired from the Jets in a trade for a conditional 2021 seventh-round pick, over Taylor. Nickerson likely adds depth at nickel, but this means Amadi may be the Week 1 starter at that spot.

Specialists (3)

Jason Myers, Michael Dickson and Tyler Ott

Analysis: No surprises here.

Where my projections were off: Cassius Marsh, Geno Smith, DeShawn Shead, Jaron Brown, Jacob Hollister and J.D. McKissic

The Seattle Seahawks, like the rest of the NFL, have a deadline of 4 p.m. ET Saturday to trim their 90-man roster to just 53 players. Approximately 1,184 players around the league are about to become available as free agents or via the waiver wire, so coaches around the league will be looking for players to fill their needs. 

Ahead of Saturday's deadline, here's a list of notable Seahawks players who are said to be looking for jobs before Week 1:

**It's important to note that these are all reports until Seattle has confirmed its 53-man roster, which is expected sometime in the evening Saturday.**

A source tells the Seattle Times is that Paxton Lynch has been waived. So Geno Smith the backup QB. No surprise there. Seahawks may try to keep Lynch on the practice squad.

— Bob Condotta (@bcondotta) August 30, 2019

Seahawks Insider Joe Fann has more on Lynch's reported cut here.

Another Seahawks move ahead of cut-down day: they're waiving rookie running back Xavier Turner, a source tells me.

— Brady Henderson (@BradyHenderson) August 30, 2019

ESPN sources: the Seahawks have released veteran defensive back DeShawn Shead. He'd been playing safety this summer and got a long look last night at cornerback, where he started in 2015-16 for Seattle. A locker-room favorite and a member of the Seahawks' Super Bowl XLVIII team.

— Brady Henderson (@BradyHenderson) August 31, 2019

Shead confirmed his release in a post on Twitter. 

Thank you to the entire @Seahawks organization. I’m grateful for the opportunity to compete once again as a hawk! 🙏🏾 I will always appreciate and have love for the 12’s! Can’t wait to see what next! #TrustTheProcess #TMC #TheGrindDontStop

— DeShawn Shead (@dshead24) August 31, 2019

The Seahawks have waived safety Shalom Luani, a source tells me.

— Brady Henderson (@BradyHenderson) August 31, 2019

Defensive end Logan Tago has also been waived by the Seahawks, a source tells me. The undrafted rookie from Wazzu signed with Seattle on Wednesday and started in last night's preseason finale.

— Brady Henderson (@BradyHenderson) August 31, 2019

Early Saturday, Jay Glazer of NFL on FOX reported the Seahawks had agreed to a blockbuster trade to land Texans star Jadeveon Clowney. 

Scoopage: SEA & HOU have agreed to trade parameters re: Jadeveon Clowney contingent upon Clowney & other players involved passing physicals. Still lot of moving parts but believed Clowney, who rejected going to Miami at first, is headed for his physical with Hawks. @NFLONFOX

— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) August 31, 2019

Seahawks sent a third-round draft pick along with linebackers Barkevious Mingo and Jacob Martin to Texans in exchange for three-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney, according to league sources. Clowney in Seattle right now to take a physical

— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) August 31, 2019

#Seahawks are releasing DT Earl Mitchell, source says. They signed him after the Jarran Reed suspension. Could still be with Seattle this year. He’s a vested veteran so they might bring him back Week 2 rather than guarantee his whole salary by carrying him now.

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) August 31, 2019

The #Seahawks are cutting WR Jazz Ferguson, source said. Had a productive preseason and could get claimed. Otherwise, likely back on Seattle's practice squad.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 31, 2019

Another surprise in Seattle: The #Seahawks are releasing veteran CB Jamar Taylor, source said. He'd been the frontrunner for the nickel job for much of camp. Now a free agent.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 31, 2019

Source: The #Seahawks have released DE Cassius Marsh.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 31, 2019

I'm told the Seahawks have also waived LB Juwon Young. So the players they are known to have waived today:

Jazz Ferguson
Earl Mitchell
Brian Wallace
Jawuan Johnson
Juwon Young
Elijah Nkansah https://t.co/qIoJ73lIp9

— Brady Henderson (@BradyHenderson) August 31, 2019

I believe BBK just confirmed his spot on roster on UW radio broadcast. #Seahawks

— Aaron Levine (@AaronQ13Fox) August 31, 2019

More moves: The #Seahawks are releasing TE Jacob Hollister, source said. … The #Saints cut RB Devine Ozigbo, who could be back on the practice squad.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 31, 2019

Am told Seahawks have released J.D. McKissic.

— Bob Condotta (@bcondotta) August 31, 2019

Seahawks have waived UDFA receiver Terry Wright, I'm told.

— Brady Henderson (@BradyHenderson) August 31, 2019

Seahawks have waived CB Simeon Thomas, I'm told.

— Brady Henderson (@BradyHenderson) August 31, 2019

As part of the impact from the Jadeveon Clowney trade, the #Seahawks are expected to release starting WR Jaron Brown, a cap casualty, source said. They need to fit in Clowney’s tag.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 31, 2019

Brown confirmed he had been released via this post on Twitter:

Thank you Seattle! Fell in love with this city, fans and organization! Next chapter for me

— Jaron Brown (@jaronbrown13) August 31, 2019

Huh. NFL transactions are out and show that Seattle also has released Geno Smith. So, at the moment, no other QB on the roster besides Russell Wilson.

— Bob Condotta (@bcondotta) August 31, 2019

The Seahawks 53-man roster is now set. Joe Fann has your position-by-position breakdown here following Saturday’s roster cuts. 

Seattle Seahawks fans spent all week debating what would be a fair trade for Jadeveon Clowney.

Was he worth a first-round pick? Which players would be an acceptable cost in exhange for the star pass rusher? The Houston Texans reportedly sought offensive line help. There was also speculation that they were in the market for a running back following Lamar Miller's ACL tear. Houston got neither from Seattle.

The Seaahwks sent the Texans a 2020 third-round pick, Barkevious Mingo and Jacob Martin in Saturday's blockbuster deal for Clowney. Let's not mince words -- that's absolute larceny from John Schneider and company. Mingo was going to be cut in order to save $4.1 million in cap space, and Martin, while a player with potential, was a rotational piece on the defensive line.

With the savings from Mingo, Seattle will have plenty of cap space left to spare, even after figuring in Clowney's $15.967 million franchise tender.

There's potential that this will be just a one-year rent-a-player situation given that Seattle can't negotiate a new contract with Clowney until the offseason. However, if Clowney walks in free agency, the Seahawks would get a compensatory pick in return. That pick could be as high as a third-rounder.

It was a no-brainer deal for a team that owes it to itself to maximize the prime years of superstars Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner. Clowney is a coveted player who is yet to reach his ceiling and he plays the most sought-after non-quarterback position in football. Still just 26, Clowney is said to be in the best shape of his career and "game ready" according to Ian Rapoport.

This deal becomes even more lopsided when you consider what the Seahawks received from the Kansas City Chiefs in the Frank Clark trade. Seattle got a 2019 first-rounder and a 2020 second-round pick in exchange for Clark. That means Seattle essentially traded Clark, a 2020 third-round pick, Martin and Mingo for Clowney, a 2019 first-round pick and a 2020 second-round pick.

It will be interesting to see what Houston does with Mingo. They may move him back to off-ball linebacker after Mingo was unproductive as an edge rusher for Seattle during the preseason. Martin is the prize in the deal for the Texans. The 2018 sixth-round pick out of Temple showed promise with three sacks as a rookie. Still, he doesn't project to have a ceiling anywhere near Clowney's.

Clowney has made the Pro Bowl the last three seasons and has posted 18.5 sacks and 27 tackles for loss over the last two seasons. The first-overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft now joins forces with Ezekiel Ansah in Seattle, a pairing that has the potential to be one of the best pass rush tandems in the NFL.

Seattle, a team considered a favorite for a wild card spot in the NFC, now has more than enough firepower to challenge the Los Angeles Rams for the divisional crown.

The Seattle Seahawks have landed Jadeveon Clowney. Yes, you read that right. If you were like me, sleeping into the wee hours of Saturday morning, it’s time to wake up.

The Seahawks and Texans reportedly agreed to a deal to send Clowney to Seattle in exchange for a third-round pick, linebacker Jacob Martin and pass-rusher Barkevious Mingo.

Before Seahawks Insider Joe Fann breaks down the trade, as well as what this means for Seattle's chances to contol the division, let's take a look at how fans, media and players reacted to the blockbuster trade which sent the three-time Pro Bowler to Seattle.

Me: So you telling me you’re not chasing me anymore? @ClowneJD : “Nah bro...all other QBs”

Me: okay we’re cool we’re cool.. 😎

Welcome to the squad bro! 🏈🏈🏈 pic.twitter.com/jiU5lXt2Dw

— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) August 31, 2019

Jadeveon Clowney earned a career-high overall grade of 89.5 last season, tied for 7th out of 112 qualifying edge defenders. #Seahawks

— PFF SEA Seahawks (@PFF_Seahawks) August 31, 2019

All hail John Schneider and Pete Carroll. The #Seahawks reportedly just traded a third-round pick (which they will get back when they make 30 trades draft week) and two players on the bubble (Martin/Mingo) for Jadeveon Clowney. Yikes. pic.twitter.com/rOSmymCgAG

— Aaron J. Fentress (@AaronJFentress) August 31, 2019

#Seahawks just stole Jadeveon Clowney from Houston https://t.co/qm8FYY7OfR

— Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) August 31, 2019

Seahawks’ front seven will be looking mean this season 😳

🔷 Jadeveon Clowney
🔷 Jarran Reed
🔷 Poona Ford
🔷 Ziggy Ansah
🔷 KJ Wright
🔷 Bobby Wagner
🔷 Mychal Kendricks pic.twitter.com/KRqcOrwUmb

— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) August 31, 2019

This trade happened due to the unique power Clowney held since he had not signed his franchise tender. The Texans couldn’t trade him without his approval of the team.

He wanted to be a Seahawk and the Texans needed to get SOMETHING in return instead of potentially nothing.

— Jake Heaps (@jtheaps9) August 31, 2019

Duane Brown to me just now on Jadeveon Clowney: "It’s a big move for us. He is a game-changer in my opinion. Just spending time with him in Houston, I know he is respected by offensive coordinators, guys that have to prepare for him. I think he will really thrive for us." [Cont].

— ig: josinaanderson (@JosinaAnderson) August 31, 2019

2/2 Duane Brown to me just now on Clowney: "I know Clowney has to get a physical, but he's excited. I've been telling him it's a reputable organization here. I'm not sure why it all fell apart in Houston. I know how he works. Looking forward to getting him out there with us now."

— ig: josinaanderson (@JosinaAnderson) August 31, 2019

just think about how good clowney is going to be playing next to poona ford

— Danny Kelly (@DannyBKelly) August 31, 2019

me in April: praises Seattle for exercising cap discipline and stockpiling draft capital

me in August, reading about a possible Clowney trade: pic.twitter.com/Q73EdJH5Ef

— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) August 31, 2019

👀👀👀👀👀 pic.twitter.com/lLBU09p8sh

— Duane Brown (@DuaneBrown76) August 31, 2019

Check back to NBC Sports Northwest for more on this trade and what it means for Seattle with the first game of the season upon us.

The Seattle Seahawks have shaken up the entire landscape of the NFC West with a blockbuster trade ahead of the regular season opener. According to Jay Glazer, Seattle is in the final stages of acquiring Pro Bowl pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney from the Houston Texans. It's Glazer's belief that Clowney is already headed to Seattle for a physical.

Scoopage: SEA & HOU have agreed to trade parameters re: Jadeveon Clowney contingent upon Clowney & other players involved passing physicals. Still lot of moving parts but believed Clowney, who rejected going to Miami at first, is headed for his physical with Hawks. @NFLONFOX

— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) August 31, 2019

Clowney made it known earlier this week that Seattle was one of his preferred destinations in a trade. He essentially has the power to veto a trade elsewhere by refusing to sign his franchise tender. Clowney recently flexed that power by torpedoing trade talks between the Texans and the Miami Dolphins.

It's still unclear what the price tag is on the star pass rusher, which means we can't evaluate the full impact of the trade just yet. There have been consistent reports that Houston is seeking offensive line help. The loss of Lamar Miller to a torn ACL could also have the Texans in the market for a running back, of which the Seahawks have several.

The addition of Clowney would give Seattle one of the best, if not the best defensive front seven in the NFL. It would be Clowney - Poona Ford - Jarran Reed (post-suspention obviously) - Ezekiel Ansah along the defensive line to go with the trio of Mychal Kendricks - Bobby Wagner - K.J. Wright at linebacker.

Clowney is a three-time Pro Bowler with 18.5 sacks and 27 tackles for loss over his last two seasons. If and when he signs his franchise tender, he'll make $15.967 million in 2019. Seattle can easily pay him with more than $21 million in cap space (before cuts). The Seahawks wouldn't be able to negotiate a long-term deal until the offseason.

Buckle up, it's going to be an interesting Saturday.

Seattle has made its first move. According to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times, the Seahawks have waived QB Paxton Lynch.

It's not a surprise given that Geno Smith was clearly the better quarterback in the preseason. Even if Smith's knee injury is more serious than initially believed, this move means that Seattle will look outside its current roster in order to find Russell Wilson's backup.

A source tells the Seattle Times is that Paxton Lynch has been waived. So Geno Smith the backup QB. No surprise there. Seahawks may try to keep Lynch on the practice squad.

— Bob Condotta (@bcondotta) August 30, 2019

The practice squad is still an option if the Seahawks want to keep Lynch around. He's still eligible as he only has two accrued seasons in the NFL.

Smith completed 4-of-7 passes for 107 yards and two touchdowns on Thursday night against the Raiders. Lynch completed just 1-of-7 attempts for four yards. We'll know more about Smith's injury on Monday when Pete Carroll speaks to the media next.

Seattle will announce the rest of its cuts on Saturday as the club must meet the NFL's 1:00 p.m. PT deadline. At that point, the roster must be trimmed to 53 players.

And now we wait…

There are just more than 24 hours until the Seattle Seahawks must have their roster down to 53 players. That gives us ample time to speculate who is in, who is out and where Seattle might tinker with the roster depending on who gets cut around the NFL.

Below are my final roster projections. There’s only one change following the Seahawks win over the Oakland Raiders in the preseason finale, but I’ve added commentary as to where things could potentially be shaken up over the weekend. I’ve also included who, in my opinion, will be the last four in, the first four out and 10 candidates for the practice squad.

Quarterback (2)

Russell Wilson and Geno Smith

Analysis: Smith’s 39-yard touchdown strike to Terry Wright on the game’s opening possession Thursday night locked up the backup QB job (if it wasn’t already). The wrinkle here is whether or not Smith’s knee injury is anything serious. Smith didn’t sound overly concerned, but Pete Carroll said the team would know more in the coming days.

Paxton Lynch had a dreadful end to his preseason. He completed just 1-of-7 pass attempts for four yards against the Raiders. The backup offensive line didn’t give Lynch much protection, but the QB still didn’t offer much. I’d guess that the Seahawks look outside the current roster should Smith’s knee injury be more serious than initially believed.

Running back (5)

Chris Carson, Rashaad Penny, J.D. McKissic, C.J. Prosise and Nick Bellore

Analysis: I didn’t make any changes here, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Seattle cut Bellore initially in order to keep someone else at a different spot. It’s a pretty safe bet that Bellore would be available should the Seahawks want to bring him back.

Wide receiver (6)

Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf, David Moore, Gary Jennings, Jaron Brown and John Ursua

Analysis: Man… I tried my best to keep Jennings off the roster, but there simply isn’t anyone else who stood out enough to warrant cutting a fourth-round pick. Carroll made it sound like Jennings has improved in practice and that he’s coming along with his knowledge of the scheme. If it were up to me, I'd keep Jazz Ferguson over Jennings. However, Carroll has never seemed to be a believer in the undrafted rookie.

Keep an eye on which wide receivers get cut around the NFL. I think the Seahawks will be in the market for one.

Tight end (3)

Nick Vannett, Will Dissly and Jacob Hollister

Analysis: These three were easy picks, but it is still unclear what the Seahawks plan to do with Ed Dickson (knee).

Offensive line (9)

Duane Brown, Mike Iupati, Justin Britt, D.J. Fluker, Germain Ifedi, George Fant, Jamarco Jones, Ethan Pocic and Joey Hunt

Analysis: Phil Haynes (sports hernia) seems destined for PUP. I feel confident with the rest of this list, but there are major injury question marks with Iupati (foot/calf), Fant (ankle) and Hunt (ankle).

Defensive Line (8)

Cassius Marsh, Quinton Jefferson, Al Woods, Ezekiel Ansah, L.J. Collier, Rasheem Green, Poona Ford and Jacob Martin

Analysis: Brian Mone and Jamie Meder are going to be two difficult cuts. Letting go of Barkevious Mingo became easier and easier as the preseason went on. He simply wasn’t productive enough as an edge rusher.

Linebacker (6)

Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright, Mychal Kendricks, Cody Barton, Austin Calitro and Ben Burr-Kirven

Analysis: The combination of Burr-Kirven’s monster 12-tackle performance against the Raiders and Shaquem Griffin’s nagging knee injury helped the rookie fifth-round pick land on my final roster projections. I think Griffin is an IR candidate, which would help Seattle stash him for a year without having to cut him or BBK. Carroll didn’t sound very optimistic when discussing Griffin’s knee injury on Thursday night.

Defensive Backs (11)

Shaquill Griffin, Tedric Thompson, Bradley McDougald, Tre Flowers, Neiko Thorpe, Ugo Amadi, Akeem King, Marquise Blair, Lano Hill, DeShawn Shead and Jamar Taylor

Analysis: Like wide receiver, Seattle could look for outside help at cornerback. King didn’t have a stellar preseason, but the Seahawks are thin on outside corners. DeShawn Shead started at RCB and played well against the Raiders. His leadership, versatility and mastery of the defense make me believe he’s safe.

Specialists (3)

Jason Myers, Michael Dickson and Tyler Ott

Analysis: Same as before.

Last four in:

Gary Jennings, Nick Bellore, Akeem King and Ben Burr-Kirven

First four out:

Malik Turner, Jamie Meder, Brian Mone and Travis Homer

10 potential practice squad candidates:

Malik Turner, Jamie Meder, Brian Mone, Travis Homer, Jazz Ferguson, Simeon Thomas, J.T. Barrett, Shalom Luani, Bo Scarbrough and Terry Wright