RENTON — When it comes to cornerbacks on an NFL roster, eight is not only enough but usually a few too many.
Seattle has usually gotten by with five cornerbacks on its 53-man roster.
But due to injuries, the Seahawks have stockpiled cornerbacks; and when they signed Xavier Crawford off the practice squad this week, he became the eighth cornerback on the 53-man roster.
And with the team declaring veterans Sidney Jones IV and Artie Burns — who began training camp as the starters but were waylaid by injuries — as healthy Friday, Seattle has seven healthy cornerbacks.
Burns has not been active all season after suffering a groin injury early in training camp that he reinjured in the final preseason game at Dallas. Jones has battled a concussion and played in just one game this season. Coach Pete Carroll said Friday that both can play Sunday at Detroit if needed.
The only cornerback who isn’t healthy is Justin Coleman, listed as doubtful for Sunday because of a calf injury that has held him out two games. Coleman was the only player who did not practice Friday, with only one other player on the injury report — safety Joey Blount, listed as questionable because of a hamstring injury.
With eight cornerbacks, something might soon have to give.
“The situation has changed with [Burns] coming back and with Sidney coming back,” Carroll said Friday. “Sidney is ready to play, too. We have been really cautious with Sidney because of the injury that he had.”
Without Jones and Burns the Seahawks have been going with Michael Jackson and rookie Tariq Woolen as the starters at left and right cornerback, respectively. Carroll has praised the play of both, and Woolen seems like a long-term fixture who might be hard to budge from the lineup.
“The competition is really on,” Carroll said. “These guys are fighting to get through. We had a terrific week of practice with those guys. It’s just stepped up, everybody can feel it. They are fighting for their wins in practice, and it made for a really good week.”
With Coleman likely again out, rookie Coby Bryant figures to get the start at nickelback.
But that leaves each of the other two spots three deep. Seattle also claimed Isaiah Dunn off waivers from the Jets after the cutdown to 53 to fill out the depth due to injuries.
Dunn and Crawford were active last week behind Woolen, Jackson and Bryant to fill special-teams roles at the position. But if the Seahawks decide they want to use Jones and Burns on defense, they could be forced to make some decisions on who plays, who stays and who goes.
Lions rule out leading rusher, receiver
Seattle didn’t list anyone as out due to injury, but the Lions ruled out five, including leading rusher D’Andre Swift (ankle/shoulder) and leading receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (ankle).
Also ruled out were starting guard and 2021 Pro Bowler Jonah Jackson (finger), kicker Austin Seibert (groin) and defensive tackle John Cominsky (wrist).
Swift ranks eighth in the NFL in rushing with 231 yards and second in yards per attempt at 8.6. St. Brown is sixth in receptions with 23 and has two rushes for 68 yards.
The Lions will turn to veteran Jamaal Williams to replace Swift — he has 168 yards on 43 carries this season.
But replacing St. Brown — who has 13 more receptions than anyone on the team — may be trickier.
St. Brown, a second-year player out of USC, had eight receptions for 111 yards against Seattle last season in a 51-29 Seahawks victory at Lumen Field, a game in which he also scored a rushing touchdown.
Said Carroll: “He’s been a centerpiece for what they have been doing since like the middle of last year. … So we need to see what that means to them now. It’s much more of an unknown. When he’s playing, you know where the ball is going a lot. They have good receivers, other guys that can play. They got good speed, tall guys, big guys and all that. They got plenty of weapons.”
Notes
- Carroll said defensive end Shelby Harris is ready to go after missing last week because of a glute injury and a personal matter. He suffered the glute injury after playing just three snaps against the 49ers in Week 2 after being a key in Seattle’s win over Denver in the opener.
- L.J. Collier, the team’s first-round draft pick in 2019, is eligible to come off injured reserve next week after suffering an elbow injury in the preseason finale at Dallas, and Carroll said he is optimistic Collier will be able to return soon. “It’s going to be interesting to see,” Carroll said. “We really need him to come back. We need his activity and his background in our stuff and all of that. We missed him being in the mix of everything. So it will be great to get him back. Next week is his week. He will be ready.”