Seahawks preseason opener could be key for roster hopefuls on the bubble

Are you ready for some football? Seahawks preseason begins Saturday afternoon when the team takes on Kansas City.

For stars like Russell Wilson and Richard Sherman, there will be little playing time in the glorified practice. But for the players on the bubble, every Seahawks preseason moment can be critical in their quest for an NFL career.

It could be the last shot for former Skyline High School standout and former USA Today All-American Jake Heaps, who quarterbacked Skyline to two state titles before a less-than-stellar college career that failed to live up to its promise.

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Heaps says he’s trying to take it one day at a time. He insists that’s not just a cliche.

“It’s 100 percent true. Especially for guys in my situation, guys competing for roster spots. You really have to take it one day at a time. You look at what happened yesterday, you look forward to tomorrow, you get sidetracked,” Heaps said after practice Wednesday.

Offensive Coordinator Darrel Bevel says that means every step, every snap, every play matters.

Talk about pressure.

“We watch everything. Practice is everything and everything that they do is evaluated in every way. We try to give them the best look that we can,” Bevell said.

It’s a big change for defensive back Tyvis Powell, an undrafted rookie free agent out of Ohio State.

A year ago he was a big man on campus and defensive star for a national championship contender, now he’s just one of dozens of hopefuls.

But he says the Seahawks stars have been surprisingly welcoming and encouraging.

“They get you up to speed really fast and they hold you very accountable. Kam, Sherm (Richard Sherman) and Earl do a great job of holding the DB’s accountable. It’s by far the best leadership I’ve had,” Powell said.

When I met Powell the other day, he was carrying a bunch of the stars’ helmets and pads – the friendly hazing is a sure sign the veterans care enough to make him feel a part of the pack despite being an unheralded long shot.

“I would have never made anybody do this [sic],” he laughed. “But I understand how it goes. I’ve got to earn my keep around here. If they want me to carry pads, I’m going to be the best pad carrier in America.”

Some guys come into camp a seeming long shot, but end up making it impossible for coaches to keep them off the roster.

This year’s crop includes undrafted free agent offensive lineman George Fant, a 6-foot-5-inch, 296-pound mass of humanity. He’s stood out both literally and figuratively, and is making a strong case to make the team.

But he says Saturday night’s preseason opener is not make or break for him.

“I’m looking at it like, I’ve been out here working against some of the best D-linemen in the NFL. So I’m just going to approach it like it’s another day of practice. Of course, it’s a game, but I want to play the same way in practice like I do the games,” Fant said.

For the former Sammamish star Jake Heaps, playing for his hometown team is a dream come true. But he says finding out so many of his heroes are real people makes it a lot easier and relieves at least some of the pressure.

“You see the guys on TV and their personas, and then you walk in the door and it’s exactly who they are. It’s an amazing thing. It’s a great environment to be in … I’ve learned a lot from Russell, I’ve learned a lot from defensive guys like Richard Sherman, Bobby Wagner, KJ, they are all so willing to help you,” Heaps said.

We’ll see how much they’ve learned when players like Heaps, Fant, and Powell get the bulk of the playing time Saturday afternoon, and then hold their breaths as they await the first round of roster cuts at the end of the month.

You can listen to all the action as the Seahawks visit the Kansas City Chiefs Saturday afternoon, kickoff at 1:30 p.m.

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