The Seattle Seahawks have a tightly-contested position battle brewing at the nickelback spot.
Four players – Kalan Reed, Akeem King, Ugo Amadi and Jamar Taylor – are all fighting to start on Seattle’s defense this season.
So far, no one has taken a big step forward in the competition. With two games left in the preseason, it’s still anyone’s game.
However, coach Pete Carroll did give what could be construed as a clue to his preference, stating that the veteran Taylor will get the start there in Saturday’s preseason game against the Chargers.
“He’s earned a chance to be the nickel,” Carroll said of Taylor. “He’s competing for that spot. He’ll start at that spot this week, [we’ll] see how he does, and he’s in there battling.”
The third preseason game is frequently the game where the starters play the most reps, and while the job is still up for grabs, it is definitely worth noting Carroll already plans to start Taylor at that spot . . . three days before the game.
Taylor was signed as a free agent this offseason after spending the 2018 season split between the Cardinals and the Broncos.
A six-year NFL veteran, Carroll likes Taylor’s experience and speed, which could make him the front-runner for that job at the moment.
“He does bring some experience for us, we got a lot of young guys back there,” Carroll continued. “He’s fast, really fast, and it shows up. He’s done a nice job so far, he’s right in the middle of the competition.”
Regardless, expect to see all four players in the game at some point on Saturday as the coaching staff continues to evaluate this deep position group heading into the first week of the 2019 season.
