The Seattle Seahawks continue to alter their roster for the first game of the season next Wednesday. Seattle seems to be going in a lot of different directions since making the 53-man initial roster and the 17-man practice squad. The Seahawks had a lot of undrafted rookies to staff off on the initial practice squad, but as the game gets closer, more veterans are replacing undrafted rookies.
Safety D'Anthony Bell is the latest veteran to be signed to the Seahawks' practice squad roster . Seattle released undrafted rookie edge rusher Marvin Jones Jr. to make room for Bell's addition to the team. This comes as the news that second-year nickel Nick Emmanwori is 'iffy' to play on Wednesday versus the New England Patriots and, potentially, the game after.
Sep 25, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Seattle Seahawks safety D'Anthony Bell (23) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Seahawks used training camp to try out multiple defenders for the starting nickelback position while Emmanwori was out. Emmanwori had a procedure to fix his ankle, forcing him to miss all of training camp while he recovers. During this time, the Seahawks tried out several players for nickel and used different schemes. Bell was among the players who played the position for a specific package.
Bell played a combination of box linebacker and nickel in run-heavy support during preseason. He played a good bit of safety during the preseason games and was among the better-performing players. The Seahawks had different groups competing with Bell against other veterans like Rodney Thomas III and AJ Finley. Both of them made the initial practice squad roster while Bell was the odd man out.
Bell's initial presence of being left out of the roster showed the Seahawks needed players who fit the attribute of a complete player. He was a solid run-stopper and could cover bigger-bodied pass-catchers. He does, however, lack the quickness to cover faster and more explosive receivers, which makes him limited in certain packages. The Seahawks needed more swift lockdown coverage players, but Emmanwori's new status has the Seahawks concerned.
Jun 9, 2026; Renton, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori (3) speaks to the media after minicamp practice at Virginia Mason Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
It wasn't a great feeling when Seahawks fans discovered that Emmanwori needed to recover from an ankle procedure in July. Fans saw his improvement throughout Hard Knock's coverage of the Seahawks and felt there is hope that one of the best Seahawks' defenders would be back fully healthy and ready for week one.
That remains to be seen as an option, especially after the latest news and projections surrounding Emmanwori. If he can't be ready for the week one matchup, the Seahawks would turn to their most experienced unit with three-time Pro Bowl cornerback Devon Witherspoon at the slot cornerback and Nehemiah Pritchett at the boundary cornerback opposite Josh Jobe . Newly acquired Avery Smith would likely back up Witherspoon .
If Emmanwori remains out, the Seahawks would only have two safeties on their roster. They would likely have to pull two safeties from the practice squad for this game against the Patriots. This could include Bell, who could play both safeties and box linebacker if needed for Seattle.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/seahawks/onsi as Seattle Seahawks Bring D'Anthony Bell Back at Critcal Before Week 1 .
