Tag: Nick Bellore

4 Seahawks named as 2021 Pro Bowl starters at their positions

Four Seattle Seahawks have been named as 2021 Pro Bowl starters at their positions; seven total players from the team made the roster.

The 2021 Pro Bowlers were announced on Monday evening. The Seattle Seahawks tied with the Chiefs, Packers and Ravens for the most players named at seven.

Four of Seattle’s players have also been named as starters at their positions: linebacker Bobby Wagner, free safety Quandre Diggs, long snapper Tyler Ott and special teamer, Nick Bellore.

Here’s a look at the complete NFC roster with an asterisk denoting a starter, although no actual game will be played due to the pandemic. The Seahawks players have been bolded regardless of their place on the depth chart.

2021 NFC Pro Bowlers

Quarterback: *Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Kyler Murray

Running back: *Dalvin Cook, Alvin Kamara, Aaron Jones

Fullback: *Kyle Juszczyk

Wide Receiver: *Davante Adams, *DeAndre Hopkins, DK Metcalf, Justin Jefferson

Tight End: *T.J. Hockenson, Evan Engram

Offensive Tackle: *David Bakhtiari, *Trent Williams, Terron Armstead

Offensive Guard: *Brandon Scherff, *Elgton Jenkins, Andrus Peat

Center: *Jason Kelce, Frank Ragnow

Defensive End: *Cameron Jordan, *Brandon Graham, Chase Young

Defensive Tackle: *Aaron Donald, *Fletcher Cox, Grady Jarrett

Outside Linebacker: *Khalil Mack, *Za’Darius Smith, Jason Pierre-Paul

Inside Linebacker: *Bobby Wagner, Fred Warner

Cornerback: *Jalen Ramsey, *Jaire Alexander, Marshon Lattimore, James Bradberry

Free Safety: *Quandre Diggs

Strong Safety: *Budda Baker, Jamal Adams

Long Snapper: *Tyler Ott

Punter: *Jack Fox

Kicker: *Younghoe Koo

Return Specialist: *Cordarrelle Patterson

Special Teams: *Nick Bellore

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Zero Jets selected to Pro Bowl despite Mekhi Becton leading fan vote for AFC tackles

The Jets had no players selected to the 2021 NFL Pro Bowl.

The Jets were shut out of the 2021 NFL Pro Bowl.

New York didn’t have a single player selected to this year’s all-star exhibition. The last time the Jets didn’t have a player voted to the Pro Bowl was in 2017, when the New York finished 5-11 under head coach Todd Bowles.

The Jets are one of five teams with zero Pro Bowl nods. The Jaguars, Bengals, Cowboys and Panthers are the other four.

Jets rookie left tackle Mekhi Becton led all AFC offensive tackles in fan voting but was not selected for the Pro Bowl. The fan vote counts for one-third of the selection.

Becton laughed when he found out he didn’t make it.

Quinnen Williams was another Jet with a strong case.

The Jets did have three former players selected to the Pro Bowl, though. Seahawks safety Jamal Adams, Seahawks fullback Nick Bellore and Bills returner Andre Roberts all made it. This will be Adams and Roberts’ third Pro Bowl and Bellore’s first.

The NFL Pro Bowl game will not take place this season due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. It was supposed to be held in Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. Instead, the NFL will hold a virtual event on Jan. 31.

7 Seattle Seahawks named to 2021 Pro Bowl roster

The National Football League announced the 2021 Pro Bowl roster and a franchise-high seven Seattle Seahawks have made the squad.

The National Football League has announced the 2021 Pro Bowl roster and seven Seattle Seahawks have made the cut.

The Seahawks received the second-most votes of any team this year behind only the Steelers.

Although the Pro Bowl game itself will not be played due to the coronavirus pandemic, it is still a great honor to be named to the squad.

Here’s a look at who earned the nod this season.

Seahawks rank 3rd among all NFL teams in 2021 Pro Bowl voting

The Seattle Seahawks rank third among NFL teams for 2021 Pro Bowl votes among players. Russell Wilson and Nick Bellore are both ranked.

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The NFL recently released the results of the first round of the 2021 Pro Bowl voting polls, and the Seattle Seahawks are well represented.

Quarterback Russell Wilson is currently second place among all quarterbacks in Pro Bowl voting with 139,839 votes behind Chiefs signal-caller Patrick Mahomes. That is certainly no surprise, as Wilson leads the league in touchdown passes with 30 through 10 games and while he has 10 interceptions, he reverted to his early-season MVP form against the Cardinals last week to help the Seahawks to 7-3 before they head into what should be a relatively easy schedule.

In addition, Nick Bellore is first among all special-teamers and the Seahawks have the third-most votes for players as a team.

However, their focus is on claiming the NFC West for the first time in four years. They will next play the Eagles on Monday Night Football on Nov. 30.

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Seahawks re-sign Nick Bellore, place Phil Haynes on injured reserve

The Seattle Seahawks made a couple of roster moves on Monday, re-signing fullback Nick Bellore and placing Phil Haynes on injured reserve.

The Seattle Seahawks executed a couple of roster moves on Monday, re-signing fullback Nick Bellore to the active roster and placing guard Phil Haynes on the injured reserve.

Bellore was a casualty of Saturday’s initial roster cuts and left Seattle without a fullback. This will mark his ninth season in the NFL and his second with the Seahawks. Bellore played in 14 games in 2019 as was a special-teams standout.

Haynes, who is entering his second season in Seattle, began his rookie campaign on the Physically Unable to Perform list before he was activated later in the year in time to appear in the Seahawks’ playoff loss to the Packers. The Seahawks did not specify the nature of Hayne’s injury to start this season in the press release.

The Seahawks practice Monday afternoon before breaking for a rest day on Tuesday.

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How the Seahawks could construct the roster to keep Luke Willson

The Seattle Seahawks have too many tight ends on the roster, but they could keep Luke Willson around by converting him into a fullback.

It’s no secret the Seattle Seahawks hoarded tight ends this offseason, creating a logjam and likely necessitating some tough decisions when roster cuts come around in September.

Will Dissly and Greg Olsen are the presumed starters, assuming they are both healthy, which leaves veteran Luke Willson and a gaggle of young guys – Jacob Hollister, Colby Parkinson, Stephen Sullivan, Tyler Mabry and Dominick Wood-Anderson – competing for what will likely only be two spots on the active roster.

It sure seems like the Seahawks love what they have in their two draft picks, Parkinson and Sullivan, and on paper that definitely doesn’t bode well for Willson, a fan favorite thanks to his personality and the ever-popular Techno Thursday he reintroduced to the Seahawks locker room.

However, Willson has a skillset that is primarily absent from the team’s tight end group: run-blocking. While Dissly has proven himself capable, the two draft picks, as well as Hollister and Olsen, are all unwilling or unable to run-block very well in the NFL – and in Pete Carroll’s run-heavy offensive attack, that could be an issue.

The simple solution is to find a way to keep Willson on the roster in a capacity where he can serve as an extra blocker in running situations, while also getting used sporadically as a receiver and of course as a key contributor on the special teams.

While that skillset could certainly work as a fourth, or even a fifth tight end, it could also function as a fullback in Carroll’s offense.

Nick Bellore is the team’s current fullback, but if the Seahawks want to get creative they could cut Bellore, saving over a million in cap space, and allow Willson to work in that capacity.

Bellore saw just 29 snaps on offense last year, about three percent of the team’s total offensive possessions, but he appeared on nearly 60% of Seattle’s total snaps on the special teams, recording seven combined tackles and recovering a fumble while also hauling in two receptions for 23 yards and a touchdown.

It’s not hard to imagine Willson having a bigger offensive role than Bellore, or the role Tre Madden had in 2017 and 2018. While he may not be able to match Bellore’s experience on the special teams, Willson has racked up 868 career snaps as a special teamer, so he is by no means a newcomer to the role.

Plus, the offensive versatility Willson would bring to that role would give the Seahawks more options in fullback formations, and would force the defense to defend a little differently, knowing his abilities as a pass catcher.

Cutting Bellore seems like a real possibility, and although the team could attempt to use 2020 draft pick DeeJay Dallas at fullback, teaching Willson how to run routes and block out of that spot would open up space for him on the roster, while giving the team added offense and losing very little, if anything, on the special teams.

Plus, it’s one more year of Techno Thursday.

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Will fullback Nick Bellore be a cap casualty for the Seahawks?

The Seattle Seahawks could replace fullback Nick Bellore with DeeJay Dallas, who can contribute as a receiving back and core special teamer.

While the Seattle Seahawks have always employed a fullback in the Pete Carroll era, recently the position has become a glorified special teams contributor, often not getting used on the offensive side of the ball for entire games at a time.

That was the case last year with Nick Bellore, a converted linebacker whom Seattle used on just 29 offensive snaps all season long, even though he appeared in 14 games.

Bellore did haul in both of his targets for 23 total yards, including a touchdown against the Cardinals, but it was clear his role on the team was on the special teams, where he appeared in 58% of the team’s snaps and recorded seven combined tackles and a fumble recovery.

Now, with one year left on his contract and a $1.05 million hit against the cap, the question is whether the Seahawks will keep Bellore around for 2020 or dump him to save some cash.

The Seahawks don’t have any other true fullbacks on the roster, but if they wanted to move on from Bellore they could attempt to use DeeJay Dallas, a fourth round pick in April’s draft, in a similar role.

Dallas is nowhere near as big as Bellore, but he was an elite receiving back in college and expects to contribute right away on the special teams, which helps fill the gaps of what Bellore did for Seattle.

While Dallas probably won’t be creating running lanes as a lead blocker, the traditional fullback role, Bellore didn’t really do that either, and Dallas is a cheaper, younger alternative with more upside and a smaller cap hit – making him an appealing option to keep on the active roster over the veteran Bellore.

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A look at Seahawks running back room after Carlos Hyde signing

The Seattle Seahawks have an abundance of running backs after signing Carlos Hyde, but after last year’s injuries, they are playing it safe.

The Seattle Seahawks began the offseason with a perilous running back situation, following the season-ending injuries suffered by Chris Carson, Rashaad Penny and C.J. Prosise near the end of the 2019 season.

Prosise is gone, along with Marshawn Lynch and Robert Turbin – who were both signed as emergency depth in December – which leaves Seattle with Carson and Penny as well as second-year back Travis Homer from last year.

Seattle shored up some depth by selecting DeeJay Dallas in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL draft, and they added even more depth by signing Carlos Hyde to a one-year deal worth up to $4 million for 2020.

So – now the Seahawks have five players (Carson, Penny, Hyde, Homer and Dallas) all competing for snaps at tailback, with Nick Bellore still on the roster at fullback and a pair of undrafted free agents, Patrick Carr and Anthony Jones, in the running as well.

The biggest question, which will remain unknown until training camp opens, is the health of Penny. All signs point to Carson, who had surgery on his hip in December, returning to 100 percent health by the time things open back up again.

However, there have been rumblings that Penny, who tore his ACL, will begin training camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, and even some concern that could spill into the regular season if he does not get any time during the preseason to get his legs under him.

That would certainly help explain the Hyde signing, as he would be a more than capable No. 2 running back to Carson while Penny is out. How the team will handle the trio when Penny is healthy remains to be seen, and it sure looks like Homer, who filled in admirably late last season, has been relegated to special teams duties once again, this time alongside Dallas, who may have a hard time even staying on the roster once Penny is healthy.

Of course, Seattle saw firsthand what happens when a team doesn’t have enough running back depth, or when they all manage to get hurt at once, so they will do their best to have everyone ready to step up as needed this season – and they’ll almost certainly have Beast Mode on speed dial.

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Instant analysis of Seattle’s 27-13 loss to Arizona

The Seattle Seahawks suffered a handful of injuries in an ugly loss to the Arizona Cardinals, 27-13, on Sunday.

For years, Arizona’s stadium in Glendale has been a house of horrors for the Seattle Seahawks.

Injuries to Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor, Earl Thomas and Will Dissly over the past few years all occured down in the desert, but despite the nightmare scenarios, Seattle at least managed to find a way to win.

However – the Seahawks decided to switch things up this year, and instead had their gut-wrenching, injury-ravaged yearly tradition against Arizona at home this year, and it resulted in an ugly 27-13 loss.

The Seahawks, already coming into the game down four starters on defense and one, Duane Brown, on offense, lost both Chris Carson and C.J. Prosise to injury in the first half, leaving them with just Travis Homer in the backfield for the rest of the game.

Updates for Carson and Prosise will be provided as soon as they are available.

The injuries seemed to sap the life out of the Seahawks, who got absolutely boat-raced by the Cardinals. Arizona scored 20 unanswered points after Seattle scored first, which came on a three-yard touchdown pass to fullback Nick Bellore.

Seattle’s defense was unable to contain running back Kenyan Drake, who rushed for 166 yards and two touchdowns, and the pass rush was non-existent all game long.

Seattle’s offense was even worse, at one point going three consecutive drives with a grand total of negative 25 yards of total offense. An offensive line without Brown was unable to stop Chandler Jones, who had three sacks in the first half and finished with four sacks, six quarterback hits and two fumbles forced.

Seattle did not get a single first down in either the second or third quarter.

The momentum shifted briefly when Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray left the game with a hamstring injury, forcing former Seahawks backup Brett Hundley into the contest. A drive stalled and forced a field goal attempt, which was blocked by Rasheem Green and picked up by Marquise Blair, who ran 46 yards and set Seattle up for a field goal early in the fourth quarter.

After another Seahawks field goal, Hundley marched Arizona 78 yards, rushing for 38 of them on his own, and eventually handing the ball to Drake for his second touchdown of the game and the final nail in the coffin for Seattle.

The Seahawks still have a chance to win the NFC West with a win in Week 17 over the 49ers, who they will take on at 5:20 p.m. PT. on Sunday in Seattle.

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Key special teams contributor Nick Bellore expected back Week 15

Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll believes that fullback/special teamer Nick Bellore will be able to suit up on Sunday against Carolina.

The Seattle Seahawks took a hit to their special teams unit with the news that Neiko Thorpe was placed on the injured reserve with a sports hernia and will miss the rest of the season.

Thorpe’s presence has long been a big part of the punt and kick coverage teams for the Seahawks, and while they will miss him in the final three regular season games – he was the captain of the special teams after all – coach Pete Carroll did relay some good news on Wednesday about fellow core special teamer, fullback Nick Bellore.

“Nick’s got a chance to come back, he’s going to practice today,” Carroll said. “We’re thinking if he makes it through the week he should be able to play for us. That’s a big plus for us coming back. He’s been a real factor in teams, a real good factor for us. So, we’re looking forward to him coming back.”

Bellore has appeared in 11 games for Seattle this season, but he missed the last two weeks with a quad strain. He has one reception for 20 yards on the year, along with a fumble recovery on teams.

His veteran presence will help steady a young group of special teamers that will be without Thorpe for the rest of year.

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