RENTON -- The Seahawks are likely to be without two starting offensive linemen for Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns.
Left tackle Duane Brown and right guard D.J. Fluker were both listed as doubtful to play in Cleveland. Fluker had always seemed unlikely play due to a hamstring strain sustained in last Thursday night's win over the Los Angeles Rams.
Brown had played every snap of the last two games for Seattle at left tackle after the injury happened against the New Orleans Saints. However, the toll of two games in five days may have led to Brown's likely unavailability against the Browns. Brown had not been listed on the final injury report ahead of the Arizona game two weeks ago but had been questionable to play against the Los Angeles Rams last Thursday night.
"He's going to go in doubtful right now. And that means when you're as optimistic as I am that there's a chance. There's a chance. He couldn't practice today," Carroll said of Brown. "It's not responding as well as we would hope.
"Last week, the game he played Thursday night... that was heroic. He just toughed it out. It was hard and it was really uncomfortable for him but he just wouldn't say anything about it and finished the game and got it done. He was hurting, he knew it and he played with it and made it through it and so we got to take care of him and make sure. ... He just toughed his way through it and made it happen. Couldn't have been more admirable the way he pulled off a great game for us."
Backup guard Ethan Pocic was also ruled out after being unable to practice on Friday.
"He didn't practice today," Carroll said. "He didn't get through it today. We're trying to figure out what we're going to do next."
What happened next was the placement of Pocic on injured reserve so the team could promote guard Jordan Roos from the practice squad for additional depth Sunday in Cleveland. Additionally, with George Fant likely to move to left tackle to replace an injured Brown, the Seahawks were essentially losing a tight end as well. With that in mind, the Seahawks also promoted tight end Jacob Hollister from the practice squad and waived safety Adrian Colbert.
If Fant replaces Brown at left tackle and Jamarco Jones remains at right guard in place of Fluker, that would have left only Joey Hunt available as a reserve prior to Roos' promotion.. Carroll's comments make it seem likely that Pocic would be placed on injured reserve and that move came down later Friday afternoon.
Roos, Kyle Fuller and Khalil McKenzie were Seattle's three offensive linemen options currently on the practice squad. Though all three are more interior line options, Roos has the most experience in Seattle's offense having been with the team on their active roster or practice squad the last three years. He appeared in seven games for Seattle in 2017, mostly on special teams.
Carroll wouldn't say exactly what the team will do in their shuffling in hopes of leaving some form of ambiguity for the Browns to decipher.
"There may be an edge there somewhere for us. I'm not sure there is. But if there is, we're reaching for it," Carroll said. "A small edge, a little teeny edge but we're reaching for it and we're going to wait (to say)."
Fourth-round pick Phil Haynes becomes eligible to return from the physically unable to perform list beginning next week. Pocic would be eligible to return from the injured reserve list after eight weeks if his injury isn't deemed to be season-ending. Haynes may need more than one week of practice to be ready to be on the active roster, but his impending return could certainly help the depth situation eventually. Roos could be waived to facilitate Haynes' promotion when he's sufficiently back up to speed after missing all of training camp and the first six weeks following sports hernia surgery.
Running back Rashaad Penny is also listed as questionable due to a hamstring injury. He tweaked the muscle three weeks ago on the Friday ahead of their game with the Saints. The injury forced him to miss two games before returning for last Thursday's game against the Rams. He resurfaced on the injury report on Thursday due to the issue.
Lead running back Chris Carson also showed up on the report Thursday due to a shoulder injury but is expected to play against the Browns.
"He came back. He's fine today. He practiced the whole thing today," Carroll said.
Injury Report:
Photo Credit: GLENDALE, AZ - SEPTEMBER 30: Offensive lineman Duane Brown #76 of the Seattle Seahawks during an NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on September 30, 2018 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Ralph Freso/Getty Images)