Benson Mayowa
Mayowa was one of the stories of the 2013 pre-season. He was decent in practice, but shined in games. The coaching staff loved what they saw, and kept him stowed away on the roster the whole year in hopes that he could put on some weight and develop into a viable threat at the LEO position. He succeeded in adding muscle, but he has been outperformed by O’Brien Schofield and Cassius Marsh so far. His first pre-season game was forgettable. He is younger and cheaper than Schofield, and the team will always be patient with any young edge rusher that shows promise. A strong outing versus the Chargers could go a long way toward reminding the coaches why they kept him around.
Spencer Ware
A talented inside runner, Ware is facing heavy competition from Robert Turbin, Christine Michael and now, Demetrius Bronson. That doesn’t include Derrick Coleman and Kiero Small. Ware has been mostly mediocre, and is at risk of becoming an afterthought in a crowded backfield.
Phil Bates
He has been the most improved player in camp, but Ricardo Lockette is a far more valuable special teams player. If Kevin Norwood recovers quickly, he has to take a roster spot, which leaves Bates to battle Lockette for the last opening. Bates needs to make some big plays, and preferably against the front-line Chargers defense.
Kevin Pierre-Louis
He missed the first game, and a couple linebackers could be back on the practice field next week. Now is the time for Pierre-Louis to make his presence felt. His play on special teams matters just as much, if not more, than how he performs on defense.
Justin Britt
The coaching staff is starting to foreshadow a possible switch in the depth chart at right tackle. Pete Carroll and Tom Cable have said on multiple interviews in the last week that Eric Winston is getting back into shape and is pushing the rookie. Britt was shaky in the opener and looks like a project in pass protection. A good performance Friday night could keep him atop the depth chart. A bad one, coupled with a solid game from Winston, could see a new first-team right tackle as soon as next week.
