Can TE Lance Mason battle for a 53-man roster spot with the Seahawks?
· Yahoo Sports
The Seattle Seahawks could have an open battle for their fourth tight end spot this preseason, and undrafted free agent rookie Lance Mason has a chance to beat out veterans to win the job and suit up for the NFL opener in Week 1.
AJ Barner is the clear starter and Elijah Arroyo is a high-end backup, but third-stringer Eric Saubert played an important role last year as well. There’s room for three tight ends to contribute on the roster, and four to coexist happily, even before injuries deepen the need. The Seahawks are currently carrying six TEs and will likely thin that number down to four on the 53-man roster. This means there’s only space for one of Mason, Nick Kallerup, or Harrison Bryant.
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Bryant is a six-year AFC veteran, while Kallerup was a 2025 UDFA from Minnesota. Bryant played in 12 games for the Houston Texans last year, catching just 4 passes on 6 targets. Kallerup put in an impressive preseason last year and appeared in 9 regular season games without recording any receiving stats. They offer different ends of the spectrum of experience and potential. Despite similar frames at 6’5”, they differ in skillset. Kallerup is a blocking-first TE, while Bryant is more of a receiving threat. Neither of these players separate themselves especially well as assets, so if Mason can in the preseason, maybe that moves the needle.
The Seahawks can pick whether they need more of a blocking or receiving threat in their fourth tight end, and that would make the choice clear between Bryant and Kallerup. Bryant did sign with Seattle right after the draft, and with Mason sharing his receiving-first build, there could be a level of mentorship and/or competition between the two. Mason would likely have to match Kallerup’s 2025 preseason in 2026 to have a shot at beating him, but there’s a clear path. If Mason can be almost as good at blocking as Kallerup and almost as good at receiving as Bryant, he’d win the fourth tight end battle. New offensive coordinator Brian Fleury is touted as one of the greatest tight end coaches of the last decade and Seattle will get their first peek into his style of personnel with this decision.
This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Seahawks rookie TE Lance Mason's path to making Week 1 roster