For a position that was rarely fielded in 2019, nickelback has been a topic of conversation and consternation since Justin Coleman departed the Seahawks for the Lions in March of last year.
A training camp competition between Akeem King, Ugo Amadi and Jamar Taylor last August saw Amadi get the initial start, Taylor take over for the next nine weeks and then King and Amadi handle the rest of the season. None of Taylor, King, or Amadi featured heavily on defense, with the three combining to play 552 defensive snaps—120 fewer snaps than Coleman played in his final year in Seattle.