Seattle, WA
Three-Horse Race Emerging in Seattle Seahawks Right Guard Competition
Since pads have yet to come out with training camp still almost six weeks away, the Seattle Seahawks have yet to have much of a real opportunity to truly evaluate their offensive line, most notably in the interior where they will have three new starters at center and both guard spots.
Keeping that in mind, it would be easy to overreact to Seattle’s current situation at right guard, where second-year blocker McClendon Curtis received all of the first-team reps during OTAs and mandatory minicamp instead of returning starter Anthony Bradford and third-round pick Christian Haynes. The fact Bradford missed most of the offseason program obviously impacted those rotations as well and if healthy, he’s probably getting all of those reps.
Even with him being the most seasoned candidate and the incumbent after starting 10 games as a rookie, however, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald didn’t commit to Bradford in his closing press conference after the team’s final minicamp practice, making it clear a “great competition” awaits once training camp opens in late July.
“He’s right there. Just good to see him out there. Missed a little bit of time there throughout some of the OTAs. He’s right in the mix. Got a great competition, especially on the right side of the line, and he’s right there. He’s got a great opportunity to go earn himself a job. “
From a positional battle standpoint, Seattle won’t open camp with many question marks in regard to starters on either side of the football. That includes left guard and center, where veteran Laken Tomlinson and second-year blocker Olu Oluwatimi look to have a strong grip on their respective positions and barring an unexpected surprise or injury, they should be in the starting lineup against Denver in Week 1.
On defense, the most notable competitions for the Seahawks will be for reserve or rotational roles with much of the starting lineup already etched in stone.
But as Macdonald acknowledged, the same cannot be said for the right guard spot, as Bradford’s injury only created more uncertainty heading towards camp. And, maybe most importantly, his absence opened the door for a third viable option in Curtis to jump into the competition this spring.
Starring at Chattanooga, Curtis developed into an NFL prospect playing multiple positions for the Mocs, starting 30 games at right guard and seven games at left tackle in six seasons with the program. Along with being named All-SoCon First-Team three times to close out his college career, he earned FCS All American distinction in 2022 and participated in the Reese’s Senior Bowl.
Standing 6-6 and weighing 328 pounds, Curtis looks more like an NFL tackle with a tall, athletic frame. But he delivers powerful blows to the frame of opposing defenders with bricks for hands and uses excellent length to create push in the run game as well as keeping hands on pass rushers, possessing the skill set to excel in the interior despite his height.
Viewed as a bit of a tweener by NFL evaluators, Curtis went undrafted and signed with the Raiders, ultimately landing on the practice squad after failing to make the team out of training camp. Once the Seahawks lost tackles Abraham Lucas and Charles Cross to injury in the season opener, they promptly signed him and fellow undrafted rookie Raiqwon O’Neal to the 53-man roster as developmental insurance policies.
Though he only played a handful of special teams snaps in one game as a rookie, general manager John Schneider name dropped Curtis as a player to watch during the NFL annual meetings in March, clearly impressing behind the scenes. Drafting Haynes, a two-time All American at UConn, seemed to suggest he wouldn’t be in the hunt for a starting job.
Yet, with Haynes exclusively working with Seattle’s second-team offense throughout the spring program and Bradford sidelined, Curtis benefitted as much as anyone on the roster from extensive practice reps over the past month, positioning himself to be major player in an already intriguing competition come July.
“He knows multiple spots, so if you know what to do it’s easy to move you around,” Macdonald said of Curtis during OTAs in late May. “I think the whole offensive line — it’s always one big puzzle piece as you trying to find the best five and the backup plan if someone can’t go and making sure you have enough depth so you’re not looking in the middle of the season and you have really no options. He’s doing a great job. Had a great offseason.”
Looking towards the 2024 season, based on experience alone, Bradford likely remains the favorite to win Seattle’s starting job after getting his feet wet last year with Haynes being the biggest threat to usurp him from the lineup. With both players being recent mid-round draft picks for Seattle, the team has made significant investments in them and in an ideal scenario, at least one of those young blockers will develop into a foundational long-term starter under the tutelage of new line coach Scott Huff.
At the same time, while he had plenty of positive things to say after the final minicamp practice, Macdonald and his staff don’t have any allegiance to Bradford and as a rookie without any NFL experience, Haynes won’t be given a starting job by default either. Huff will be ramping up the evaluation process when the pads come on and the real bullets start flying in August, and based on how things have transpired so far, it looks to be anyone’s race coming out of the offseason program.
Once viewed as little more than a curiosity, Curtis very much has emerged as a horse worth potentially betting on to go the distance. Considering both he and Haynes are the same age (24) and each have Senior Bowl pedigree with quality physical traits for playing inside, even if he’s still an underdog at this stage, it would be unwise to rule out the former as a legitimate contender to hold onto the starting job and fend off his counterparts in camp and the preseason.
The Seattle Mariners have a new pitcher, and it’s one they’re quite familiar with.
Cal Raleigh has soreness in side, out of Mariners’ lineup again
Longtime former Los Angeles Angels left-hander José Suarez was claimed by the Mariners on Sunday off waivers from the Atlanta Braves. To make room on the 40-man roster, Seattle designated Triple-A outfielder Rhylan Thomas for assignment.
The Mariners (16-18 entering Sunday) and the MLB-leading Braves (24-10) are set to begin a three-game series at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park on Monday night.
The 28-year-old Suarez is in his eighth MLB season, the first six of which were with the Angels. Because of his long tenure playing for a Mariners AL West rival, Suarez has played against the Mariners (14 games, 10 starts, 59 1/3 innings) more than any other MLB team.
Braves star Acuña to 10-day IL, out for series vs. Mariners
Suarez had a 6.61 ERA in eight games (one start) and 16 1/3 innings for the Braves this season. He first joined the Braves last year.
The Braves designated Suarez for assignment on Friday.
The best seasons of Suarez’s career were in 2021 and 2022 with the Angels, both years in which he went 8-8 with an ERA below 4.00 and WHIP under 1.25.
The Mariners had to scramble to fill a spot in the bullpen this week when right-hander Matt Brash went on the injured list with right lat inflammation. They initially called up left-hander Josh Simpson from Triple-A Tacoma just before their game against Kansas City on Friday night, then replaced Simpson by calling up Nick Davila from Double-A Arkansas on Saturday.
Thomas, 26, made his MLB debut last season, appearing in three games for the Mariners. This year in Triple-A, he’s has a .260/.313/.328 slash line for a .641 OPS with two home runs in 31 games. Thomas was an 11th-round MLB Draft pick in 2022 out of USC by the New York Mets.
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Seattle Mariners slugger Cal Raleigh is day-to-day with “general soreness” after being pulled from the lineup before Saturday’s game, manager Dan Wilson told reporters after a 3-2 loss in 10 innings against the Kansas City Royals.
Wilson said Raleigh underwent imaging, though he did not specify what on, and the team will assess their star catcher’s status Sunday.
“We’re trying to be as cautious as possible,” Wilson said.
Raleigh was originally slated to start at catcher and bat second in the middle game of the three-game series, but he was scratched from the lineup about 90 minutes before first pitch.
Mitch Garver got the start in place of Raleigh and went 1 for 4 at the plate and struck out three times, including to lead off the 10th inning.
Saturday’s game was the first Raleigh has missed this season. He had started 32 of the previous 33, including 25 at catcher, and came in as a pinch-hitter in the only game he didn’t start.
Raleigh is batting .186 with a .652 OPS, seven homers and four doubles this season. He has hit five home runs in his past 10 games.
Raleigh finished as the American League MVP runner-up during a record-setting campaign in 2025. He led baseball with 60 home runs, setting single-season MLB records for most home runs by a catcher and switch-hitter, as well as the Mariners’ single-season homer mark. Raleigh also drove in an AL-best 125 RBIs while hitting .247 with a .948 OPS.
The Mariners added a third catcher to their 26-man roster shortly after Raleigh was scratched from the lineup. Jhonny Pereda was called up from Triple-A Tacoma and infielder Will Wilson was placed on the 10-day injured list with fractured left thumb.
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Reliever Nick Davila is making the jump from Double-A to the big leagues to join the Seattle Mariners.
The Mariners announced they selected Davila’s contract from Double-A Arkansas on Saturday.
Joel Sherman of MLB Network and The New York Post first reported the right-hander was being promoted to the major leagues earlier in the day.
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In a corresponding move, left-hander Josh Simpson was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma.
Davila filled the last open spot on the Mariners’ 40-man roster.
Davila, 27, has pitched in eight games with the Travelers this season, posting a 2.00 ERA and 0.78 WHIP with 10 strikeouts to one walk over nine innings of work. He’s held opponents to a .182 batting average.
Davila also pitched in seven games for the Mariners during spring training, compiling 6.75 ERA and six strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings.
Davila, who signed a minor league contract with the Mariners in March 2023, is in his fourth year in the organization. He pitched across three levels of the minors in 2023, including making three starts for Triple-A Tacoma, his only experience above Double-A during his pro career.
In 2024, the Hialeah, Fla., native pitched in 13 games with a 4.98 ERA over 18 2/3 innings for High-A Everett.
Last season, Davila appeared in 39 games at Double-A. He had a 3.55 ERA over 50 2/3 innings.
Davila went undrafted out of South Florida in 2020 before signing a minor league deal with the Detroit Tigers a month after the draft. He made his pro debut the following season with Detroit’s Single-A affiliate.
Simpson, 28, was called up by the Mariners on Friday when right-hander Matt Brash was placed on the 15-day injured list with right lat inflammation. He has yet to pitch in a big league game this season.
In nine appearances with Tacoma prior to be called up, Simpson had a 0.96 ERA and 0.96 WHIP with 12 strikeouts and six walks allowed over 9 1/3 innings.
Simpson pitched in 31 games as a rookie for the Miami Marlins last season, posting a 7.34 ERA over 30 2/3 innings.
The Mariners continue a three-game series with the Kansas City Royals on Saturday at 6:40 p.m. Radio coverage on Seattle Sports 710 AM and the Seattle Sports app begins with the pregame show at 5:30 p.m.
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