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The Seattle Seahawks players who stand out after roster cuts
We now know the initial 53-man roster for the Seattle Seahawks as they prepare for Week 1 of the NFL season on Sept. 8 against the Denver Broncos.
Who made Seahawks’ initial 53-man roster, and who didn’t
As is always the case, there is some intrigue coming off the announcement.
Here are a few things of note based on who made the cut, who didn’t, and which players are (and aren’t) hurt to begin the season.
1. Business as usual with Nwosu is good news.
Seattle had a scare in its preseason finale win over Cleveland on Saturday with outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu suffering a knee injury on a cut block that earned the Browns a penalty. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Monday, Nwosu suffered a sprained MCL and is expected to miss two to six weeks.
Luckily for Seahawks fans, Nwosu was listed on the 53-man roster Tuesday – not on either injured reserve or the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. That would have ruled him our for at least four weeks, so this seems to indicate the Seahawks are optimistic he can be ready to go before Week 5.
Nwosu is Seattle’s most established edge rusher, and there’s no doubt the Hawks are eager to have him back on the field after he missed most of last season with a pectoral injury.
It’s not all good news on the injury front, though. The troublesome knee of tackle Abraham Lucas landed him in the reserve/PUP list category.
2. The Seattle Seahawks cuts that may catch your eye.
There are always players waived that will jump out, whether it’s because they’re a surprise or it comes with the harsh reality of expectations not being fulfilled. This year is no exception for the Seahawks.
Wide receiver Dee Eskridge not making the cut is notable for a few reasons. He was a second-round pick in 2021, for starters, and then there’s the fact that he had an impressive 79-yard punt return for a touchdown on Saturday.
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Running back George Holani, an undrafted running back out of Boise State, seemed to have a lot of momentum in training camp and the preseason, but he is not one of the three RBs that Seattle decided to keep.
Linebacker Jon Rhattigan is worth mentioning due to the fact that he was due $2.985 million this year as a restricted free agent tender.
One of the Seahawks’ 2024 NFL Draft picks was left off the roster in cornerback D.J. James, a sixth-rounder out of Auburn.
There’s another rookie to mention: linebacker Michael Barrett, a seventh-round pick out of Michigan by Carolina, didn’t make the cut. Seattle traded just last week for Barrett, who played one season under new Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald when he was Michigan’s defensive coordinator in 2021.
3. The surprises to make the roster.
If you’re looking for an answer why the aforementioned James didn’t make the roster, look at undrafted rookie Dee Williams. The Tennessee product provided a highlight in the preseason with a 41-yard kick return, and now joins fifth-round pick Nehemiah Pritchett (James’ Auburn teammate) as rookies in Seattle’s cornerback room.
Another undrafted rookie making the team is center Jalen Sundell from North Dakota State. He provides insurance with recently-signed center Connor Williams coming back from an ACL injury last December, but it does make you wonder about the team’s plans with second-year center Olu Oluwatimi.
At linebacker, 24-year-old Drake Thomas appears the last to make it. Undrafted out of North Carolina State in 2023, he appeared in seven games last year for the Seahawks after being claimed in August from the Las Vegas Raiders.
Others worth noting that made the cut are tight end Brady Russell and wide receivers Laviska Shenault Jr. and Dareke Young.
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