The Seattle Seahawks reached
their regular-season roster limit of 53 on Sunday by waiving 19 players and placing
two on injured reserve.
The Seahawks waived the
following players:
S Jordan Babineaux
S Walter Bernard
DT LaWaylon Brown
WR Antoine Burns
CB Brad Franklin
CB Michael Harden
LB Byron Hardmon
T Matt Hill
C Joey Hollenbeck
P Donnie Jones
FB R.J. Luke
CB Tony Lukins
DE Omar Nazel
RB Tellis Redmon
G Jeff Roehl
DT John Schlecht
WR Taco Wallace
TE Josh Whitman
WR Jason Willis
LB Isaac Brown was released
on Friday. The team also placed FB Chris Davis (knee) and S Damien Robinson
(shoulder) on injured reserve.
On Monday, September 6,
the Seahawks can establish a practice squad of no more than eight players.
The NFC West won a lottery
drawing during NFL Europe’s World Bowl and each of the four teams in the
division were assigned one extra NFL Europe player who will join clubs as part
of the NFL International Development Practice Squad program.
Christian Mohr, a DE from
Germany who played for the Berlin Thunder, was assigned to the Seahawks. He
will not be eligible to be claimed by another team or promoted to an active
roster.
Surprises here include Nazel,
who made two very impressive goalline stops in the final preseason game against
the Vikings, and WRs Wallace and Willis, who both had good camps. The Seahawks
simply have tremendous depth at wide receiver, which coach Mike Holmgren had
acknowledged more than once in the last week. The final six WRs will be starters
Koren Robinson, Darrell Jackson and Bobby Engram, with reserves Alex Bannister,
Jehereme Urban and D.J. Hackett rounding out the list.
Davis’ placement on
IR means that backup FB Heath Evans makes the team by default. Robinson’s
trip to that list (as well as the release of Babineaux and Bernard) gives the
Seahawks only three safeties – Ken Hamlin, Terreal Bierria and rookie
Michael Boulware.
When perennial holdout LT Walter Jones returns to the team (likely early next
week) to accept his franchise designation, another roster move will not be required
until Week 2. The Seahawks learned Sunday that tackle Wayne Hunter has been
suspended for one game by the NFL for violating the league's personal conduct
policy, relating to a domestic violence incident in the spring of 2003, after
the Seahawks selected him in the third round of the draft and before he signed
his contract.
At this time, the Seahawks appear
intent on carrying 10 defensive linemen. Brandon Mitchell's salary would be
guaranteed after Week 1 as a four-year veteran, which might leave Anton Palepoi
and Craig Terrill on the bubble.
The Seahawks open their
2004 season on Sunday, September 12, 2004, at New Orleans.