A couple days back, I challenged DE Lawrence Jackson to put up or shut up. In the 48 hours since, Jackson took the field for his first training camp practice, the Seahawks traded for another DE in Kentwan Balmer, and then Jackson was dealt to the Lions for a 6th round pick. Who knew I had such sway with the Seahawks front office?
On the roster Richter Scale, these moves check in at 3.5. More than the imperceptible sway caused by the comings and goings of non-roster invitees, but not enough of a tremor to cause more than the most avid fan to take note.
Carroll and Schneider have already been lauded for their massive roster turnover with well over 120 moves in the last year, with some moves registering as 8.5 level quakes like drafting franchise cornerstones in Russell Okung and trading for possible future franchise QBs in Charlie Whitehurst. The vast majority of the moves have been the 1.5-2.0 non-roster moves where you see 98% of them go back out the door, and a few (e.g., Mike Williams) climbing up the ranks.
Hawks fans should expect an increase in auditions for offensive lineman. Ray Willis is out with knee surgery on a knee that already is arthritic. We have very little depth at tackle, and almost no quality depth at center or guard. Chester Pitts will hopefully be a great option, but he is also a very large man recovering from knee surgery.
The defensive line may still see a stream of searching in the hopes that we can pull a disruptive rabbit out of the hat, but with Balmer’s addition, I think things will slow there a bit. The next “known” name at risk? DT Craig Terrill. You heard it hear first.