Tag: D.J. Fluker

D.J. Fluker reveals he has been released by the Seahawks

After drafting guard Damien Lewis, the Seattle Seahawks released veteran D.J. Fluker on Sunday, according to a tweet from Fluker himself.

The Seattle Seahawks already began the process of trimming down the roster on Sunday.

After selecting Damien Lewis on the second day of the 2020 NFL draft, giving them a whopping 19 offensive linemen on the roster, the Seahawks are releasing veteran right guard D.J. Fluker, according to a tweet from Fluker himself.

Releasing Fluker saves the Seahawks $4.2 million in cap space, money that could be used to sign a star defensive end – like Jadeveon Clowney or Everson Griffen.

As soon as the team drafted Lewis, a hulking right guard from LSU, with a third round pick, Fluker’s time with the Seahawks appeared in jeopardy.

“He won’t take a back seat to anybody,” coach Pete Carroll said about Lewis after the draft. “He’s going to come in here and battle for it. We feel really good. That’s really part of the reason why we took him. We want him to come in here and battle to play. All of that competition will make us better.”

Lewis only played right guard in college, and it looks like he is now the front-runner to start at right guard in Fluker’s absence.

The team also has B.J. Finney, Ethan Pocic, Jamarco Jones, Phil Haynes, Jordan Simmons and a handful of other guards on hand to compete for depth roles, more than enough bodies to replace Fluker on the field.

Off the field, Fluker’s dynamic personality in the locker room and goofiness on social media was a bright spot for this Seattle team over the past two years, and he will be sorely missed by this team and the fans.

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3 biggest losers for Seahawks after 2020 NFL draft

The Seattle Seahawks added eight new players via the NFL draft, and they will challenge veterans for playing time at multiple positions.

The 2020 NFL draft is in the books, and the Seattle Seahawks came away with eight new players to compete for jobs on the 53-man roster during training camp.

A pair of edge defenders and a pair of tight ends highlight the class, but the team also added a run-stuffing linebacker, a slot receiver, a third down running back and a mauling right guard – an eclectic group of talented players, many who have battled adversity in their young careers and are ready to come in with a chip on their shoulder and immediately make an impact on this club.

Adding eight new players creates some competitive positional battles in camp, and while that will certainly create some tough roster decisions for Pete Carroll and John Schneider – that’s exactly how they prefer it.

It’s not the best news for three of Seattle’s veterans, however, as the Seahawks sent them a strong message that their job security is dwindling, and they may have to fight pretty hard to keep their jobs in 2020.

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Damien Lewis adds to Seahawks crowded group of guards

The Seattle Seahawks added a 19th o-linemen to their roster, drafting LSU right guard Damien Lewis in the 3rd round of the 2020 NFL draft.

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The Seattle Seahawks evidently decided 18 offensive linemen weren’t enough, using the 69th pick in the third round of the 2020 NFL draft to select LSU guard Damien Lewis.

Lewis gets added to a group of guards that includes returning starters Mike Iupati and D.J. Fluker, as well as backup options Jamarco Jones, Phil Haynes, Ethan Pocic (who also came from LSU to Seattle, back in the second round of the 2017 NFL draft), Jordan Simmons, B.J. Finney, Chance Warmack, and Jordan Roos – among others.

Whew.

However, Lewis absolutely has the traits the Seahawks look for in their offensive linemen. He is a huge, mauling guard who is known for his ability as a power run blocker – which perfectly fits what Seattle wants to do on offense.

Described by NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein as ‘a forklift dressed as a right guard‘, Lewis should come in and immediately compete for snaps – and represents a great option to build the future offensive line around once Fluker and Iupati are no longer in the picture.

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Will the Seahawks pick an interior offensive lineman in NFL draft?

It’s hard to predict what the Seahawks will do in the NFL draft, but adding a center/guard seems unlikely following their free agency moves.

Even though we have been doing it for months, it’s always hard to predict what the Seattle Seahawks will do in the NFL draft.

Their two most recent first round selections, Rashaad Penny in 2018 and L.J. Collier in 2019, were hardly expected – as Penny didn’t fill a positional need and Collier was not considered a first round talent by most evaluators.

So while it’s anyone’s guess what Seattle will actually do this weekend, it does seem like the team’s moves during free agency will steer them away from taking interior offensive linemen during the draft.

The team not only signed two new center/guard types in free agency – B.J. Finney and Chance Warmack – they also re-signed Joey Hunt, Mike Iupati, Jordan Roos and Jordan Simmons, giving them 11 players capable of playing the three interior spots.

Iupati is expected to re-join Justin Britt and D.J. Fluker as starters in 2020, which doesn’t leave much room for newcomers.

Of course, Britt could be a cap casualty, as cutting him would save the team $11.4 million dollars – money they could use to pursue an upgrade on the defensive line.

Even if they make that move, Finney will likely take over as the starting center, and Iupati and Fluker will have plenty of competition to back them up, including Ethan Pocic, Phil Haynes, Jamarco Jones (if they move him inside) Demetrius Knox, Simmons, Roos and Warmack.

There are plenty of good interior linemen available for the picking, and we have profiled quite a few of them including Nick Harris, Lloyd Cushenberry, Cesar Ruiz, Tyler Biadasz and Damien Lewis.

However – unless Seattle is planning to make multiple cuts up front, it seems unlikely they’ll use an early round pick on an interior offensive lineman during the 2020 NFL draft, and even a late round pick seems like a waste unless they see some real upside.

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What Mike Iupati’s signing means for Seattle’s offensive line

Could the Seahawks signing veteran Mike Iupati to a one-year deal spell the end of Justin Britt’s tenure in Seattle?

The Seattle Seahawks made yet another addition to their offensive line on Tuesday afternoon, reportedly re-signing veteran guard Mike Iupati to a one-year deal.

Iupati started 15 games for Seattle last year, all at left guard, and his mauling run-blocking ability paved the way for the Seahawks to employ their run-heavy offensive attack.

Now he’s back, and his return crowds an already overstuffed group of interior offensive linemen in the Emerald City – likely paving way for more moves.

Iupati is almost certainly going to start at left guard, and unless the team decides to part ways with D.J. Fluker, he will be the starter at right guard.

That leaves a bevy of players competing for backup guard spots, including Jamarco Jones, B.J. Finney, Ethan Pocic, Jordan Simmons, Phil Haynes, Jordan Roos, Demetrius Knox, Chance Warmack, Kyle Fuller and Joey Hunt.

Whew.

Jones and Finney are the two who seem to lose out the most with this signing. However, both are capable of playing multiple positions – which is how this Iupati signing could be a sign of things to come elsewhere.

Finney was signed to a two-year, $8 million deal, and it’s unlikely Seattle would give him that kind of cash to leave him on the bench.

Since a lot of Finney’s NFL experience is at center, this move could be an indication that veteran Justin Britt and his $11.4 million salary will be coming off the books soon, clearing space for a potential big name signing, likely either Jadeveon Clowney or another pass rusher.

Finney would likely take over as the starting center if Britt is cut, but the team also has Joey Hunt and Ethan Pocic in the mix as well – plenty of depth to absorb the loss of Britt if that is the direction the team goes.

As for Jones, he could be used in a similar role as last year, a versatile backup capable of playing four spots on the offensive line and filling in as needed.

He could also compete to start at right tackle with free agent Brandon Shell, who is expected to replace Germain Ifedi but could get usurped by Jones if he performs well.

The Iupati signing looks strange at first, considering Seattle’s depth, but coach Pete Carroll loves keeping continuity on the offensive line, and Iupati’s style fits Seattle’s strategy up front.

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A look at Seahawks’ offensive line after Week 1 of free agency

The Seattle Seahawks overhauled their offensive line this offseason. Here’s a look at each position battle as the roster comes together.

The Seattle Seahawks used the first week of free agency to shore up a handful of positions of need, including adding a wide receiver and bringing back an old friend on the defensive line in Bruce Irvin.

However, most of the overhaul has been done on the offensive line, where the team has signed four new players and let two players, George Fant and Germain Ifedi, leave via free agency.

Although there are likely still moves to be made, including potential cuts, more signings and of course the NFL draft, we are going to take a look at how things project out on Seattle’s offensive line as of now, and what they could look like come September.

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WATCH: Guard D.J. Fluker pulls truck in offseason workout video

Seattle Seahawks right guard D.J. Fluker posted a video on Twitter of him pulling a truck as an offseason workout.

Seattle Seahawks guard D.J. Fluker wants the world to know he’s well past the hamstring injury he dealt with last year, and he’s not planning to let anyone take his starting job in 2020.

While he could have posted a message for fans, or showed himself doing more traditional offseason workouts, Fluker instead decided to make waves by posting a video of himself pulling a truck onto his Twitter account.

“Actions speak louder than words,” Fluker wrote in the post, in which he made pulling a truck look rather easy.

Fluker remains under contract for the 2020 season, and while there is speculation he could be cut in order to conserve cap space, for now he is expected to be the team’s starter at right guard.

A dependable run-blocker who is entering his eighth NFL season, Fluker will face competition from Jamarco Jones, Phil Haynes, Jordan Simmons and potentially Ethan Pocic during training camp.

If this video has proven anything however, it’s that Fluker will be more than up for the challenge.

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Jamarco Jones’ 2019 performance surprised Pete Carroll

Seattle Seahawks offensive lineman Jamarco Jones surprised Pete Carroll with his versatility last year, and is in the mix to start in 2020.

The Seattle Seahawks are heading into the free agency and draft portion of the offseason with a whole lot of question marks on their roster.

Perhaps no position group is less settled than the offensive line, who could be out four of their five starters depending on how the offseason shakes out.

Duane Brown will almost certainly be back, but Germain Ifedi and Mike Iupati are both unrestricted free agents, along with George Fant, and both Justin Britt and D.J. Fluker are potential cap casualties.

As such, there could be a lot of new faces in front of Russell Wilson in the 2020 season. While the team will certainly look to free agency and the draft to add more bodies, they also have a surplus of young offensive linemen on the roster who could step into full-time roles in 2020, if called upon.

Perhaps the most notable of that group is Jamarco Jones, a left tackle by trade who started games at three different spots for Seattle in 2019, including both guard spots. His performance there surprised his coach, Pete Carroll, who admitted he should have believed in him more.

“Jamarco did a nice job for us,” Carroll said at the NFL combine on Tuesday. “He really did. He surprised us a little bit that he would be so comfortable, particularly on the right side because he had been a left side guy and a left tackle most of his playing time. Mike Solari always said he was a really savvy football player and the game made sense to him, and he could just assimilate our stuff from his old stuff, right from the beginning. I guess we should have realized he could make that transition and do it better, but he really did surprise us.”

Carroll went on to say that Jones had some work done on his shoulder, presumably a post-season surgery, but he didn’t seem too concerned about the injury lingering into training camp.

He also alluded to Jones being in the competition for a starting job next year – which doesn’t really mean much at this stage in the offseason – but his positional versatility does allow Seattle to pursue a wider range of players, knowing Jones can fill in everywhere but center.

“We’re counting on him to be very versatile and very much a part of the competition for all the playing time,” Carroll continued. “He’s worthy of that and he deserves that shot.”

“It’s an exciting start for him.”

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Latest Draft Wire mock draft has Seahawks taking defensive tackle

The Seattle Seahawks select a defensive tackle, a guard, and a cornerback in the latest three-round mock draft from Draft Wire.

The Seattle Seahawks have advanced to the divisional round of the NFC playoffs and are all set to take on the Packers in Green Bay on Sunday, but that doesn’t mean we can’t take a peek at how the roster could get re-shaped during the 2020 NFL draft.

Despite a stellar 2019 season, Seattle clearly has some holes on its roster, holes that Luke Easterling of Draft Wire believes they will look to fill in the first three rounds of the NFL draft.

In his latest three-round mock draft for Draft Wire, Easterling has the Seahawks picking No. 28, No. 60 and No. 63 overall based on current standings and trades.

With those picks, Seattle is mocked to select Alabama defensive tackle Raekwon Davis, Michigan guard Ben Bredeson, and Utah cornerback Jaylon Johnson.

“Free agency could decimate this defensive line this offseason, so don’t be surprised if the Seahawks opt for cheaper, younger talent in the draft to replace whatever they lose on the open market,” Easterling wrote about Davis. “Davis is huge, athletic, and versatile, and is ready to make an immediate impact.”

Davis is more of a run-stuffer than a pass rusher, which may not make him an ideal fit for a Seattle team that already has Poona Ford in the middle, but if Jarran Reed doesn’t return the team could opt to replace him with another Alabama product in Davis.

Bredeson is projected as a starting guard at the NFL level, and – unsurprisingly – is more of a run-blocker than a pass-protector. With both Mike Iupati and D.J. Fluker potentially free agents after this year (depending if Fluker opts out) the team could certainly use more guard play up front.

Ethan Pocic may slide over to the starting center role, and having Bredeson and Phil Haynes to build around on the interior – not to mention Jamarco Jones, who seems to have transitioned to guard – would be a good start toward building a line Russell Wilson can succeed behind.

Johnson would join Cody Barton and Marquise Blair as former Utes on the Seattle defense, and his length and range as a cornerback will no doubt be attractive to coach Pete Carroll.

Seattle’s depth behind Shaquill Griffin and Tre Flowers is extraordinarily thin, and while Johnson may need some time to develop he has all the tools to be a legit shutdown corner in the NFL, with the proper molding from Carroll and company.

The Seahawks are no doubt focused on the task at hand against Green Bay on Sunday, but these three players are among the many they will be in on during draft season.

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