Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Our practice squad tracker is updated.
The Seattle Seahawks lost their second-year outside linebacker Tyreke Smith this week when he was signed by the Arizona Cardinals off their practice squad. The team has just announced that they’ve signed former Oregon State defensive end Hamilcar Rashed to take Smith’s place.
This morning's @Seahawks roster moves: https://t.co/2ZQzqH7gUB
— Seahawks PR (@seahawksPR) December 15, 2023
Our practice squad tracker is updated (Dec. 15).
Here’s the updated 53-man roster by jersey number going into tomorrow’s game against the Cleveland Browns.
The Seahawks are serious about making a deep postseason run this year. Just hours after their home win over the Browns, Seattle pulled off a trade that should help them get there. The front office has sent a 2024 second-round pick and a 2025 fifth-rounder to the Giants in exchange for Leonard Williams, one of the top interior pass rushers in the league.
To make room for Wiliams, the Seahawks have waived wide receiver Cody Thompson. Our roster tracker is now updated (Oct. 31).
While Brown, Oluwatimi, and even Joey Hunt will certainly be in the mix for a starting role, the Seahawks are not close to determining their depth chart.
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For years the offensive line of the Seattle Seahawks has been a considerable weakness. In 2022, thanks to the help of stud rookie tackles Charles Cross and Abe Lucas, the line took drastic steps forward. However, it was still a liability at times, especially in the interior.
Seattle focused some of their efforts this offseason to improving their interior offensive line. They signed former Lions guard/center Evan Brown away from Detroit, and they selected Michigan standout Olu Oluwatimi late in the 2023 NFL draft.
While Brown, Oluwatimi, and even Joey Hunt will certainly be in the mix for a starting role, the Seahawks are not close to determining their depth chart. When asked about this, offensive coordinator Shane Waldron discussed at length where they’re at. Via Mike Dugar at the Athletic:
“We’re a pretty long ways away from finalizing any of the reps… Training camp, we’ll have a better idea of how we want to divide those up. Right now, (Brown, Oluwatimi and Joey Hunt) are mixing and matching like all the offensive linemen are. (We’re) mixing and matching some things so they get a good feel and good grasp for the offense. As we get closer to training camp, we’ll start to pare down how we want to approach the actual reps when we’re going against each other all the time.”
Seattle will need to improve even further at this position if they hope to progress past the Wild Card round. The 49ers and Eagles somehow improved their already ferocious defensive fronts, while Aaron Donald will be back on the Rams this year.
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The Seahawks announced a couple of roster moves just before noon local time.
The Seahawks announced a couple of roster moves just before noon local time. The team is signing former center Joey Hunt to the practice squad and is desginating defensive end L.J. Collier to return from injured reserve.
Hunt previously played 34 games in Seattle from 2016-2019, earning 11 starts. This could be related to starter Austin Blythe showing up on last week’s injury report with a hamstring injury. He did not miss any practice, though – so it’s possible they are expecting him to play and this is a just-in-case type of signing.
As for Collier, the former first-round draft pick has been on injured reserve since the start of the season due to an elbow injury during training camp. Collier also missed five games as a rookie and seven more games last year. The Seahawks now have three weeks to put him on the active roster or else he has to stay on IR for the rest of 2022.
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Here’s who came in and who they signed.
The Seahawks brought in a few more free agents for workouts on Tuesday, including a couple running backs. In the end, they added one of them to their practice squad for more depth while Travis Homer is out with his rib injury.
Here’s who came in and who they signed.
Colts signed C Joey Hunt, added OT Greg Senat to the active roster and signed D.J. Swearinger to the practice squad.
The Indianapolis Colts made several roster moves, including the singing of center Joey Hunt, the team announced Tuesday.
Hunt has plenty of experience with the Colts over the last two seasons so they bring in a familiar face to the offensive line—one that is dealing with the absence of the entire starting front.
The Colts also activated offensive tackle Greg Senat from the practice squad and signed safety D.J. Swearinger to the practice squad.
The Colts need the depth at offensive tackle with Eric Fisher dealing with several injuries and Braden Smith testing positive for COVID-19 on Monday.
The safety room is also thin as Andrew Sendejo remains in the league’s concussion protocol until further notice and both Khari Willis and Jahleel Addae are on the COVID-19 list.
The roster, including starting quarterback Carson Wentz, is getting shuffled around amid a COVID-19 outbreak so expect moves to be made all week.
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Colts made a roster move before the Week 1 matchup.
The Indianapolis Colts elevated center Joey Hunt and safety Sean Davis from the practice squad to the active roster for the Week 1 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, the team announced Saturday.
Using their two extra slots on the active roster for game day, the Colts will be doing this every week. Hunt may be brought up for depth purposes given that guard Danny Pinter is questionable with a foot injury. If Pinter can’t go, Hunt will serve as the backup center to Ryan Kelly.
Davis will be the fourth safety in the rotation but likely to see most of his reps on special teams. The Colts could also use cornerback T.J. Carrie as a safety in dime packages.
Both Hunt and Davis were two of the players the Colts protected on the practice squad this week.
The Colts are looking to snap a seven-game losing streak in regular-season openers and will kick off at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday.
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The Colts protected 3 players on the practice squad for Week 1.
The Indianapolis Colts protected safety Sean Davis, quarterback Brett Hundley and center Joey Hunt on the practice squad, per the league’s transaction wire on Tuesday.
With Carson Wentz and Jacob Eason currently the only healthy quarterbacks on the active roster, it’s wise for the Colts to protect Hundley, who signed with the team during training camp. Rookie Sam Ehlinger is currently on the injured reserve list recovering from a sprained knee and will miss at least the first three games of the season.
Each week, the Colts are allowed to protect up to four players on the practice squad. This prohibits other teams from signing a player off the practice squad and onto their active roster. The rest of the practice squad is still available to other teams.
These players will be protected on the practice squad through the end of the game on Sunday of each week. Once that ends, teams have the opportunity to sign a player until the protections are set on Tuesday of the following week.
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How does Will Fries fit with the team?
To round out their crop, the Indianapolis Colts finally took an offensive tackle with the No. 248 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft arriving in the form of Penn State’s Will Fries.
While many expected this position to be the team’s first pick in the draft, it actually turns out to be their last.
Fries brings that most important trait needed in any lineman brought into Indianapolis, position versatility. Fries was a four-year starter for the Nittany Lions, starting multiple games at four of the five positions on the line and even one start as a blocking tight end. The only notable exception being at center.
While tape may show far from a polished product, rarely is any seventh-rounder without a few flaws, the Colts are getting a tough and durable worker in Fries who’s gone up against some of the toughest competition in college football playing in the Big Ten.
Below average arm length at just under 33 inches and his athletic and speed limitations including a 5.38 in the 40-yard dash, Fries might be better suited to playing inside at the pro level. Interior play would help bring out the most in what Fries does well with his effort, tenacity, solid hand usage and balance to even the odds against top interior rushers.
As far as projection for the seventh-rounder, the expectation would be that his versatility would prime him to contribute as a depth option across the line, most importantly as a swing tackle candidate if need be. Based on comments made by Colts brass, one would expect Sam Tevi to be the presumed starter at left tackle with Julie’n Davenport also competing for the job.
Fries will have to battle it out with the likes of Chris Reed, Danny Pinter, and Joey Hunt for one of the remaining likely three to four final depth spots in training camp.
Rookie Projection: Depth lineman with swing tackle potential
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Colts bring back a depth piece in Hunt.
The Indianapolis Colts re-signed free agent center Joey Hunt, the team announced Monday.
Hunt was an unrestricted free agent this offseason. He spent the 2020 season with the Colts spending some time on the practice squad until he was a regular call-up on game days about halfway through the season.
Hunt appeared in one game for the Colts as the backup center to starter Ryan Kelly. He’s a solid depth piece to fill in either at center or at one of the guard positions should something happen to Quenton Nelson or Mark Glowinski.
Hunt was a sixth-round pick with the Seattle Seahawks in the 2016 NFL draft. He was with them through the 2019 season and signed with the Colts just ahead of the 2020 regular season.
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