Tag: McClendon Curtis

Seahawks to host a couple veteran free agent offensive linemen

Regardless of what Seattle has planned for the 2024 NFL draft, adding some more experience to this unit is a good idea.

Last week, Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald admitted to reporters that the team’s offensive line is a work in progress. Now nearly three weeks removed from the beginning of free agency, the team has only signed a couple of career backups for their interior: Nick Harris from the Browns and Tremayne Anchrum from the Rams. Right now those two may project as the starters at guard, sandwiching Olu Oluwatimi at center. All together those three have only started six games in the NFL, though.

That means regardless of what Seattle has planned for the 2024 NFL draft, adding some more experience to this unit is a good idea. General manager John Schneider seems to agree and says the team will be bringing in a couple of free agent veterans for visits. Here’s what he told ESPN radio about the OL on Friday:

“We’re going to be bringing a couple veteran offensive linemen through (for visits during) this second phase of free agency and then (be) comparing that to what the draft looks like… Anytime you’re just drafting for need – that is a need on our team right now, I think it’s fairly obvious – but we like so many young guys (like Raiqwon) O’Neil, McClendon Curtis. I mean, there’s some guys in there, some younger guys that we like, too, that we’ve added … There’s some young players that a fan may not necessarily know, but that we’re excited about in the mix.”

Schneider has a point about O’Neil and Curtis, two highly-regarded members of the 2023 rookie class who combined for just 27 snaps as rookies – most of them coming on special teams. If either one can grow into a reliable contributor this year it might make a big difference at an exceedingly low cost – both are under salary for less than $1 million in 2024.

However, we would be surprised if the team doesn’t sign at least one veteran who has extensive experience as a starter at guard. We’ll be reviewing some of their best options tomorrow.

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Projecting starters at Seahawks offensive tackle spots for Week 2

Here’s a review of the team’s options and depth at each position assuming Cross is out as well as Lucas.

It didn’t take long for the Seahawks offensive line to get shaken up. Right tackle Abe Lucas has been placed on injured reserve due to knee soreness, knocking him out until at least Week 7. Meanwhile, left tackle Charles Cross is day to day with turf toe and did not practice yesterday – an indication he’ll also be out on Sunday against the Lions.

Since the team learned that both Cross and Lucas are injured they have been very busy on this front. Seattle has signed two offensive linemen to their practice squad, bringing back Greg Eiland as well as signing 41-year old veteran Jason Peters. Yesterday, the Seahawks signed two more offensive linemen to their active roster, poaching offensive tackle Raiqwon O’Neal off the Buccaneers practive squad as well as tackle/guard combo McClendon Curtis off the Raiders practice squad.

Let’s break it all down and see if we can project who will wind up starting at each spot this week. Here’s a review of the team’s options and depth at each position – assuming Cross is out as well as Lucas.

Left tackle:

  • Charles Cross
  • Stone Forsythe
  • Raiqwon O’Neal
  • Jason Peters

The next man up on the depth chart after Cross is Stone Forsythe, which doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence given his experience level. The former sixth-round draft pick has only one start under his belt and has only been on the field for a total of 149 offensive snaps in his career. If head coach Pete Carroll doesn’t like Forsythe’s chances against Lions second-year edge Aidan Hutchinson, he may roll with one of the new tackles he brought in this week.

The nine-time Pro Bowler Jason Peters is the most-logical option to start here given his extensive experience at left tackle (200+ pro starts). However, it sounds like Peters won’t be ready to go until next week. That makes Raiqwon O’Neal the next-best option on the blindside for Seattle against Detroit. He played two years at Rutgers then transferred to UCLA last season, where he started 13 games at left tackle.

Prediction: Our best guess is that Forsythe will begin the game starting. However, it won’t take much for Carroll to pull him in favor of O’Neal.

Right tackle:

  • Abe Lucas
  • Jake Curhan
  • McClendon Curtis
  • Greg Eiland

On the other side we know for sure that Lucas is out, and this spot is the far more concerning one. While Forsythe somehow graded out well in pass protection according to PFF, Jake Curhan put in another poor grade, getting a 53.0 mark in pass blocking, the second lowest on the team. Curhan did well in run blocking (72.7) but that won’t help Geno Smith when Aidan Hutchinson lines up on that side and comes crashing into the backfield to pressure his throwing arm.

Next up on the depth chart is McLendon Curtis, one of several Senior Bowl darlings that Seattle was widely expected to pick on Day 3 of the draft. Curtis is one of the most highly-regarded undrafted rookie linemen in the league. While he doesn’t have Curhan’s experience, we’re willing to bet that his ceiling is higher.

Seattle also has Greg Eiland as a distant third option. He may be elevated from the practice squad this week for depth but it’s unlikely he will play significant snaps unless the other options both fail miserably or get injured.

Prediction: We’re going to go out on a limb here and pick Curtis to start over Curhan – who was the team’s worst offensive lineman last season and would be their weakest link up front if he does wind up starting.

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Seahawks sign OL McClendon Curtis off Raiders practice squad

OL McClendon Curtis joins LB Drake Thomas as Raiders undrafted rookies headed to Seattle.

Following April’s draft, the Raiders added one of the highest rated available undrafted free agents when they signed former Tennessee Chatanooga OL McClendon Curtis.

With the need at guard, Curtis seemed like he had a decent shot of making the team. But ultimately, he was among the team’s cuts and was signed back to the practice squad. That lasted one week before the Seahawks scooped him up and signed him to their active roster.

Making the Raiders roster instead was Jordan Meredith who had spent time on the team’s offseason roster the past two years.

Curtis was widely considered the best guard to go undrafted. Easily making him the most high profile UDFA to sign with the Raiders.

But Curtis wasn’t alone. The Raiders didn’t keep any of their undrafted players from this offseason. Other notable UDFA’s to be signed and cut include T Dalton Wagner and LB Drake Thomas.

Curtis joins Thomas who was claimed off waivers by the Seahawks.

Seahawks put RT Abe Lucas on IR, sign two more offensive linemen

In that department, the team just announced three more roster moves – including placing one of their top OTs on injured reserve.

The Seattle Seahawks are attempting to cultivate more offensive line options following injuries to their two starting OTs this past week. In that department, the team just announced three more roster moves – including placing one of their starting linemen on injured reserve.

Here’s a quick review of today’s roster moves.

5 big questions on offense as Raiders wrap up minicamp

Raiders have a lot of pretty big questions facing them as they enter the heart of the offseason. Here are 5 facing the offense.

Every offseason brings questions that need answers. For this Raiders team, they may have more questions than answers. Some of these questions are no small thing.

Last week the Raiders wrapped up their offseason practices with their three-day mandatory minicamp. That means they have now entered the longest and final portion of the offseason. The next time these players convene will be training camp at the end of July.

They enter this six weeks with many things unsettled. Most of which will still be unsettled when camp begins, giving them a lot to think about over the next six weeks.

5 Raiders veterans who could lose their job to rookies

5 Raiders veterans who could lose their job to rookies

Few jobs are safe on a 6-11 team. It’s the Raiders coaching staff’s job to try and improve upon such a season, and much of the hopes for that rest in the new rookie class.

The team’s veterans know this. Many of them are aware they will be replaced by the new guys, or at very least they must leave it all on the field to hold them off.

By the same token, the youngsters must develop quickly to prove they can hang with the big boys.

These are the Raiders veterans who look to be in the most danger of being overtaken by a rookie this season.

Raiders OL McClendon Curtis named one of NFL’s top undrafted free agent signees

Raiders OL McClendon Curtis named one of NFL’s top undrafted free agent signees

Every year there are players who unexpectedly fall out of the draft who many thought would be drafted. But not all of them are created equally. Many of them are somewhat high profile prospects from big schools who, for whatever reason, led NFL teams to see them as undraftable.

McClendon Curtis wouldn’t really be the kind of player one would consider “high profile”. He didn’t play at a power five school, but rather Tennessee-Chattanooga.

He received an invite to the 2023 Scouting Combine and was considered by many to be a mid-round caliber talent. Which, for a small school player, is pretty good.

The Athletic’s Dane Brugler had him as the 12th best guard in this draft with a 5th or 6th round projection. Just behind Nick Broeker and three spots ahead of Andrew Vorhees — both of whom were drafted in the two spots ahead of the Raiders pick (231) in the seventh round.

Yet Curtis was not drafted and quickly received a call from the Raiders who signed him to an undrafted free agent contract.

TouchdownWire put together a list of players they deemed to be the top undrafted players and Curtis was squarely among them.

The 6-6, 324-pounder started 30 games at right guard the past four years at Chattanooga. Three of those years, he was named First Team All-SoCom and this past year, First Team All-American. He projects best in a power-gap scheme.

As it happens, the Raiders has a major need at right guard for their power-gap scheme, which could be part of the reason when the Raiders came calling, Curtis accepted.

Granted, none of this means the Raiders literally got a 5th round pick as an undrafted free agent. Or that he is legit contender for the starting right guard spot. But he may be in the best position to have a shot at grabbing a roster spot, which is a good first step toward that goal.

10 potential undrafted free agents the Eagles could target after the 2023 NFL draft

We’re looking at ten potential undrafted free agents the Philadelphia Eagles could target after the 2023 NFL draft

The 2023 NFL draft is almost complete, and the Eagles are just getting started with filling their 90-man roster for this summer’s intense training camp sessions.

Howie Roseman has been open about previous undrafted free agent classes, with several big-named stars holding second-day draft grades.

One week after the 2022 NFL draft, the team announced the signings of 12 undrafted rookies ahead of the minicamp.

Four eventually found their way onto the 53-man roster at some point.

We reported last week that Philadelphia led all teams with $1.8 million spent in the previous year in post-draft contracts, and Howie Roseman annually is known as one being the biggest spenders after the draft.

Recent undrafted free agents who’ve had game action with Philadelphia include Reed Blankenship, Britain Covey, Josh Jobe, Corey Clement, Sua Opeta, Nate Herbig, Kayode Awosika, Joe Ostman, Jack Stoll, Brett Toth, Greg Ward, Marvin Wilson, T.J. Edwards, and future Hall of Famer Jason Peters, who originally signed with the Bills.

We’re previewing ten prospects Philadelphia could target at the draft’s completion.

10 best players for Jaguars to target in Day 3

The Jaguars still have 10 picks in the 2023 NFL draft. Here are 10 prospects who would make sense for the team:

The Jacksonville Jaguars surprised most when they opted not to address any of their defensive needs and instead picking offensive tackle Anton Harrison, tight end Brenton Strange, and running back Tank Bigsby in the first three rounds, respectively.

After accumulating 10 picks in rounds four through seven, the Jaguars still have a chance to address a lot of areas before the weekend is over.

But finding a star in Day 3 is tough.

Here are 10 players who stand out as prospects that could interest the Jaguars in rounds four, five, six, and seven:

Chargers 2023 NFL draft preview: Where does Los Angeles stand at offensive line?

Our Chargers’ NFL draft preview series continues with the offensive line.

After taking a steady approach in free agency, signing just one external player in linebacker Eric Kendricks and re-signing a handful of their own, the Chargers now have their sights set on the draft where they will look to bolster their roster with their selections and make a deeper run in 2023.

Before, we’re going position by position to break down where Los Angeles stands entering the draft.

Next up is the offensive line.

Catch the previous previews here:

Quarterback

Running back

Wide receiver

Tight end