Monday’s practice squad transactions:
Atlanta Falcons
Denver Broncos
Green Bay Packers
Houston Texans
Indianapolis Colts
Pittsburgh Steelers
Seattle Seahawks
Thursday’s minor moves, including elevations for the opening game of Week 6:
Cleveland Browns
Green Bay Packers
Las Vegas Raiders
New England Patriots
San Francisco 49ers
Seattle Seahawks
Washington Commanders
George Fant suffered a knee injury in Seattle’s season opener, and it kept him sidelined for Week 2. The ailment will now lead to an extended absence. 
Fant was placed on injured reserve Saturday, per a team announcement. The 32-year-old represented a veteran swing tackle option to fill in for Abraham Lucas as right tackle while also being capable of handling time on the blindside if Charles Cross were to miss time. Lucas remains on the PUP list, so he will be out until Week 5 at the earliest. Fant will be unavailable for at least the next four games.
To fill his roster spot, the Seahawks promoted McClendon Curtis from the practice squad. Curtis spent the offseason competing for a role of some kind along the O-line, and he found himself in the mix for the right guard spot at one point. The former UDFA was next on the depth chart behind Fant at right tackle, though, and he was quickly re-signed by Seattle not long after a brief tenure with the Raiders following Seattle’s decision to cut him at the end of the summer. Curtis, 25, has just two regular season appearances to his name.
Seattle also made a pair of gameday callups from the practice squad ahead of tomorrow’s contest. Linebacker Patrick O’Connell was elevated, opening the door for him to make his first appearance of the season and second of his career. The team’s other callup is edge rusher Tyus Bowser. The former Ravens second-rounder joined the Seahawks on a practice squad deal after roster cutdowns, reuniting him with head coach Mike Macdonald, and Week 3 could mark his Seattle debut.
Bowser suffered an Achilles tear in 2021, and his recovery from the injury limited him to nine games the following campaign. The 29-year-old then missed all of last season due to a knee injury, making it no surprise he was released by Baltimore. Bowser – who took workouts with the Titans and Cowboys by signing in Seattle – could offer healthy depth along the edge with Uchenna Nwosu on the mend and both Boye Mafe and Derick Hall listed as questionable for tomorrow.
The Seahawks have all eight of their IR activations as things stand after they did not designate anyone for return at the roster cutdown deadline. Bringing Fant back into the fold will use up one activation, and for the time being Seattle’s tackle play with limited depth will be worth watching.
Saturday’s minor transactions and gameday practice squad callups:
Arizona Cardinals
Baltimore Ravens
Carolina Panthers
Dallas Cowboys
Denver Broncos
Detroit Lions
Green Bay Packers
Houston Texans
Indianapolis Colts
Jacksonville Jaguars
Las Vegas Raiders
Los Angeles Chargers
Minnesota Vikings
New Orleans Saints
New York Giants
New York Jets
San Francisco 49ers
Seattle Seahawks
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tennessee Titans
Washington Commanders
Patrick was among the Broncos’ final roster cuts after a Saints trade was discussed. The 30-year-old missed the 2022 and ’23 campaigns due to ACL and Achilles tears, respectively. Patrick did not need to wait long to find a new opportunity, though, quickly landing a practice squad deal with the Lions. He is now positioned make his season debut tomorrow as a complementary option in Detroit’s passing attack.
Olszewski is dealing with a groin injury and he was known to be facing a long-term absence. Today’s move thus comes as no surprise, but it ensures at least a four-week absence. The former All-Pro scored a punt return touchdown with Pittsburgh early last season and added another during his 10-game Giants stretch to close out the year. The team will need to rely on other options in the return game for the time being.
Here is how the now-Mike Macdonald-led Seahawks reduced their roster to 53 players:
Injury trouble lingers for Lucas, who missed a chunk of last season because of an injury Pete Carroll labeled “chronic.” While the Seahawks’ new staff pushed back on that, the team’s right tackle starter is once again out of commission. Lucas, who started alongside Charles Cross as rookies in 2022, has started all 22 games he has played. But that only included six contests last year. Lucas must miss at least four games due to Tuesday’s designation. Lucas, who underwent knee surgery this offseason, also dealt with a shoulder issue heading into his second season.
The Seahawks brought back George Fant, who filled in as a Texans spot starter at RT last season. Fant’s presence becomes more important in light of this latest Lucas injury news. The player Fant was primarily competing with, Curtis, received cut notice today as well.
Macdonald and OC Ryan Grubb are not keeping Eskridge around, representing a miss for GM John Schneider. The Seahawks made Eskridge their top pick in the 2021 draft, which began in the second round due to the Jamal Adams trade. The Western Michigan alum has been unable to catch on. He has 17 career catches for 122 yards, with injuries intervening along the way. The Seahawks further addressed the issue by taking Jaxon Smith-Njigba in last year’s first round, but they have needed to devote considerable resources to stocking their WR positions.
Burns figures to be a candidate to come back soon, via ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson, who notes the former first-rounder enjoyed a good training camp and worked as the team’s starting slot corner at points. The Seahawks also cut one of the players they just acquired in a trade. Barrett, obtained from the Panthers, could be kept on the practice squad if he clears waivers Wednesday.
AUGUST 5: A Williams-to-Seattle agreement should be expected shortly. Agent Drew Rosenhaus said during an appearance on the Joe Rose radio show Monday that a Seahawks contract should be worked out in the next 48-72 hours (h/t Sports Illustrated’s Scott Salomon). Notably, Rosenhaus added Williams will be available for Week 1, a sign of his positive ACL rehab. Getting a deal in place will provide Seattle with a starting center for at least the 2024 campaign, although the length and terms of the pact will be worth watching closely.
AUGUST 4: The Seahawks were engaged in contract talks with center Connor Williams at the end of July, and as ESPN’s Brady Henderson notes, Seattle is still interested in acquiring Williams. While the ACL tear that Williams suffered in 2023 has led to his extended stay on the free agent market and has put his availability for the start of the 2024 season in doubt, Henderson says that money, not health, is the hold-up in negotiations. 
Indeed, previous reports indicated that Williams passed his physical with the Seahawks. Per Henderson, the 27-year-old pivot simply wants more than Seattle can pay him (OverTheCap.com estimates that the ‘Hawks presently have a little over $10MM in effective cap space, which is near the bottom of the league but seemingly still enough to bring Williams into the fold, especially if they are willing to consider a multiyear deal).
For now, however, Olusegun Oluwatimi is at the top of the club’s center depth chart, with Henderson noting that the 2023 fifth-rounder has consistently gotten first-team reps ahead of free agent pickup Nick Harris. It appears that another 2023 draftee, Anthony Bradford, has the edge over third-round rookie Christian Haynes for the Seahawks’ other unsettled O-line position, right guard.
George Fant, who is in his second tour of duty in Seattle, continues to take starter’s reps at right tackle while Abraham Lucas works his way back from a knee injury. 2023 UDFA McClendon Curtis is operating behind Fant at right tackle for the time being, though Henderson says Curtis has impressed the Seahawks’ coaching staff and may still be in the RG mix. Despite a clear distribution of first-team snaps through the early stages of training camp, head coach Mike Macdonald says the starting OL has not been established.
Williams, who would have been one of the top free agents on the market this offseason if not for his injury, would certainly be a welcome addition to an offensive front that has several question marks on the interior. He is reportedly talking to other teams as well as Seattle, but those clubs have not yet been identified.
The Seahawks are seeing a bit of change on the interior of their offensive line this offseason. Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas return at tackle and Anthony Bradford returns after starting 10 games in 2023, but the departures of Evan Brown and Damien Lewis required updates to the depth chart. Throw in the fact that Seattle drafted UConn guard Christian Haynes in the third round of this year’s draft and not even Bradford is a sure thing to return to a starting role this year. 
We talked about this a bit in a recent breakdown of the team’s offensive line, but a more recent update from the end of minicamp may inform things a bit differently.
As a fourth-round rookie out of LSU last year, Bradford was one of the larger linemen in last year’s rookie class, weighing in at 332 pounds. His strength and size were worth the investment, but a lack of natural athleticism and quickness were thought to limit Bradford to a developmental role to start his career.
Multiple injuries to players like Phil Haynes, Lucas, and others forced Bradford into a starting role much earlier than expected. Bradford performed respectably as a starter but certainly left loads of room for improvement. As expected, the area he was predicted to need developing in, pass protection, was a huge handicap to the offensive line. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded his pass blocking as the 70th-best in the league out of 77 graded guards.
In our breakdown we entertained the possibility of Haynes beating out Bradford for the starting job as a rookie. All 49 of Haynes’ starts for the Huskies came at right guard, so it’s a position with which he’s very familiar. A second-team All-American in 2022, Haynes excels in the areas Bradford struggles in. During his college career, Haynes was noted for his plus athleticism and great short-area quickness. With scouts noting his strength, football IQ, and finishing mentality, as well, a lot of signs seem to be pointing to Haynes being the favorite to take over the job in 2024.
ESPN’s Brady Henderson set the record straight earlier this month after interviewing new head coach Mike Macdonald following the final day of minicamp. Per Henderson, Macdonald claimed that Bradford is “right in the mix” to start. Bradford hadn’t been participating in the offseason program as he worked his way back from an ankle injury but was finally working with the team in the final days of camp. With the starting experience, it sounds like he’ll continue to be given every opportunity to retain his starting job.
One player to keep an eye on was also mentioned in our previous breakdown. McClendon Curtis, an undrafted rookie last year, has been an under-the-radar option for Seattle. As Bradford missed time in recovery, it was Curtis taking the majority of first-team snaps on the offensive line, while Haynes spent most of his time on the second-team unit. McClendon isn’t boasting a ton of experience, only playing four special teams snaps in his rookie year, but coaches seem to appreciate what he’s done so far in the offseason.
This is a battle that’s sure to rage into training camp. Haynes will continue learning and growing in the new system, attempting to usurp his predecessor; Bradford will continue working his way back from injury, attempting to show his development from a rocky rookie season; and Curtis will hang around as an unlikely but potential option to take the job.
Though the Seahawks’ path forward at offensive tackle seems secure, the team has lots of questions to face concerning the interior line. The situation should lead to a few position battles worth watching this summer.
At offensive tackle, the situation is simple: 2022 first- and third-round picks Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas are set to continue manning the starting spots they’ve held since their rookie season. The only questions mark here comes with Lucas’ health, after the 25-year-old missed all but six games last year as he struggled to come back from offseason surgery on his shoulder. Even if either player misses some time, Seattle brought back a former tackle of theirs in George Fant after four years away from the team. Most recently, Fant started 13 games for the Texans last year and should provide an improvement to the backup options utilized last season in Seattle.
At guard, the team inked veteran free agent Laken Tomlinson, who should slide into the starting job at left guard. At right guard, the Seahawks return Anthony Bradford, who started 10 games as a fourth-round rookie last year. The team also utilized a third-round selection this year to draft UConn’s Christian Haynes, who played exclusively at right guard throughout college. Bradford wasn’t a world-beater last year, with Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranking him as the league’s 62nd-best guard out of 79 graded players, so Haynes will likely be given every opportunity to compete for the starting job opposite Tomlinson. Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times points out depth guard McClendon Curtis as another under the radar option. Though listed on the roster last year as a tackle, he’s now listed at guard, where he started 30 games in college.
The real questions come at center, where the Seahawks have stacked up a number of inexperienced options. Currently, the depth chart holds Nick Harris, Olusegun Oluwatimi, and Mike Novitsky. Harris, a 2020 fifth-round pick for the Browns, only started four games over the course of his rookie deal, though he earned plenty of snaps on special teams or on overloaded lines in Cleveland. Oluwatimi started one game as a rookie fifth-round pick for Seattle last year, though he also got plenty of special teams experience. He also played over half the team’s offensive snaps in two other games last season. Novitsky is a long shot to make an impact in this conversation. An undrafted rookie out of Kansas, Novitsky doesn’t trail the others much in experience but lacks the drafted pedigree.
Three spots are generally set: Cross at left tackle, Tomlinson beside him as left guard, and Lucas opposite the two at right tackle. You could even say four spots are set, if you decide to count Fant’s job as a swing tackle. At right guard, Seattle knows Bradford can handle the job, if necessary, but they will hope that competition with Haynes will either push Bradford to improve or reveal a better option in Haynes or even, possibly, Curtis. Center is where things remain dire. The team may strike gold in the three unlikely options they hold, but external additions may be on the horizon if no one takes hold of the starting job convincingly.
Today’s minor moves:
Seattle Seahawks
The long list of Seahawks signings are mostly formalities. Each of the players were previously tied to the organization either via restricted free agency or exclusive right free agency.
Among the players who officially re-signed, Jackson had the most significant role in 2023, starting four of his 17 appearances. The former fifth-round pick started all 17 games for the Seahawks in 2022, finishing with 75 tackles and one interception.
SEPTEMBER 15: As expected, the Seahawks will be without both starting tackles on Sunday. Carroll confirmed that Cross will be out for Week 2 while he recovers from a toe injury. He added, encouragingly, that the blindside blocker made progress in his recovery during the week, meaning he might be available come Week 3. With Peters not ready to play so soon after signing, though, Seattle will be notably shorthanded along the O-line for the time being.
Lucas underwent knee surgery this week, Carroll said. It is not known if the second-year tackle will be back when first eligible (Week 6). Forsythe and Curham will start at tackle Sunday, per the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta.
SEPTEMBER 13: As the Jason Peters signing foreshadowed, the Seahawks will be shorthanded at offensive tackle for a stretch. The team announced on Wednesday that Abraham Lucas has been placed on injured reserve. 
As a result of the move, Seattle’s right tackle starter will be sidelined for at least the next four weeks. Lucas, part of the team’s highly impactful 2022 draft class, was a first-teamer right away as a rookie. He partnered with first-round selection Charles Cross to give the team a young tackle tandem with the potential to give the offense a consistent presence up front for both the short- and long-term.
Like Lucas, Cross is banged up following the Seahawks’ Week 1 loss. His status moving forward is also in question, so it comes as no surprise that the team added tackle depth in the expected absence of both its left and right tackle starters. Seattle signed Raiqwon O’Neal off the Buccaneers’ practice squad, and added McClendon Curtis from the Raiders’ taxi squad. Both players are undrafted rookies, so they have less experience than incumbents Stone Forsythe and Jake Curhan. The latter two, likewise, have far less service time than Peters.
Having not taken part in spring workouts or training camp, Peters’ most recent team practices came during his time with the Cowboys last season. The 41-year-old would thus be a longshot to suit up on Sunday, as head coach Pete Carroll noted (via ESPN’s Brady Henderson). Cross being unable to play, coupled with the timeline of Peters’ ramp-up period, would leave the Seahawks particularly thin up front for Week 2.
In more positive injury news, Carroll said earlier this week that first-round corner Devon Witherspoon will be a full participant in practice in the build-up to his NFL debut, per Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Taken with the No. 5 pick in April’s draft, Witherspoon was held out of Week 1 with a hamstring injury but playing him on Sunday will give Seattle’s secondary a notable boost when they look to rebound from their season-opening defeat to the Rams.