Seattle Seahawks cut ties with Zach Miller

The Seattle Seahawks announced on Friday that they have released veteran tight end Zach Miller. He apparently failed his physical, and the rumors is that his ankle may require additional surgery.

Miller was a controversial player amongst fans in Seattle. He never lived up to the receiving stats he posted with the Raiders prior to moving to Seattle. That was perhaps not a fair expectation given Seattle’s offense and Miller’s role in it.

Miller was used more often as an offensive tackle than as a receiver. The Seahawks would line him up against some of the league’s best pass rushers and ask him to block them one-on-one. He very rarely failed to be successful in those situations.

He was also a force as a run blocker. Most of Seattle’s success in running to the right side when Breno Giacomini was playing tackle in Seattle can be attributed to Miller’s blocking. Miller cleaned up a lot of mistakes for the offensive line.

Losing Miller hurts a great deal on paper. The Seahawks lack a true replacement. Luke Willson is a decent backup, but he is a much lesser player than what Miller brings to the table.

In reality though, this doesn’t hurt as much as it would appear. Miller played in just three games last season, and none after Week 3. The Seahawks moved on a year ago. Losing Miller does make the team worse. Not getting him back simply doesn’t make the team better.

Ultimately, the release of Miller makes it more likely that the Seahawks make a play to try to get a guy like Denver’s Julius Thomas. Another option would be to use an early draft pick on a player like Minnesota’s Maxx Williams.