3 players the Seahawks gave up on too soon during 2024 offseason

NFL rosters aren't really just 53 players. The practice squads work like a minor league feeder system so teams are truly about 69 players. Sometimes, teams will make roster-cut decisions based on players they think can be re-signed to the practice squad. The Seattle Seahawks certainly do this.

This year, Seattle made several interesting roster decisions that proved general manager John Schneider approaches a roster differently than former head coach Pete Carroll did. The Seahawks kept 11 offensive linemen, for instance. Currently, the team also only has two quarterbacks combined between the active roster and the practice squad.

Seattle let go of a couple of players who were claimed and added to the active rosters of another team. Perhaps that team saw potential production from them that Seattle couldn't. That might come back to cost the Seahawks in 2024.

Players the Seahawks gave up on too soon this offseason

Linebacker Jon Rhattigan

Rhattigan was a solid special teamer for Seattle in the last three seasons and while he did not get a lot of defensive reps, there was a feeling that he would do OK for a spell. The shock was that Seattle kept Drake Thomas and waived Rhattigan. Possibly, head coach Mike Macdonald did not see enough coverage skills with Rhattigan. Dropping him and keeping Thomas makes little sense otherwise.

Rhattigan was picked up by the Carolina Panthers and added to their active roster. Carolina is not overly good so the linebacker might have a chance to get a bunch of real defensive snaps. He is a good guy to have in the locker room as well. His presence there might be where the Seahawks miss him most.

Edge rusher Jamie Sheriff

No one really expected Sheriff to be as good as he was in the preseason for Seattle. He was added late to the team and recently had been working with a beer delivery company. He had the size to succeed at 6'2" and 270 pounds, but he also proved he had quite a lot of quickness too. After having just three sacks in 13 games for South Alabama in 2023, he had three in his preseason games for Seattle.

Seattle had to know they were taking a chance on letting Sheriff walk as well. Instead, the Seahawks took a gamble by keeping punt returner Dee Williams and backup offensive lineman Michael Jerrell. Seattle had more depth along the offensive line, however, and there are other players who can return punts.

Sheriff would have filled a void of depth at edge rusher for Seattle after the team traded Darrell Taylor and Uchenna Nwosu might miss a couple of games to begin the season. Sheriff was also claimed by the Carolina Panthers and one has to assume he will make some kind of impact as a rookie.

Wide receiver Dee Eskridge

This is the weird one. For all that Eskridge has not done in his career since he has stayed injured, he always flashed enough potential where one might have wondered just how good he could have been, even as a kickoff returner, had he ever chosen to stay healthy. Instead, Seattle had a second-round pick who only caught 17 passes in three years.

The receiver likely signed as a practice squad player with the perfect team to use his skills, the Miami Dolphins. Miami has an electric offense that moves people around and seems to put them into the best situations to succeed. At some point this season. Eskridge will likely be elevated for a game and will probably do something special.

He wasn't without skill or speed. 12s just never got to see it used. This might have been the one season he managed to stay healthy with the Seahawks, but instead, he was released and will never be seen in a Seattle uniform again.

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