These four Seahawks likely won't be on the 2024 roster

The Seattle Seahawks currently have the least cap space in the league. While the number doesn't matter now, it will when the regular season begins. These four players are the most likely cap casualties.

I'll state at the onset these four players didn't make my seeya later list solely on the merits of the amounts of their cap hit. It did play a major role in the inclusion of each player, though. None of the four players I've listed appear on Lee Vowell's list of the Seahawks living on borrowed time. I assume he meant their time on the Seattle roster, not on the planet. I don't know for certain, as I thought I'd emulate a vocal minority of fans who can't be bothered to fully read headlines, let alone articles.

So my four guys are not the same four guys. Roster competition does play a large role for a couple of these players, but in one instance their performance level is a solid argument for keeping them in Seattle. But money is money, and that $2.03 million in cap space has to grow to well over $6 million just to cover the cost of the 2024 draftees. So in a couple of these cases, I'm not happy about the choice at all.

The Seattle Seahawks should begin the tough cuts with an easy decision

Jon Rhattigan (Cap savings: $2,985,000)

The cap savings would be the same for the Hawks' three-year vet whether Seattle releases him or trades him, pre-June 1st or post-June 1st. The same situation applies to the next two players as well. All Seahawks cap numbers are per Over The Cap, by the way. As you can see, if Rhattigan is off Seattle's roster for 2024, they'll incur no cap hit at all, a rarity for the team (or most any other, I imagine).

So why Rhattigan, a good, loyal and true member of the Seahawks since 2021? Yeah, I know he was playing behing Jordyn Brooks and Bobby Wagner. Except Wagner was elsewhere in 2022, and Rhattigan still got zero snaps on defense. In three seasons, he has gotten 19 snaps on defense in two games. Yes, he's been excellent on special teams. Here's the thing; unless he's one of the league's best returners, or a kicker or punter, you don't pay a special-teams guys $3 million a year. Jon Rhattigan is a very expensive insurance policy, and the Hawks can find one at a much better price.