4 waiver wire cut candidates Seattle Seahawks should monitor in 2024

The Seattle Seahawks are tight against the salary cap currently, but they are also a long way from setting their active 53-man roster. Several cuts could be made, such as with Darrell Taylor and Jon Rhattigan, that opens up a bit of space for 2024. Seattle will also be monitoring those players who get released from other teams to help fill out their roster.

The four players that follow are all rumored to be cut candidates before the season begins. None would need to be starters for Seattle, but would provide valuable depth. None would be expensive to sign either.

Two of the following are coming off injuries, though in one case, the player should be fully recovered before Week 1. The other might be great depth for the next two years. One has ties to a new Seahawks coach.

Four cut candidates that the Seattle Seahawks should think of picking up

Defensive lineman Chauncey Golston

Seattle should have decent depth along the defensive line, but after the first four, there could be a big drop-off. D-lines, of course, rotate more than most units on a team, so depth is pivotal. Seattle chose Byron Murphy II in the first round, and hopefully, he is good, but he will also be a rookie who is still finding his way. Jarran Reed was not good against the run in 2023, so he might be more of a situational player.

The Dallas Cowboys took a couple of defensive linemen in the 2024 draft and might want to give them a lot of reps this season. That could mean Golston, who has a tie to Seattle's new defensive coordinator Aden Durde, as both were in Dallas last year, is the odd man out with the Cowboys. In three seasons, he has shown an ability to be efficient at getting after quarterbacks and has been relatively solid against the run.

Linebacker Cole Holcomb

Holcomb suffered a horrible knee injury midway through 2023, but he has said he is back on track to return at some point in 2024. His issue is that Pittsburgh signed Patrick Queen in free agency and drafted Peyton Wilson. Whenever Holcomb returns, he might not have a spot to play. Such is life in the NFL when a player is going to be out for a while, the team has to move on.

Before his injury, Holcomb was a very solid inside linebacker who didn't get much quarterback pressure but excelled in run support and was a good tackler. He also would fit in Mike Macdonald's scheme because he is good in coverage. Holcomb would not be expected to start with the Seahawks but would be a valuable backup to Tyrel Dodson and Jerome Baker.

Safety Damar Hamlin

Hamlin is another player who might not have a starting spot on his team. Prior to his cardiac arrest situation in 2022, after he was hit by Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tee Higgins, Hamlin had become a good starter for the Bills. He didn't play much in 2023 after he returned, though, as he only played on 31 snaps. This offseason, Buffalo rebuilt their safety group and appears to be approaching a future without Hamlin.

Hamlin is healthy now and is a good player. He is solid in coverage and has flashed the ability to be disruptive in blitzes. In 2022, he had five total pressures on just 25 pass rush attempts. He also has position flexibility, which Macdonald would know exactly how to use. Hamlin wouldn't be a starter but would be veteran depth in case Julian Love or Rayshawn Jenkins were injured.

Quarterback Bailey Zappe

NFL teams can keep three quarterbacks active on game days, and Seattle currently only has two quarterbacks. They do not have one on the practice squad. Adding Zappe does not mean he would come in and be the starter, of course, and he might never play for Seattle. He did show in a terrible New England Patriots offense in 2023 that he can at least be, at times, efficient.

If Zappe was released, the Seahawks could even bring him in on a two-year deal so that if Seattle does move on from Geno Smith after 2024, the team would save $25 million, and Zappe could back Sam Howell in 2025. Zappe seemingly has no spot on the Patriots now after New England drafted Drake Maye and signed Jacoby Brissett in free agency.

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