The Seattle Seahawks didn't have loads of surprising decisions in terms of who stayed on the roster and who didn't. The edge rush group might be among the most shocking. Uchenna Nwosu isn't on PUP to start the season, but Jared Ivey and Connor O'Toole made the team.
The more frustrating part for 12s might be that underperforming second-year pro Christian Haynes sort of made the team, but Sataoa Laumea, who overperformed as a rookie, didn't. General manager John Schneider might be hoping that Laumea can make it to the practice squad, but Haynes couldn't.
But that is a gamble. Many other teams might see Haynes, a third-round choice in 2024 who was overtaken by sixth-round 2024 draft pick Laumea last season when injuries hit the offensive line hard, as a bust. If anything, Laumea has outplayed his draft number.
Seattle Seahawks made a mistake by keeping Christian Haynes and releasing Sataoa Laumea
Neither player stood out much in training camp and the preseason, but Haynes, who had injury issues last year, continued to be a health risk. He dealt with a pec injury early in the preseason and then aggravated the injury later and missed preseason Week 3. There was never a better time to release Haynes with an injury designation than when roster cuts were made.
Instead, Haynes will start on the reserve/injured list, but designated for return. That means the Seahawks won't expect him to be out long. Laumea was simply outright waived. A smart team would pick him up. He might still be a project, but he at least has some starting experience.
Haynes is no closer to being a good player than Laumea, and Laumea appears to have a better work ethic. If he had been the third-round choice instead of Haynes, the 2025 roster designations probably would have switched. Haynes would have been released.
Or maybe, new Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and offensive line coach John Benton see something they can make out of Haynes. He obviously was more raw entering the NFL out of Connecticut than Laumea was. Haynes might just need another year to be good.
Maybe he won't. And perhaps Sataoa Laumea leaves and ends up being a long-term starter with some lucky team. That should have been the Seattle Seahawks.