The Seattle Seahawks cut their roster down to 53 players, but general manager John Schneider’s work is far from done. As he signs developmental prospects and veteran depth to his practice squad, he will also be studying the hundreds of players released by other clubs in hopes of finding a few that might find a better fit with the Seahawks.
The most obvious areas to explore are along the offensive line and in the defensive backfield, where recent injuries have forced some roster juggling. Fullback might be another position of interest. As Schneider weighs his options, he might be tempted to kick the tires on Evan Neal, a former can’t-miss lineman who, in his time with the New York Giants, missed big time.
Despite the allure of Neal’s formidable athletic gifts, the Seahawks should pass. Assuming the 25-year-old is healthy and eager to play, he will get another chance to prove he belongs in the league. But the Seahawks aren’t the right team for several reasons.
Seattle Seahawks should avoid Evan Neal and look elsewhere for offensive line help
Seattle has seemed interested in moving on from right guard Anthony Bradford for the past few years. Even if he remains their starter in 2026, he may well leave via free agency after the season. Bradford, for all his faults in pass protection, is still a young, powerful, straight-line blocker who could flourish in the right scheme.
The Seahawks drafted Beau Stephens this past April and have also added Bryce Cabeldue, Mason Richman, and Christian Haynes in recent years. Before his injury last week, I thought Richman was staking a claim to the primary backup guard spot. Now, that position would appear to belong to Haynes.
However, neither Haynes nor Cabeldue has proven reliable in their brief careers, and Stephens is even farther away from being a contributor. Right guard remains an area of concern.
Enter Evan Neal. If you are a talent evaluator in the NFL, there is no way to avoid him. When he came into the league back in 2022, some scouts had the 6’7”, 350-pound tackle from Alabama rated as a top-5 prospect. Not just amongst linemen, but out of all draft-eligible players. Along with astonishing length and size, Neal tested off the charts.
The Giants chose him seventh overall in 2022. Two spots later, John Schneider took Charles Cross. While Cross has developed into one of the steadiest left tackles in the NFL, Neal has struggled from day 1.
He has been plagued by injuries, playing in just 29 of a possible 51 games during his first three seasons. He was trying to make a comeback this season with Atlanta but was part of their cuts on Sunday.
If there is a model for what Neal could still become, it is Mekhi Becton. Like Neal, Becton was a mammoth offensive tackle chosen in the first round. Like Neal, he was plagued by injuries and inconsistent play, eventually wearing out his welcome with the team that drafted him, the New York Jets. And like Neal, he was eventually moved to guard in an attempt to salvage his career.
In Becton’s case, it worked. For one year, at least. He started at guard for the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in 2024 and played himself into a nice contract with the Chargers last year. Then, like the rest of the Chargers’ offensive line, Becton imploded. He was released this offseason and remains a free agent.
The Seahawks might think that, given a new start with a winning culture, Evan Neal might find whatever he has been missing over the past four years. But it seems like a poor gamble.
First and foremost, Neal is an exaggerated version of Bradford. He has great power but has never proven to be a quality pass protector. His straight-line speed has always been remarkable for a man his size, but he is not nimble in space. Seattle knows what they have in Bradford. Neal does not bring any added wrinkle, the way someone like Haynes might.
Considering his health issues in the past, the Seahawks could not rely on his ability to stay on the field if pressed into service. What’s more, one of Neal’s most infamous moments in New York came back in 2023 when he disparaged the Giants’ fans who had been booing his play. He later apologized, but it left a bad taste.
Mike Macdonald has built a team-first culture that has served the Seahawks very well. It is unfair to judge a player like Neal on that one poor decision when he was still very new to the league, but that is life in the NFL. Seattle has no reason to risk bringing in a player who might upset that culture.
If Evan Neal is to continue his NFL journey, it is likely to be with a struggling team that finds itself in need of offensive line help. That team would have little to lose by taking a chance on a player who is still young enough to surprise people. That does not describe Seattle. They may need some help along the line, but there are other, steadier options available.
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