Seahawks part with training camp stars that could land on the practice squad

The Seattle Seahawks had plenty of tough decisions to make ahead of Tuesday's cutdown day after a strong preseason. While teams are only permitted to carry 53 players on the Week 1 roster, Seattle clearly had more than 53 players deserving of a roster spot.

One position that had plenty of depth was the interior defensive line, which was recently ranked as the best unit in the league. The Seahawks were always going to have difficult decisions to make at the position, as they had far too many players who looked like contributors at the position.

Furthermore, their top-three of Leonard Williams, Jarran Reed and Byron Murphy II are all entrenched into their starting roles. Seattle opted to move on from both Brandon Pili and Quinton Bohanna on Tuesday despite strong showings during training camp and the preseason.

Seahawks part ways with interior line duo that played well in training camp and the preseason

The Seahawks were always going to have to lose out on talent along their interior defensive line, as there were too many players competing for a limited number of roster spots. While Bohanna was projected to miss out on the final 53-man roster, Pili appeared to be a lock after his preseason performance.

Seattle shared their full 53-man roster:

Gregg Bell of the Tacoma News Tribune noted the ramifications of the decision,"
"Seahawks announce their moves to get 90-man roster to initial 53 for regular season. Waiving Quinton Bohanna and Brandon Pili means this team is wafer-thin at D-tackle."

Bohanna, a veteran with 34 career games played and 13 starts, recorded just one total tackle in the preseason; however, he played well and had a strong training camp by all accounts. Pili has far less experience - just 12 career games played - but he was a standout player during training camp and the preseason, finishing with three total tackles, two solo tackles, and one safety.

Making the move more puzzling is the fact that 13-year veteran Johnathan Hankins and fifth-round rookie Rylie Mills are both set to begin the season on the non-football injury list. Aside from Williams, Reed, and Murphy II, Mike Morris is the only interior defensive lineman who will be available in Week 1.

While Seattle will certainly hope to keep either Pili or Bohanna (or both) on their practice squad, that may not be feasible following their play in the preseason. The puzzling decision to release both, particularly when factoring in that they retained two fullbacks and four tight ends, could hurt the Seahawks if their starters are unable to stay healthy until Hankins or Mills returns.

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