The Seahawks’ practice squad is familiar.
They were all in their training camp and preseason. They were all on the team until, well, yesterday.
Seattle announced 15 signings to the practice squad Wednesday after the NFL’s waiver period ended from the league’s deadline Tuesday to get rosters from 90 to 53 players.
The practice squad, so far, is veteran cornerback Artie Burns, veteran safety Marquise Blair, rookie running back George Holani, rookie linebacker Michael Barrett, rookie defensive tackle Kyon Barrs, offensive lineman McClendon Curtis, rookie offensive tackle Garret Greenfield, rookie defensive end DeVere Levelston, tight end Tyler Mabry, linebacker Patrick O’Connell, safety Ty Okada, offensive lineman Raiqwon O’Neal, designated foreign player offensive tackle Max Pircher, wide receiver Cody White and former Washington State wide receiver Easop Winston Jr.
The Seahawks cut or waived all of them Tuesday while setting its initial 53-man roster for the regular season.
The league has loosened practice-squad rules for recent seasons. Each team can elevate each member of the practice squad to be active for games up to three times in a season, at a maximum of two practice-squad players getting a standard elevation for each game. After that, the team must either sign that player that’s been elevated three times to the active roster, or offer him free agency and a chance to sign with another team.
Also relatively new, up to six veteran players of more than two accrued seasons in the league can be on a practice squad. In other words, 10 or more practice-squad players must be rookies or second-year players.
The signings Wednesday leave the Seahawks with two open spots on their practice squad. They are allowed 17 players because Pircher, from Bressanone, Italy, does not count towards the league limit of 16 practice-squad player as an international-development player.
The Seahawks did not claim any players off league waivers for the period ending Wednesday. The Carolina Panthers claimed two players Seattle waived Tuesday: linebackers Jon Rhattigan and rookie preseason star Jamie Sheriff.
This story was originally published August 28, 2024, 2:09 PM.
