The Seahawks are in the business of building out their roster after trimming down to 53 players, and John Schneider still has plenty of sorting to do. Practice-squad additions, veteran depth, and the usual round of waiver claims are all part of the job now. So is scanning the players other teams let go, especially when injuries have already forced some shuffling in Seattle.
That search naturally points to a few spots: offensive line, defensive back, and maybe even fullback. And when a former top prospect like Evan Neal hits the market, it is the kind of name that can catch your eye fast. The problem for Seattle is that the temptation should end there.
Neal is still only 25, and the physical tools are impossible to ignore. Back in 2022, the 6’7”, 350-pound tackle from Alabama was viewed by some scouts as a top-5 talent overall, not just among linemen.
His length and testing numbers made him one of the most intriguing players in that draft. The Giants took him seventh overall, two picks before Schneider selected Charles Cross.
Cross has grown into one of the league’s most dependable left tackles. Neal, meanwhile, has spent his career fighting to get out of the starting blocks.
Injuries have been a constant issue, and he has appeared in just 29 of a possible 51 games over his first three seasons. He was trying to reboot his career with Atlanta this season, but he was among their cuts on Sunday.
Seattle can understand the appeal. It also has reasons to stay away.
Right guard remains a concern for the Seahawks. Anthony Bradford has been a player they have seemed ready to move on from for some time, and even if he opens 2026 as the starter, free agency could take him out of the picture after the season. Bradford is imperfect in pass protection, but he is young, powerful, and built for straight-ahead blocking in a way that could still matter in the right setup.
The team has also been developing other options. Beau Stephens was drafted this past April, while Bryce Cabeldue, Mason Richman, and Christian Haynes have all been added in recent years.
Before his injury last week, Richman looked like he might be claiming the top backup guard role. With that setback, Haynes appears to have the edge there now.
Even so, Haynes and Cabeldue have not been reliable in their limited careers, and Stephens is still well away from being ready to help. That leaves right guard as a spot that still needs attention.
Neal, though, does not really solve the problem in a new way. He is, in many respects, a bigger version of Bradford: powerful, massive, and still not a proven pass protector.
His straight-line movement has always stood out for someone his size, but he is not especially agile in space. Seattle already knows what Bradford brings.
Neal does not add a fresh dimension the way Haynes might.
There is also the question of health. Given Neal’s injury history, the Seahawks would have no real reason to count on him staying available if they needed him in a pinch.
And then there is the baggage from 2023, when Neal took aim at Giants fans who had been booing him. He later apologized, but the moment lingered.
Mike Macdonald has established a team-first culture that has worked well in Seattle, and while one poor decision from a young player should not define him forever, the Seahawks do not need to invite that kind of risk. Neal may still find a path in the NFL, but it is more likely to come with a team that is desperate enough to gamble on upside.
Seattle has some line needs, sure. It just does not look like the place for this one.
In Other News...
Jadarian Price Suddenly Has A Real Seahawks Opportunity
The Seahawks backfield took an early hit when Zach Charbonnet was placed on the reserve/physically unable to perform list after suffering a torn ACL, leaving Seattle without one of its most important running backs for at least four games. With that kind of absence, opportunities tend to appear quickly in the NFL, and this one may belong to rookie Jadarian Price, whose path to real snaps just got a lot clearer.
Price arrives with a productive college rsum from Notre Dame, and Seattle now has a reason to see how that translates on Sundays. The Seahawks did not draft him simply to fill practice reps, and Charbonnets setback gives the rookie a chance to show he can be more than depth, potentially carving out a larger role while the team waits for the backfield to stabilize. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Roster Cuts Left One Position Looking Uncomfortably Thin
The Seahawks final roster cuts trimmed the group from 91 to 53 and clarified a few key decisions, including Montorie Foster Jr. sticking as the fifth wide receiver. Seattle also kept young offensive linemen Bryce Cabeldue and Christian Haynes in reserve roles at guard, a sign the team wanted to preserve some developmental depth on the interior while sorting out the rest of the roster.
One area still looks a little too lean, though, and its the safety room. Seattle waived several safeties as part of the cutdown, leaving only three on the roster, and the secondarys depth remains unsettled with some of those players likely beginning on the practice squad. For a team that has spent much of camp trying to piece together its back-end options, the numbers suggest this part of the roster may still be in flux. [Read more 🡒]
Former Seahawks Edge Is Already Facing Another Roster Twist
The roster churn that always follows cutdown day is already hitting Atlanta, and one former Seahawk is in the middle of it. The Falcons used waiver claims to add edge rushers Yasir Abdullah and Jared Ivey, along with offensive tackle Cameron Williams, which means all three have to stick on the 53-man roster for at least two days before any more paperwork can happen.
For Seattle fans, the notable part is the ripple effect, because those additions force three players off Atlantas initial roster and create another round of transactions almost immediately. None of the Falcons recent cuts was claimed on waivers, either, so the team still has the option of bringing those players back on the practice squad if it wants to keep them in the fold. [Read more 🡒]