Getty The Seattle Seahawks are releasing tight end Luke Willson.
The Seattle Seahawks are releasing tight end Luke Willson, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. After struggling with injuries last season, the Seahawks are incredibly deep at tight end in 2020, especially with rookie Colby Parkinson being activated in Week 8.
“With the Seahawks activating rookie TE Colby Parkinson, and having extra TEs on their roster, Seattle will be releasing TE Luke Willson today to get down to four TEs, per source,” Schefter noted on Twitter.
NBC Sports Northwest’s Joe Fann reported that he expects Willson to be re-signed by the Seahawks to their practice squad. For this to be a possibility, Willson will have to pass through waivers without being claimed by another NFL team. We have seen the Seahawks have success with this same strategy prior to Week 1 with several players including Shaquem Griffin being released then added back to the team’s practice squad after going unclaimed.
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The Seahawks Passed on Trading Jacob Hollister
Tight end Jacob Hollister had been mentioned in trade rumors, and the Seahawks even upped his snap count in recent weeks potentially showcasing him for other teams. It looks like Hollister will remain with the Seahawks as the team opted not to make a deal, per Sports Illustrated’s Corbin Smith.
“Source indicates Seahawks did call around about moving Jacob Hollister,” Smith tweeted. “But they didn’t get any offers they felt were worth making a deal. Barring a last second deal coming together, he’s staying put. Hence the Willson release.”
Hollister’s chances of remaining with the Seahawks increased after the team was able to trade B.J. Finney for Carlos Dunlap. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported the Seahawks were initially shopping Hollister in an attempt to clear cap space for a pass rusher.
“Teams out of the race aren’t the only ones that could have assets for sale,” Breer noted. “Over the last week or so, word around the league was that Seattle was trying to create cap space to add a pass rusher, and TE Jacob Hollister was available. Now that B.J. Finney was traded and Carlos Dunlap has been acquired, the Seahawks have pulled back on that. But Hollister drummed up so much interest across the league that I don’t think it’s impossible someone will put something in front of the Seahawks they have to consider.”
Seattle’s Main Roster Move Was Trading for Carlos Dunlap
There was some speculation that the Seahawks could add another pass rusher at the deadline, but the team stopped at acquiring Dunlap. The Seahawks will add Jamal Adams back to the lineup, and players like Damon “Snacks” Harrison along with Dunlap have yet to suit up for Seattle. Pete Carroll indicated that Dunlap is expected to make his Seahawks debut in Week 9 against the Bills.
“He’ll be in the building, I think, tomorrow,” Carroll noted, via Seahawks.com. “So he’ll able to come by on the day off and check in. He’s been in communication with our guys, he’s studying and all that already. But the first time he’ll be able to physically arrive here where he can come in the building, I think is tomorrow. So that’s in preparation for Wednesday, he should be with us throughout the week. He will have had taken a week off, so it’s like he had his personal bye week and he’s ready to play again. And he’s been fit and all that, so we’re looking forward to him jumping right in, and he should be able to assimilate easily. He’s had some days to learn, and he’s been in communication with (defensive line coach Clint Hurtt) and all that, so we’ve been messaging back and forth, so everything’s going fine and that should work out just fine.”