Don’t expect Jahri Evans to make Seahawks’ final roster
Aug 30, 2016, 8:40 PM | Updated: Aug 31, 2016, 8:16 am
The Seahawks added Jahri Evans as insurance in case their younger guards faltered, and they haven't. (AP)
(AP)
RENTON – He was the veteran offensive lineman signed by Seattle to shore up a position overflowing with inexperience.
A player with name recognition who would provide some stability along an exceedingly young offensive line.
But enough about Eric Winston’s failed pursuit of a roster spot with the Seahawks back in 2014. Oh, you thought we were talking about Jahri Evans, the 10-year veteran and six-time Pro Bowler who was signed in the first week of training camp? Well, we might as well be when it comes to his chances of making Seattle’s roster.
The Seahawks made their first round of cuts this week, and while Evans survived it, I don’t expect him to make Seattle’s final 53-man roster. It’s a projection based on not just the observation of his four weeks practicing with the team, but also Seattle’s tendency to go with home-grown youth over veteran stopgaps.
It happened in 2013 when Walter Thurmond beat out veteran Antoine Winfield to be the team’s fifth defensive back. It happened again the next year when Seattle kept undrafted rookie Garry Gilliam ahead of Winston. I think it will be true this year, too, when it comes to Evans.
Part of that is because the interior of Seattle’s offensive line has been an unexpected strength in August with Justin Britt making an exceedingly smooth transition to center while Mark Glowinski and Germain Ifedi are getting great push as guards. Rookie Rees Odhiambo is a third-round pick who is going to be on Seattle’s roster and second-year lineman Will Pericak is making a case to be active on game days because he’s capable of playing both guard and center.
The Seahawks have shown a history of bringing in veterans for competition, not as Band-Aids. So while many people assumed that Evans was signed as a potential starter, the reality is that he was more like a veteran option in case some of Seattle’s younger offensive linemen faltered. So far, they haven’t, and I don’t think Evans has done enough to make Seattle’s roster.
