Seahawks add DBs L.J. McCray and Dewey McDonald, waive Jordan Hill while setting 53-man roster

The moves the Seahawks made to set their initial 53-man roster on Saturday included a pair of additions, with Seattle acquiring safeties Dewey McDonald from Oakland and L.J. McCray from San Francisco in exchange for undisclosed draft picks.

They also included one very notable subtraction as Seattle waived as injured defensive tackle Jordan Hill, who figured to be a part of the Seahawks’ nickel pass-rush this season but hurt his hamstring in the team’s preseason finale. It’s the latest injury in a career that has been slowed by several of them, and it means that Hill – who was entering the fourth and final year of the rookie contract he signed as a third-round pick in 2013 – may have played his last down for the Seahawks.

McCray (6 feet, 210 pounds) and McDonald (6 feet, 220 pounds) are both third-year players who were undrafted in 2014. McCray is from Catawba College in North Carolina and appeared in 22 games over his two seasons with the 49ers, who made a rare trade within the division in sending him to the Seahawks. McDonald, from California University of Pennsylvania, has appeared in 15 games between stints with Indianapolis, New England and Oakland.

Their acquisitions mark the second straight year that the Seahawks traded for a safety – in this case, two of them – on cut-down day. Last year at this time it was Kelcie McCray, who now looks to be entrenched as Seattle’s backup at both safety spots. That suggests that the Seahawks traded for L.J. McCray and McDonald with an eye toward bolstering their special teams and/or perhaps for one of them to fill the role Seattle previously envisioned for Brandon Browner, who was released as part of the first wave of cut-downs.

One thing to keep in mind with initial 53-man rosters is that they’re just that, initial versions. Seattle’s could – and probably will – change sometime within the next week or so. One likely spot is at safety. The trades for McDonald and McCray give the Seahawks seven of them, which is more than they will keep on their roster this season.

Another potential move would be to add a fullback. The Seahawks don’t have one after releasing veteran Will Tukuafu on Saturday. Seattle could sign another free agent or bring back Tukuafu after Week 1, at which point his 2016 salary would no longer be fully guaranteed.

Not so fast. A report on Friday stated Seattle was signing free-agent long-snapper Tyler Ott. That didn’t happen as Nolan Frese made the Seahawks’ roster despite his shaky preseason. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Seahawks make another move at long-snapper given how erratic Frese was at times, but for now, it appears as though he is Seattle’s choice to replace Clint Gresham, who was released in March.

Most surprising move. None of the cuts the Seahawks made were all that surprising, but two of the players they kept certainly were: rookie cornerback DeAndre Elliott and second-year defensive tackle Justin Hamilton. Elliott, an undrafted free agent, didn’t appear to be a serious contender for one of the final cornerback spots, routinely playing behind Marcus Burley (who was waived as injured) and Tye Smith. The same was true for Hamilton at defensive tackle, where Hill’s injury opened a spot.

Rookies represented. Fourteen rookies made Seattle’s initial 53-man roster, a total that includes eight of the team’s 10 draft picks and six undrafted free agents. Running back Zac Brooks and wide receiver Kenny Lawler – both seventh-round picks – were the two draft picks who didn’t make it. The six UDFAs are wide receiver Tanner McEvoy, quarterback Trevone Boykin, tackle George Fant, Elliott, safety Tyvis Powell and Frese.

Here’s a position-by-position look at the Seahawks’ initial 53-man roster.

Quarterback

Kept: Russell Wilson, Trevone Boykin

Cut: Jake Heaps

Comment: Boykin wasn’t a lock to make the team after an erratic preseason, but the Seahawks may have not been able to find a better alternative in their price range. And trying to get him on the practice squad would have meant exposing him to waivers, a risk the Seahawks may have been unwilling to take.

Wide receiver

Kept: Doug Baldwin, Jermaine Kearse, Tyler Lockett, Paul Richardson, Tanner McEvoy

Cut: Kasen Williams, Kenny Lawler, Antwan Goodley, E.Z. Nwachukwu, Douglas McNeil III

Comment: McEvoy seemed like a long-shot to make the team entering training camp, but he made some big plays in the preseason and also helped his case by contributing on special teams and playing tight end, where Seattle may need help with Jimmy Graham and Nick Vannett uncertain for the opener. Former Huskies Kevin Smith and Kasen Williams were challenging for that fifth wide-receiver spot, but hamstring injuries kept them on the sideline for much of the summer and opened the door for McEvoy.

Running back

Kept: Thomas Rawls, Christine Michael, C.J. Prosise, Alex Collins

Cut: Troymaine Pope, FB Will Tukuafu

Comment: Pope was more impressive in the preseason than Collins, even with the latter finishing on a high note Thursday in Oakland. But preseason performance is only one part of the overall evaluation, and the Seahawks believe in Collins’ potential as the type of physical runner they covet.

Offensive line

Kept: RT Garry Gilliam, RT J’Marcus Webb, RG Germain Ifedi, C Justin Britt, LG Mark Glowinski, LT Bradley Sowell, C Joey Hunt, G/T Rees Odhiambo, T George Fant

Cut: G Jahri Evans, G/C Will Pericak, T Terry Poole

Comment: That Fant made the team may come as a surprise to some considering he’s as raw as they come, a college basketball player who played only one season of football at Western Kentucky. That was as a tight end, which means he has only a handful of snaps in game action as a tackle (he’s worked as Seattle’s second-team left tackle this summer). But the Seahawks are sky high on Fant’s potential as a tremendous athlete who has made significant strides during his short time with the team. Keeping Webb wasn’t a certainty, and it doesn’t clear up the situation at right tackle, where he and Gilliam have been competing for the starting spot. Poole was a fourth-round pick in 2015 and didn’t make the team as a rookie, either. He was waived/injured. Here’s more on Evans’ release.

Tight end

Kept: Jimmy Graham, Luke Willson, Nick Vannett, Brandon Williams

Cut: Clayton Echard, Joe Sommers

Comment: No surprises here as Williams all along seemed to have a good shot to make the team as the fourth tight end, especially with two players ahead of him uncertain for Week 1. Vannett has a high-ankle sprain while Graham is still coming back from his major knee injury. That Graham is on the roster is another indication that Seattle believes he’ll be ready within the first few weeks of the season, if not by the opener. Sommers was waived/injured.

Defensive back

Kept: CB Richard Sherman, CB Jeremy Lane, CB DeShawn Shead, CB Tharold Simon, CB DeAndre Elliott, S Earl Thomas, S Kam Chancellor, S Kelcie McCray, S Steven Terrell, S Tyvis Powell

Acquired: S Dewey McDonald, S L.J. McCray

Cut: CB Tye Smith, CB Marcus Burley, S Keenan Lambert

Comment: Powell flashed at times during the preseason – both on defense and on special teams – and further helped his case by playing some cornerback. He was by no means a lock to make the team, though, and as one of seven safeties on the initial 53-man roster, he could be one the Seahawks try to move to the practice squad when they have a better chance of passing him through waivers.

Linebacker

Kept: Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright, Mike Morgan, Brock Coyle, Kevin Pierre-Louis

Cut: Eric Pinkins, Kache Palacio, Steve Longa

Comment: Pinkins, a sixth-round pick in 2014, came to Seattle as a defensive back before converting to linebacker. He was part of the competition to start at strong-side linebacker, but he never seemed like a serious contender for that job as Morgan got most of the reps with the fist team. Pinkins was waived/injured. Linebacker is a spot at which Seattle could be looking to add some depth heading into the season.

Defensive line

Kept: DE Michael Bennett, DE Cliff Avril, DE Frank Clark, DE Cassius Marsh, DT Ahtyba Rubin, DT Jarran Reed, DT Tony McDaniel, DT Quinton Jefferson, DT Justin Hamilton

Cut: DE Ryan Robinson, DE Tylor Harris, DT Jordan Hill, DT Brandin Bryant, DT Tani Tupou

Comment: McDaniel has been a pleasant surprise for Seattle since the team brought him back mid-way through training camp. There’s a chance he could start the opener if Reed isn’t back from his toe injury by then. Bryant made a bid for the final defensive-tackle spot, but Hamilton got it instead.

Specialists

Kept: K Steven Hauschka, P Jon Ryan, LS Nolan Frese

Cut: None

Comment: Frese had five off-target snaps between Seattle’s second and third preseason games before turning in an error-free performance Thursday against Oakland. Coach Pete Carroll said recently that a shoulder injury was affecting Frese’s snapping and that it should improve now that he’s on the mend. But that situation could still be fluid.