SEATTLE — The Seattle Seahawks waived defensive tackle Jordan Hill and veteran offensive lineman Jahri Evans on Saturday as part of their moves to reach the 53-man roster limit.
Hill was waived with an injury designation after suffering a hamstring injury in the preseason finale against Oakland on Thursday, ending an injury-filled career with the Seahawks. Hill was a third-round pick in 2013, but never played in more than 13 games in a season. Before the start of training camp, Hill was expected to be a starter.
Evans’ veteran contract was terminated after he was signed during training camp, but he was clearly going to be a backup.
Seattle also made a pair of trades Saturday, acquiring defensive backs L.J. McCray from San Francisco and Dewey McDonald from Oakland. The team did not announce the conditions of the trade.
Along with Hill, Seattle also waived/injured linebacker Eric Pinkins, defensive back Marcus Burley, tight end Joe Sommers and offensive lineman Terry Poole. Pinkins and Poole were late-round draft picks in recent seasons.
Seattle is also going without a fullback after releasing veteran Will Tukuafu, but instead will keep four tight ends to start the season, including undrafted free agent Brandon Williams. Other players released by Seattle included wide receiver Kasen Williams, defensive tackle Brandin Bryant, defensive back Tye Smith, running back Troymaine Pope and wide receiver Kenny Lawler, a seventh-round pick this year.
Seattle ended up keeping 14 rookies on its roster, including six undrafted free agents. The biggest surprise was the inclusion of cornerback DeAndre Elliott from Colorado State as Seattle went heavy with secondary players. With the inclusion of McCray and McDonald from the two trades, Seattle has 12 defensive backs on its roster.
Another surprise was Seattle keeping wide receiver/tight end Tanner McEvoy. He was originally signed as an undrafted free agent to be a safety for the Seahawks but was moved to the offensive side of the ball during training camp. His size at 6-foot-5 made him a viable option as both a wide receiver and tight end. With McEvoy, Seattle has five wide receivers on its roster.
