K.J. Wright Likely Out For Week 1
- A Seahawks defense that already jettisoned four Super Bowl-era starters this offseason may be without another in Week 1. K.J. Wright underwent surgery on Monday and probably won’t be ready when the Seahawks face the Broncos next Sunday, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times notes. Pete Carroll categorized this procedure as a “cleanup” but said a couple of weeks would be the most optimistic timeline. Shaquem Griffin‘s first start, then, figures to occur sooner than expected. Condotta confirms the fifth-round rookie will start if Wright can’t go.
Cowboys Searching For O-Line, Safety Help
The trade market’s heating up as teams configure their 53-man rosters, and one team isn’t making it a secret it’s seeking upgrades.
Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said Wednesday the team is exploring additions to bolster their safety and offensive line spots. Specifically, Jones said the Cowboys want to fortify their interior offensive front, which suffered a critical setback when Travis Frederick was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre disease. Joe Looney resides as the Dallas starting center now, and the Cowboys either want depth behind him or competition.
“We feel good about Joe,” Jones said, via Kate Hairopoulos of the Dallas Morning News. “I think we do, I think the personnel group does. The coaches do. And more importantly I think Dak [Prescott] really feels good working with him. At the same time we’re not naive. We’re certainly looking for interior offensive linemen as well as the safety position. It’s no secret. If we can find something that makes sense, we want to improve our football team.”
Frederick is a short-term IR candidate to open the season, but that might not be necessary. The Cowboys are optimistic the All-Pro snapper may recover in weeks rather than months.
The Cowboys already added a safety to their roster in former Kris Richard Seahawks pupil Jeron Johnson, but he’s only played four games since the 2015 season and is in Dallas for depth purposes. Xavier Woods remains out, as does his replacement, Kavon Frazier. However, the Cowboys are hopeful Frazier will be sufficiently recovered from his shoulder malady to play in Week 1.
As for the obvious safety upgrade, Jones said the Cowboys have not discussed Earl Thomas with the Seahawks “lately.” Thomas remains a holdout, and nothing of note’s transpired regarding his Seattle situation in weeks.
Glennon, Other QBs Drawing Trade Interest
On Wednesday morning, the Packers traded Brett Hundley to the Seahawks. That deal is unlikely to be the last trade involving a backup quarterback, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Mike Glennon of the Cardinals, Tom Savage of the Saints, and Joshua Dobbs are the Steelers are among the QBs being discussed by teams of need, Rapoport hears. 
The Cardinals signed both Sam Bradford and Glennon in March, but the QB room changed dramatically in April when they drafted UCLA star Josh Rosen. Rosen may not be ready for primetime, but the Cardinals may feel that he is ready to be a capable No. 2 QB. Glennon flamed out in his one month as the Bears’ starter last year, but he would represent a QB2 upgrade for many teams around the league.
Savage has been long rumored to be on the bubble, but he is now firmly on the trade block following the Saints’ acquisition of Teddy Bridgewater. The Saints project to move ahead with Bridgewater and Taysom Hill as the backups to Drew Brees, leaving Savage without a spot in New Orleans. Savage, a former fourth-round pick out of Pittsburgh, entered the 2017 season as Houston’s starter, but he lost the job to rookie Deshaun Watson rather quickly. He finished the year with 1,412 yards and five touchdowns against six interceptions.
The writing has been on the wall for Dobbs ever since the Steelers used a third-round pick on Mason Rudolph in this year’s draft. Landry Jones is locked in as the backup quarterback and Rudolph is locked in as the No. 3, so Dobbs is clearly on the block.
Seahawks, WR Tyler Lockett Agree To Extension
The Seahawks and wide receiver Tyler Lockett have agreed to an extension, as Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. It’s a three-year deal with a base value of $31.8MM and includes a healthy $20MM guaranteed. With incentives, the value of the deal can reach $37.8MM. 
Lockett was set to reach free agency next year after completing his rookie deal in 2018. Now, he gets to stay in Seattle with a significant pay bump.
The 2015 third-round pick hasn’t put up electrifying numbers just yet, but the Seahawks are expecting an uptick in his production after moving on from Paul Richardson. Over the course of three years, Lockett has 137 catches for 1,816 yards and nine touchdowns, though six of those scores came as a rookie.
Last year, Lockett finished out with 45 catches for 555 yards and two touchdowns. Meanwhile, the annual average value of his deal is greater than $10.5MM. That’s a sign that the Seahawks have a tremendous amount of faith in him, and also shows how far the wide receiver market has advanced in the last couple of years.
Lockett figures to be the Seahawks No. 2 wide receiver this year and should continue in his role as the club’s top returner.
Packers Trade QB Brett Hundley To Seahawks
The Packers traded quarterback Brett Hundley to the Seahawks in exchange for a sixth-round pick, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 
Austin Davis and rookie seventh-round pick Alex McGough were competing to back up Russell Wilson in Seattle, but it sounds like Pete Carroll & Co. were not completely comfortable with either player. With the season opener just days away, Hundley may wind up as the Seahawks’ one and only backup to Wilson.
The Packers drafted Hundley in the fifth-round of the 2015 draft. He didn’t see a lot of action at first, but he was called upon in 2017 when Aaron Rodgers was lost to injury. In nine starts, Hundley went 3-6 as he threw for 1,836 yards with nine touchdowns against 12 interceptions. Hundley is not a world-beater, but, as the Seahawks have learned, quality backup QBs are hard to find.
After moving on from Hundley, the Packers plan to keep both DeShone Kizer and Tim Boyle as backups on the 53-man roster, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com tweets.
Doug Baldwin Returns To Practice
Doug Baldwin is back at Seahawks practice after missing the preseason with a knee injury. As expected, Seattle’s top wide receiver plans on returning for Week 1, per the Associated Press. Baldwin may or may not have undergone a procedure for his sore left knee, the soon-to-be 30-year-old pass-catcher not denying an operation of some sort took place. The eighth-year Seahawk also expects to have to deal with knee pain this season, saying he’ll have to manage this issue throughout the year. The Seahawks are counting on Baldwin to reprise his role as Russell Wilson‘s favorite target, but while he was out, newcomers Jaron Brown and Brandon Marshall logged extensive first-team time. But Baldwin remains Seattle’s centerpiece receiver and a key veteran after so many on defense were jettisoned this offseason.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/26/18
Here are today’s minor moves:
Denver Broncos
- Waived: LB Bo Bower
New York Jets
- Signed: QB John Wolford
- Waived/injured: WR Lucky Whitehead
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: LB Jaboree Williams
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: FB Daniel Marx
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR Donteea Dye, RB Devine Redding
Washington Redskins
- Signed: QB Connor Jessop, DL JoJo Wicker
- Waived: CB Darius Hillary, WR Allenzae Staggers
- Waived from injured reserve: RB Martez Carter, OL Cameron Jefferson, FB Elijah Wellman
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/25/18
Atlanta Falcons
- Waived from injured reserve: WR Colby Pearson
Detroit Lions
- Waived from injured reserve: S Stefan McClure
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: S Stephen Roberts
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: WR Tanner McEvoy
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Placed on IR: WR Sergio Bailey
- Waived/injured: WR Jake Lampman
Seahawks Notes: Fant, Ifedi, Walden
- The Seahawks are trying George Fant at right tackle and allowing him to compete with 2016 first-round pick Germain Ifedi, as Brady Henderson of ESPN.com tweets. Ifedi led the NFL in penalties last season and struggled in the team’s preseason game on Saturday. Fant started at left tackle as a UDFA in 2016 before tearing his ACL last summer, so the Seahawks have reason to believe that he can be a first-stringer on the other side. Ultimately, one has to wonder if the Seahawks could consider going out-of-house again for a tackle as they did by acquiring Duane Brown last year.
- Erik Walden‘s deal with the Seahawks is worth $1.105MM and includes just $50K guaranteed, a source tells Henderson (on Twitter). The low guarantee means that the veteran pass rusher is far from a lock to make the Week 1 roster, though it is an area of weakness for Seattle. With the minimum salary benefit, Walden’s contract only counts for $720K against the cap.
- The Rams have decided against signing Junior Galette, which may improve the Seahawks‘ odds of landing him.
Seahawks RB J.D. McKissic To Miss Time
Seahawks running back J.D. McKissic will miss four-to-six weeks after suffering a Jones’ fracture in his foot, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Seattle is already down one running back, as rookie first-round pick Rashaad Penny underwent surgery last week for a broken finger. He’s now expected to miss three-to-four weeks, leaving the Seahawks with Chris Carson, C.J. Prosise, Mike Davis, Gerald Holmes, and Justin Stockton as healthy backs.
McKissic, 25, appeared in 13 games and made one start for the Seahawks in 2017. He managed 4.1 yards per carry on 187 attempts, and was effective in the passing game, where he posted 34 receptions. An exclusive rights free agent this offseason, McKissic signed a one-year tender worth the league minimum.
Due to his recovery timeline, McKissic is a candidate to return from injured reserve. However, that scenario would entail Seattle keeping McKissic on its roster until final cutdowns, as any IR/return player must be carried through to his team’s respective initial 53-man roster.
If the Seahawks opt to look for a free agent running back to account for recent depletions, they could look at option such as Orleans Darkwa, Andre Williams, or Lance Dunbar, or perhaps attempt to convince DeMarco Murray — who worked out for Seattle earlier this year — to come out of retirement.