George Fant Tears ACL
The Seahawks now have a hole on their offensive line. Following last night’s preseason win over the Vikings, head coach Pete Carroll revealed that left tackle George Fant tore his right ACL and will require surgery. While the team hasn’t announced a definitive timeframe for the lineman, it’s assumed that he will miss the entire season. The 25-year-old was injured during the second quarter after teammate Justin Britt accidentally rolled into his leg.
“Really broken-hearted about George Fant getting hurt,” Carroll said (via Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com). “Just unfortunate. He’s done so much, come so far and everybody’s cheering for him and rooting for him all along. He’s going to be in trouble getting back this season. He’s got a knee injury that’s going to require surgery, unfortunately. Kinda takes a little something out of it for everybody.”
Fant had a bit of an unconventional path to the NFL. Despite not having played organized football since the eighth grade, the former Western Kentucky University basketball star decided to join the school’s football team for the 2015 season. After playing sparingly during his lone collegiate season, he signed on with the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2016.
While he mostly played tight end during his college career, the Seahawks transitioned Fant into an offensive tackle. The 6-foot-6 rookie ended up playing a significant role for Seattle last season, starting 10 of his 14 games. While ProFootballFocus.com wasn’t particularly fond of his performance, the Seahawks clearly had high hopes for the lineman.
That sentiment was emphasized this offseason, as Fant came into camp 20 pounds heavier, and Carroll certainly recognized the player’s improvement at the position.
“I don’t think anyone has done more than George Fant,” Carroll said (via Matt Calkins of the Seattle Times). “George just had a fantastic spring and offseason … he got bigger and stronger and was able to add, shoot, maybe 22-23 pounds from where he was last year.”
Fant was expected to be the Seahawks’ starting left tackle, leaving the team with a hole on that unit. Rees Odhiambo replaced his injured teammate during last night’s contest, and ESPN.com’s Sheil Kapadia suggests that the team could also use left guard Luke Joeckel at the position.
Details On Justin Britt's Extension
- Justin Britt‘s three-year, $27MM extension with the Seahawks includes $15MM in injury guarantees and $5MM fully guaranteed at signing, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.
Seahawks Sign Justin Britt To Extension
The Seahawks and center Justin Britt have agreed to a three-year extension worth more than $9MM per year, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Britt, a second-round pick in the 2014 draft, was slated for free agency after the 2017 season. The team has confirmed the deal via press release. 
[RELATED: Seahawks Sign CB Tramaine Brock]
The new deal marks a significant pay bump for Britt, who will carry a cap number under $1.1MM this year. Britt’s extension won’t kick in until 2018, but the yearly average would tie him for third in the NFL with Alex Mack of the Falcons if it were starting immediately. Only Cowboys center Travis Frederick ($9.4MM) and Brandon Linder ($10.3MM) have higher AAVs. He’ll now be among the league’s highest-paid players at the position with the ability to cash in again at the age of 29.
Britt has been a starter for the Seahawks in each of his three seasons, but he has been moved around the offensive line quite a bit. He played mostly right tackle in 2014 and shifted to left guard in 2015 before settling in at center last year.
The 6’6″ lineman graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 11 center in the NFL last season, putting him ahead of notable names like Maurkice Pouncey, Max Unger, and Jason Kelce.
Seahawks Make Four Moves
- The Seahawks have signed linebacker Rodney Butler, waived linebacker Ronald Powell with an injury settlement, waived wide receiver Jamel Johnson and waived/injured safety Jordan Simone (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times). Butler had been awaiting an opportunity since going undrafted this spring from New Mexico State, where he amassed 165 tackles last season. Powell is the only member of this quartet with NFL experience, having appeared in 14 games (no starts, one tackle) with the Saints in 2014. He originally signed with the Seahawks off the Bears’ practice squad last December. Johnson, who went undrafted back in 2014, has had two Seahawks stints – the most recent of which didn’t even last two weeks. Simone, undrafted in 2016, has been in and out of the Seahawks organization since late May. He was a playmaker from 2014-15 at Arizona State, where he totaled 191 tackles, five sacks and four interceptions.
NFC West Notes: Rams, Watkins, Seahawks
Here’s a look at the NFC West:
- The Rams started discussing a Sammy Watkins trade with the Bills in the spring when they declined to exercise his fifth-year option in the spring, L.A. GM Les Snead told SiriusXM (Twitter link). The Watkins deal came completely out of left field, so it’s impressive that the two sides were able to keep rumblings of the deal out of the media for four months. The Rams acquired Watkins and a 2018 sixth-round selection in exchange for for cornerback E.J. Gaines and a 2018 second-round pick. Los Angeles has already expressed interest in inking him to an extension.
- Tramaine Brock‘s one-year deal with the Seahawks is for the minimum salary, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times tweets. In the days leading up to his deal with Seattle, we heard that Brock had interest from as many as a dozen teams. Since Brock will only be making the minimum, it sounds either like the level of interest league-wide was overstated or Brock took less money from a quality team like the Seahawks in order to give himself a better platform for free agency next year.
- 49ers GM John Lynch says he has spoken with Broncos GM John Elway about which players might be available in trades (Twitter link via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area). Lynch offered no specifics, so we don’t know which players were discussed or how close the two sides were/are to a deal.
Seahawks To Sign CB Tramaine Brock
The Seahawks have agreed to a one-year deal with cornerback Tramaine Brock, sources tell Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Seahawks met with Brock on Tuesday and it didn’t take long for a deal to come together. 
The Seahawks were actually among the teams with interest in Brock back in April, but clubs stopped calling in the wake of domestic violence allegations. When he was cleared of all charges last week, as many as 12 teams came calling, including the Seahawks, Texans, and Vikings. The incumbent 49ers were discussing a new deal with him in the spring but they did not circle back to him.
Brock, 28, spent the last two seasons as a starter for the Niners. While the free agent cornerback market still features some big names (like Darrelle Revis), Brock stood as the most talented one of the bunch at this juncture of the offseason. The Seahawks didn’t necessarily need Brock, but their famed Legion Of Boom has gotten even deeper with his addition.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/14/17
Today’s minor moves:
Houston Texans
- Waived/injured: WR DeAndrew White
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: TE David Grinnage, CB Dwayne Thomas
- Waived: CB Ezra Robinson
- Waived/injured: CB Josh Johnson
New York Giants
- Signed: LB Chris Casher, WR Andrew Turzilli
- Waived: WR Kevin Norwood, TE Colin Thompson
New York Jets
- Signed: WR Daniel Williams
- Waived: WR Deshon Foxx
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: LB Austin Gearing
- Waived: Canaan Severin
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived/injured: S Chanceller James
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived from injured reserve: G Robert Myers (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times)
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: LS Ryan DiSalvo
- Waived: P Jordan Gay
Tramaine Brock To Visit Seahawks
Free agent cornerback Tramaine Brock will visit the Seahawks on Tuesday, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
Brock’s offseason has been eventful, to say the least, as domestic violence allegations in April led to his release from the 49ers. All charges were dropped against Brock last week, and both Brock and his alleged victim have since released statements on the episode, labeling the entire matter a misunderstanding.
San Francisco’s decision to cut ties with Brock earlier this year means a quality starting cornerback is now on the free agent market, and it’s no surprise that clubs are already showing interest. As many as five clubs had already reached out to Brock as of last week (although the 49ers aren’t open to re-signing him), and for good reason: The 28-year-old Brock has been a full-time starter in each of the past two seasons, and in 2016 graded as the league’s No. 23 corner while playing 95% of San Francisco’s defensive snaps, per Pro Football Focus.
Seattle has been searching for defensive back depth all offseason long, as DeShawn Shead — who started 15 games opposite Richard Sherman a season ago — is expected to begin the regular season on the reserve/PUP list as he recovers from a torn ACL. Jeremy Lane is considered the favorite to step into the starting lineup, but Brock would present immediate competition for that spot.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/13/17
Today’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Placed on injured reserve: WR Rueben Randle
Green Bay Packers
- Claimed off waivers: DL Shaneil Jenkins
- Waived/injured: TE Beau Sandland
Houston Texans
- Signed: WR Germone Hopper
Los Angeles Chargers
- Waived: S Adrian McDonald
New Orleans Saints
- Waived: CB Dejaun Butler, WR Rashad Lawrence, CB Robenson Therezie, K Patrick Murray
New York Jets
- Signed: CB Robenson Therezie
- Waived: FB Algernon Brown
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: WR Rashard Davis
- Waived: CB Mitchell White
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived: OL Richard Levy
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR Rodney Smith (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times)
- Waived: DL Shaneil Jenkins
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: K Zach Hocker
Washington Redskins
- Signed: OL Kendall Pace, LB Ron Thompson Jr.
- Waived: S Tim Scott
- Waived/injured: WR Kendal Thompson
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/10/17
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived from IR: LB Gabe Martin (Twitter link via Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic)
Carolina Panthers
- Waived from IR: S Travell Dixon (Twitter link via Jourdan Rodrigue of the Charlotte Observer)
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: K Travis Coons
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DL Christian French (Twitter link via DEC Management)
- Waived/injured: LB Ronald Powell (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times)