CB Dunbar placed on the naughty list, Hawks trim roster to 80, o-lineman opts out
Seahawks OL Chance Warmack has opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKFRDLZ8pI0[/embedyt]
CB Quinton Dunbar was placed on the NFL commissioner’s exempt list, the Seahawks trimmed their roster to 80 by releasing nine players and offensive lineman Chance Warmack became the first Seahawks player to opt out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns.
Dunbar’s placement on the commissioner’s exempt list means he will not be allowed to practice or attend games,. However, upon request and with the Seahawks’ permission, he may be present at the VMAC on a reasonable basis for meetings, individual workouts, therapy & rehab and other permitted non-football activities. And yes, he still gets paid. Dunbar & his attorney will file an appeal. An NFL investigation will take place first to determine Dunbar’s eligibility for the 2020 season. A multi-game suspension is a definite possibility. Due to COVID-19, Dunbar may not see a court date for over a year.
The release of 9 players includes veteran center Joey Hunt and defensive end Branden Jackson, which frees up over $4 million in cap space, putting the Seahawks at $18.7 million above the cap. This makes room for a possible late signing of a pass rusher, such as Jadeveon Clowney, arguably the last key piece Seattle needs in their efforts to bolster a defense that suffered from a lackluster defensive performance in 2019.
Hunt, a sixth-round pick out of TCU in 2015, stepped into the starting lineup midway through the 2019 season in place of Justin Britt, who tore his ACL in Week 8 at Atlanta. Over four seasons with Seattle, Hunt played in 34 games and made 11 starts. Center B.J. Finney who was picked up from the Steelers during the offseason will likely take over the starting center role with Ethan Pocic as the backup. As for Jackson, he spent three years with the Seahawks after being claimed off waivers from the Raiders in 2017. He played in 35 total games with four starts, recording 41 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and three pass deflections.
Seattle also waived seven players, including guards Jordan Roos and Khalil McKenzie, running back Patrick Carr, tight end Dominic Wood-Anderson, receiver Seth Dawkins, safety Jordan Norwood, and linebacker Sutton Smith.
Offensive lineman, Chance Warmack, became the first Seahawks player to opt out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns. Warmack had close family friends who contracted COVID-19 including one who died from the virus. Warmack joins an ever-growing list of NFL players exercising their right to opt-out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 risks. The Seahawks picked him up from the Eagles during the offseason for a sub-$1 million non-guaranteed deal. Warmack will receive $150,000 salary advance for 2020 and will remain a Seahawk for 2021. A former 1st round pick from the Titans, Warmack played with Eagles in 2018 and sat out in 2019. With Warmack out, the competition for starting guard will come down to rookie Damien Lewis, Mike Iupati, Jamarco Jones and Phil Haynes.
