Seattle Seahawks: Predicting 5 most surprising roster cuts of 2018

4. P Jon Ryan

Again, there’s an asterisk attached to this one (figuratively).

It’s not so much that Jon Ryan losing the battle to Michael Dickson for the punter job would be a surprise. It’s more that the Seahawks would spend a fifth-round pick to replace a quality veteran punter who has been booting it with the best of them for the better part of the last decade.

Honestly, I believe money played a big part here. Ryan is set to make $3.2 million in 2018. Meanwhile, as a fifth-round pick, Dickson is only racking in $552K. Even though cutting Ryan would create $1.2 million in dead money, it’s a $2 million savings for a team that could use some cap relief heading into what looks like a bit of a rebuild.

Still, the Seahawks turning their backs on Ryan is surprising. I wouldn’t call him one of the best punters in the NFL, but he’s a dependable veteran who held his own this past season despite being asked to boot the ball 92 times (fourth most in 2017). Then again, his net-average has been ugly recently.

What does it truly come down to, though? Dickson’s elite talent. Considered one of the best punting prospects in recent memory, the Seahawks simply couldn’t pass on the opportunity to upgrade one of the most underrated aspects of the game. It should yield positive results for Seattle, but it’s a definite gut punch for Ryan.