Seattle Seahawks: Releasing Justin Britt, D.J. Fluker reshapes O-line
By Samuel Teets
Less than 48 hours after the conclusion of the 2020 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks parted ways with two veteran offensive linemen.
On Saturday, April 26, the Seattle Seahawks officially released veteran offensive linemen Justin Britt and D.J. Fluker. Both linemen served as starters for the Seahawks this past season and still had time remaining on their contracts. The sudden move comes less than two days after the end of the 2020 NFL Draft and clears roughly $12.1 million in cap space.
Britt originally joined the Seahawks in 2014 as a second-round pick. The center started 78 of his team’s 80 games during his first five seasons, but he suffered a torn ACL midway through the 2019 season. Britt signed a three-year, $27 million contract extension with Seattle in August of 2017. One year remained on the deal when the Seahawks released him.
Fluker joined Seattle in 2018 as a free agent. The guard played well enough to earn a two-year extension, which he signed in March of 2019. Unfortunately, Fluker only played out one year of his new deal before the Seahawks released him.
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The two releases come amidst a significant number of changes along Seattle’s offensive front. The team recently re-signed guard Mike Iupati to a one-year deal. Iupati started opposite of Fluker last season. The Seahawks also recently came to terms with former first-round pick Chance Warmack and re-signed backup guard Jordan Simmons.
Outside of the team’s veteran options at guard, Seattle drafted Damien Lewis in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft. The LSU guard specializes as a run blocker and fits a similar profile to Phil Haynes, a guard Seattle drafted in the fourth round last year. Both young players could see starting snaps this coming season.
While Joey Hunt stepped in as Britt’s replacement when he tore his ACL this past season, B.J. Finney should start at center in 2020. Finney spent the last four seasons as a backup center for the Pittsburgh Steelers before signing with Seattle this offseason.
After their money-saving moves, the Seahawks could take a swing at one of the best remaining players in free agency. Even after releasing several established linemen, Seattle primarily needs edge rushers. The team did draft two defensive ends this year but neither could fill the void left by Jadeveon Clowney.
The Seahawks traded for Clowney last year, but the former Pro Bowler priced himself out of Seattle’s range this offseason. Since no teams offered Clowney the massive contract he hoped for, maybe the South Carolina product will drop back into Seattle’s range. Even if he doesn’t, the Seahawks could sign Everson Griffen, who played for Pete Carroll at USC.
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Seattle’s recent string of cuts shows the team’s faith in its young players while also prioritizing spending money on other areas of the team. It fits the trend of Seattle avoiding the hefty price tag for offensive linemen, something that could come back to bite the franchise if Russell Wilson gets injured. Hopefully, the Seahawks put their newly opened cap space to good use.