Seahawks 90-Man Countdown: OT Greg Eiland - Third Times a Charm?

Far more polished than when he first arrived in the league as an undrafted free agent, tackle Greg Eiland will look to crash the party and earn a reserve role on the Seattle Seahawks offensive line.

Author:
Corbin K. Smith
Publish date:
Jun 16, 2023 4:30 PM EDT

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Seattle Seahawks

With the calendar flipping to June and offseason activities well underway league-wide, the Seattle Seahawks will open training camp at the VMAC in less than two months, officially ushering in the 2023 season.

To celebrate the new incoming season, we'll be detailing every member of the Seahawks 90-man roster over the next several weeks, exploring best and worst case scenarios and what to expect from each player entering the 2023 campaign.

Greg Eiland, Tackle

Height/Weight: 6-8, 321 pounds

2022 Stats: N/A

Previously starring at Mississippi State, Eiland became a full-time starter during his redshirt sophomore season, starting all 13 games at left tackle. The ensuing season, he started eight games at right tackle and helped standout running back Kylin Hill eclipse 100 rushing yards five times. Displaying impressive versatility for a player of his stature, Eiland started a grand total of 34 games for the Bulldogs at both tackle spots as well as left guard, but he still went undrafted.

The Seahawks signed Eiland as a priority free agent and while he didn't make their 53-man roster out of training camp either of the past two seasons, he has been a mainstay on the practice squad for further development. With two years under his belt, he will once again compete for a backup role behind starters Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas.

Best-Case Scenario: Finally able to breakthrough, Eiland outplays Jake Curhan during training camp and leap frogs him on the depth chart, earning a surprise spot as one of two backup tackles on the roster behind Cross and Lucas and dressing for his first regular season games after two years on the practice squad.

Worst-Case Scenario: Still unpolished as a blocker in his third season in the league, Eiland isn't able to put much heat on Stone Forsythe or Curhan and once again gets cut at the end of the preseason, returning as a member of the practice squad as an insurance piece on the offensive line.

What to Expect in 2023: Having worked with coach Andy Dickerson for two-plus seasons, Eiland has come a long way fundamentally as both a run and pass blocker since signing out of Mississippi State. The fact that the Seahawks continue to keep him around suggests they are pleased with his progress and this could be his best chance to make a push for a roster spot with Curhan potentially competing at guard instead of tackle.

With that said, with Cross, Lucas, and Forsythe all locks to be on the Week 1 roster barring injury and Curhan's improved versatility and game experience give him a significant advantage over Eiland. While it's not out of the question that he could give Curhan a run for his money this time around, in all likelihood, he will once again be an odd-man out when cuts commence and staying on the practice squad will give him another shot at eventually suiting up on Sundays.

Previous Seahawks 90-Man Profiles