Seahawks Waive G Phil Haynes

After claiming Dakoda Shepley off waivers from the 49ers, the Seahawks made a surprising move jettisoning Haynes following a stellar training camp.

After initial waiver claims were announced on Wednesday morning, an unexpected first domino has fallen on the Seahawks' offensive line.

According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Seattle has released third-year guard Phil Haynes, subjecting him to waivers over the next 24 hours. If he clears waivers, the team will be able to bring him back on the practice squad.

Haynes, a 2019 fourth-round pick out of Wake Forest, only appeared in two regular season games and two postseason games in his first two NFL seasons due to injuries. He opened his rookie campaign on the PUP list and didn't play at all in the regular season, but he found his way into the lineup in a divisional round loss to the Packers. Last season, hip and groin injuries led to two injured-reserve stints and he underwent surgery this offseason.

Finally healthy after dealing with numerous injuries in his first two seasons, Haynes enjoyed a strong training camp and preseason last month. The 322-pound blocker received reps with the first-team offense during camp to spell veteran Gabe Jackson on the right side and held up well in three exhibition games, allowing just one pressure on 75 pass protection snaps and earning an 85.0 pass blocking grade from Pro Football Focus.

In the preseason finale against the Chargers last Saturday, Haynes turned in his best outing as a pro, allowing no pressures in pass protection and opening up running lanes for Alex Collins and Josh Johnson all night long. He sprung Collins for a five-yard touchdown run with an excellent second level block on a linebacker, turning the defender back inside to create a crease for the back.

However, after claiming versatile lineman Dakoda Shepley off waivers from the 49ers on Wednesday, the Seahawks had 12 offensive linemen on the roster and a move needed to be made. With Jamarco Jones offering starting experience at guard and Shepley clearly being viewed as an option at the position, Haynes apparently became expendable despite his performance in camp.

Seattle may have made this move now believing teams won't claim Haynes in the second wave of cuts. But with him being only 25 years old and putting quality reps on film during the preseason, there's no guarantee he will clear waivers and return on the practice squad, so the surprising decision to cut him is a risky one.

Still with 11 offensive linemen on the roster, another move should be expected in coming days. Center Ethan Pocic and tackle Cedric Ogbuehi could be injured reserve candidates to open the season after missing most of camp with hamstring and bicep injuries respectively.