Seahawks waive pair of UDFAs, including fan favorite

The Seattle Seahawks vacated two spots on their 90-man roster following rookie minicamp.

Dec 18, 2024; Inglewood, CA, USA; UNLV Rebels linebacker Jackson Woodard (7) and defensive back Cameron Oliver (5) celebrate after a play in the first half against the California Golden Bears at SoFi Stadium. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Two undrafted free agents saw their journeys with the Seattle Seahawks most likely end on Tuesday, as the team announced it had waived former UNLV linebacker Jackson Woodard and West Virginia defensive lineman T.J. Jackson.

Woodard was a leading candidate to somehow make the 53-man roster as an undrafted free agent after posting eye-popping production in two years as a starter with UNLV. In 28 games with the Rebels, Woodard notched 251 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, six sacks, five interceptions and 21 pass deflections. His 6-foot-3, 230-pound build is also prototypical of an NFL linebacker.

That production propelled Woodard to the first Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year award for a UNLV player in 17 years and a First Team All-American nod. Still, he was projected as a seventh-round pick or preferred free agent signing by NFL.com.

Sep 14, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers defenders T.J. Jackson (11) and Tyrin Bradley Jr. (8) sack Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Eli Holstein (10) during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Jackson, in one season at West Virginia, finished with 31 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks in 11 games played. He was projected as a defensive end with the Seahawks due to his 6-foot-1, 282-pound frame.

Both players signed with the Seahawks last week and participated in the team's rookie minicamp from May 2-3. Seattle has now cleared up two spots on its 90-man roster as it looks to fill bigger needs or target specific players who have come available. It also could simply be that the team knew they wouldn't be a fit after two days of minicamp.

The Seahawks signed 17 undrafted free agents on May 2. Four of those players were also linebackers, so head coach Mike Macdonald must have preferred them over Woodard. Seattle didn't bring in any other defensive ends, but it did add a lot of nose tackle depth — a far bigger need for the team's defensive line.

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