<
>

Seattle Seahawks cut-down analysis

Most significant move: Moving defensive end Chris Clemons off the PUP list and onto the 53-man roster. Clemons, who led the team with 11.5 sacks last year, has been recovering from offseason ACL surgery and has not practiced. But placing him on the active roster means the Seahawks believe he’ll be ready to play sooner than the sixth game of the year.

But the Seahawks still added some insurance on the defensive line by sending Jacksonville a conditional draft pick for defensive end D'Anthony Smith.

Winfield retires: Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll sent out a tweet Saturday saying veteran cornerback Antoine Winfield has decided to retire. Winfield, 36, was signed as a free agent in the offseason. He likely would have been released had he not opted to retire. Winfield was a victim of numbers in what may be the deepest secondary in the NFL.

Defensive tackle deletions: The Seahawks surprisingly cut five defensive tackles, including veteran Clinton McDonald and second-year player Jaye Howard. That must mean the coaches are confident that starters Brandon Mebane and Tony McDaniel (groin injuries) will be OK this week and be ready to play for the opener. It also means they think rookie Jordan Hill's shoulder injury is not as serious as first thought.

What’s next: Watching some of these players -- possible fullback Michael Robinson, tight end Sean McGrath, safety Winston Guy, cornerback Ron Parker and defensive tackles McDonald and Howard -- get picked up by other teams. Look for the Seahawks to try to add rookie Chris Harper, a fourth-round draft choice, to the practice squad if no one claims him.

Two QBs only: Seattle released Brady Quinn, so they will go with two quarterbacks -- starter Russell Wilson and backup Tarvaris Jackson.

They made it: Wide receiver Stephen Williams and rookie defensive end Benson Mayowa, the two biggest surprises of the preseason, both made the 53-man roster. Williams suffered a concussion in the final preseason game, so his status for the opener at Carolina is unknown.

Seahawks cuts: FB: Michael Robinson. QB: Brady Quinn. DT: Sealver Siliga, Michael Brooks, Dewayne Cherrington, Clinton McDonald and Jaye Howard. WR Phil Bates, Chris Harper, Bryan Walters and Arceto Clark. TE: Sean McGrath, Cooper Helfet and Darren Fells. DB: Winston Guy and DeShawn Shead. G: Rishaw Johnson and Ryan Seymour. CB: Ron Parker. LB Ty Powell

Retired: CB Antoine Winfield.

Note: LB/DE Bruce Irvin is on the suspended list for the first four games.