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The Seattle Seahawks executed a mini surprise on Sunday afternoon by releasing veteran tight end Noah Fant from his contract. General manager John Schneider made that decision official just two days before the Seahawks were set to report to training camp. It was a borderline disrespectful move to Fant.
Fant had been rumored to be a potential cap casualty this offseason. Releasing the experienced pass catcher creates nearly $9 million in cap space. That’s a sizable amount of savings by releasing a player who recorded a modest 48 receptions for 500 yards and one touchdown last season, one who missed three games through injury.
The decision to release Fant isn’t shocking or disrespectful. The timing is. Schneider released four veterans on March 4th earlier this offseason, more than one week before free agency opened. Dre’Mont Jones, Rayshawn Jenkins, Roy Robertson-Harris, and George Fant were cut to create financial flexibility.
Why Fant wasn’t released then is now a mystery. It would have offered him an opportunity to go through a normal offseason process as a free agent, with the opportunity to participate in OTAs and minicamp. Now, Fant is forced to swiftly find a new team on the Eve of NFL training camps, when most rosters are set.
It’s not like anything changed in Seattle at tight end last week. Yes, Elijah Arroyo finally signed his rookie contract after a standoff over guaranteed money, but Schneider always knew something would get done with Arroyo. Furthermore, the Seahawks could have considered releasing Fant after the draft, but it didn’t happen then either.
Fant will ultimately survive, but the Seahawks could have treated him with more grace and respect.
#Seahawks #wrong #Noah #Fant
