Seahawks waive DL Branden Jackson, claim CB Simeon Thomas off waivers

The Seattle Seahawks officially announced on Sunday that they’ve claimed G Jordan Simmons and CB Simeon Thomas off of waivers, meaning that they had to make two roster cuts to make room for both men.

It was previously reported that Rees Odhiambo was let go (presumably as the corresponding move to Simmons), and now we know the other player is defensive lineman Branden Jackson.

Jackson was a member of the Oakland Raiders in 2016, was signed to the Seahawks practice squad in 2017, then promoted to the active roster in October. He appeared in 12 games for Seattle and was credited with a pass defensed and a 0.5 sack against the San Francisco 49ers.

The newly acquired Thomas is a sixth-round draft pick out of Louisiana-Lafayette. He stands 6’3” with 35” arm length, so he obviously meets the physical requirements to be a CB in Pete Carroll’s defense. A combination of academic problems, an eventual misdemeanor theft charge, and a series of suspensions limited him to just one full season of college play. He’s certainly not a young rookie either, as he’ll turn 25 years old on September 22nd.

Thomas apparently was also projected as being able to play safety, so perhaps that’s an additional reason for bringing him on board as depth, as well as to comfort Seahawks fans in knowing that there is indeed someone named Thomas in the secondary who’s on the active roster.