PFF suggests Seahawks reunite with former starting tackle

We’ve got a month before training camp begins across the NFL, but we could still see some roster moves made in the lead-up to camp, which is why Pro Football Focus just released a “sign, trade, or extend” article with suggestions for every team.

For the Seattle Seahawks, they did not suggest “extend Uchenna Nwosu” like ESPN did, and no trades are on the table this time. That leaves you with signing a player, and PFF is looking at depth and not a projected starter. For the second time today, we’re bringing up George Fant!

Seattle Seahawks: Sign OT George Fant

After a great draft class, our answer here hasn’t changed.

Seattle found both of its starting tackles in the 2022 NFL Draft with first-rounder Charles Cross and second-rounder Abraham Lucas, but the return of a familiar face in George Fant to serve as the swing tackle once again could solidify the unit. The vibes are high in Seattle with linebacker Bobby Wagner making his way back to the team this offseason, so why not Fant as well if he can’t land a starting gig elsewhere?

Injuries derailed his 2022 campaign, but the seventh-year tackle earned a career-high 75.1 pass-blocking grade in 2021, playing almost exclusively at left tackle. His 3.2% pressure rate allowed was the sixth lowest among tackles on the season.

Fant was signed by the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2016, serving as a reserve tackle right up until Bradley Sowell’s injury. He was on course to be the starting tackle in 2017 before a torn ACL in preseason ended his campaign early. Fant never regained full-time starter status again, with Duane Brown at left tackle and Germain Ifedi on the right side. He did make several starts in place of the injured Brown in 2019, and joined the New York Jets in a starting role in 2020.

After starting in 29 of 33 games in his first two seasons with the Jets (one year at right tackle and the other at left), Fant only played half of last season as he dealt with injuries and generally did not perform well.

Obviously Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas have the tackle spots locked up, but the reserves will be interesting to monitor. Stone Forsythe and Jake Curhan are two backup tackle options, and Curhan is also a reserve option at guard. I don’t think Greg Eiland or Jalen McKenzie are particularly likely to make the roster, so maybe it isn’t far-fetched to add George to the swing tackle camp battle.

...Or maybe it’s time to run the George Fant-Noah Fant two TE set?