Amidst a flurry of roster moves on Thursday, which included releasing two franchise icons in Doug Baldwin and Kam Chancellor, the Seattle Seahawks quietly signed free agent guard Marcus Martin.
Martin, 25, was a second-round pick in 2014 by the 49ers. The former USC product appeared in 26 games (24 starts) for San Francisco from 2014-2016, before he was cut.
He spent the past two seasons bouncing around the Browns and Cowboys, spending all of 2018 on the injured reserve.
Now, he’ll get a chance to crack the roster on Seattle’s very crowded offensive line.
Martin’s biggest skill set for the Seahawks will be his versatility, as he has played center, guard and tackle in the NFL – although he is primarily a center.
Seattle is set in the starting five, with Duane Brown, Mike Iupati, Justin Britt, D.J. Fluker and Germain Ifedi. Phil Haynes, Jamarco Jones, George Fant, Joey Hunt, Jordan Simmons and Ethan Pocic all seem likely to occupy a roster spot, and Joey Hunt, Jordan Roos and Elijah Nkansah have NFL experience as well, giving Seattle one of the deepest offensive lines in recent memory.
However, it is worth noting Seattle is bringing in a veteran who has experience playing guard and center, as that could be a sign that Pocic, Seattle’s 2017 second round pick, doesn’t have a secure roster spot.
Martin has a long road ahead of him to make the roster, but his invitation into camp is proof that coach Pete Carroll remains committed to his intense culture of competition – especially during training camp when no one’s job is safe.
