Seahawks claim four players off waivers, cut four more

RENTON, Wash. – As far as oxymorons go, an NFL team’s final 53-man roster ranks right up there with jumbo shrimp. There’s not much final about it. Especially not in Seattle, which went sifting through the waiver wire like it was day-after-Christmas shopping. The Seahawks claimed four players off waivers on Sunday, changing kickers, swapping out both backup defensive tackles and acquiring a fifth offensive tackle. So much for things being settled, huh? Seattle added kicker Steven Hauschka from Denver, offensive tackle Jarriel King from the Giants and defensive tackles Landon Cohen of New England and Al Woods of Tampa Bay. To make room, Seattle cut Junior Siavii – who played 14 games, starting six, for Seattle last season – and Pep Levingston, the team’s seventh-round pick from Louisiana State. Seattle also released kicker Jeff Reed – who was signed for training camp – and former Idaho Vandal David Vobora, the linebacker the Seahawks signed Aug. 22. Last year, Seattle made a half dozen roster moves in the two days after NFL teams were required to cut their roster to 53 players. Levingston is the second of Seattle’s nine rookie draft picks to be waived. The team indicated it hopes to sign him to the practice squad if he clears waivers. King is an undrafted rookie from South Carolina, and Cohen was a seventh-round pick of Detroit in 2008 who played for both the Patriots and Jaguars last season. Woods was a fourth-round pick of New Orleans last year, but was released after training camp. He signed with Tampa Bay, where he played for Todd Wash, the Bucs’ defensive-line coach who now holds that position with Seattle. The most significant change could be at kicker, where the Seahawks opted for Hauschka as an upgrade over Reed, whose depth on kickoffs was a question. Hauschka, 26, appeared in four games for the Broncos last season, making 6 of 7 field goals. He made a 51-yard field goal on the final play of Seattle’s exhibition game at Denver on Aug.27, giving the Broncos a 23-20 win. Hauschka has made 16 of 22 field-goal attempts in his NFL career. He replaces Reed, who made 4 of 5 field goals in Seattle’s exhibition games. That missed kick was blocked. Hauschka is the third kicker Seattle has signed in the past month and a half as it tries to replace Olindo Mare, who signed with Carolina as a free agent. In three years with Seattle, Mare made 88 percent of his field-goal attempts, the highest percentage of any Seahawk with a minimum of 25 attempts. He also made a franchise-record 30 in a row.