Seahawks place Bradford (knee) on injured reserve

Bradford was placed on injured reserve after Week 1, seeing his first step to a return processed with the activation of his 21-day practice window. Head coach Mike Macdonald told reporters Monday that the veteran guard has a “really good chance” to return for Sunday Night Football against the Chiefs in Week 7.

Thomas has played more than 1,900 defensive snaps since the Colts drafted him in the 2022 NFL Draft’s seventh round. He played regularly in his first two seasons, but functioned as a backup over the past two. He should learn a thing or two by studying under Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald, even as a backup. Macdonald deploys his safeties creatively and effectively.

Jones did not practice all week with an ankle injury and is out for Thursday’s game against the Cardinals. He has played sparingly in the Seahawks’ three games as depth for the offensive line. OG Anthony Bradford (back) and LB Boye Mafe (toe) are both listed as questionable while S Nick Emmanwori (ankle) is doubtful for Week 4.

He’ll be out until at least Week 18. Christian Haynes replaced Bradford, who has been a bit of a sieve this year, at guard. Bradford has 10 penalties and a 53.0 PFF pass block grade in 11 starts this season.

Bradford went down with an apparent leg injury in the first quarter of the Seahawks’ Week 12 game against the Cardinals. He was listed as doubtful to return. Rookie Christian Haynes entered the game for Bradford.

Seattle now have seven of their 10 draft picks under contract as OTAs open around the league. Bradford is expected to serve as a depth piece behind presumed starting left guard Damien Lewis in the coming season, but the fourth-round rookie still has OTAs, camp, and the preseason to stake his claim to a starting role to begin 2023.

Bradford (6’4/337) was a 4-star recruit, and the 12th-ranked offensive guard in the 2019 recruiting class, from Muskegon, Michigan according to 247 Sports. Bradford has an exceedingly thick lower half, especially when compared to his average upper half, that should eventually lend itself to giving a good base for anchoring or driving defenders off the ball. For now, the LSU mauler is a raw athlete with good heft at about average height. His 92nd percentile 10-yard split time turned heads considering the amount of mass that he needs to move to get going. He has good sustain on his blocks as is active on the inside always looking for work. Whenever there is a body being thrown to the turf in the trenches, Bradford is usually on either side of the exchange. With his size, a coach will clamor to select Bradford. However, he will need development getting from block to block, because once he gets his hands on a defender, he can at least survive and at most get a pancake.

Via the Colts’ website: “The 6-foot-1, 196-pound Thomas recorded 50 tackles, one tackle for a loss, two interceptions, and 11 pass break-ups in 10 games for Yale in 2021. He had a 48-yard kick return score against Cornell in his final collegiate season.”

Bradford (6'5/320) took official visits to both Tennessee and LSU this spring, though neither trip was widely reported. The Muskegon, Michigan, native is something of an old soul and does not maintain an active presence on social media. Nor does he own a cell phone. A big, long tackle prospect who shows plenty of moxie on his feet when moving laterally, Bradford could potentially play either guard or right tackle with the Tigers after he puts pen to paper. His upside position will likely come on the interior of the line, though. Rivals ranks him as the No. 186 overall prospect in the 2019 class.

“The way Bradford moves at [6-foot-5, 320 pounds] is remarkable, and he handled two smaller, quicker defensive ends with ease during the one-on-one session (in camp),” Helmholdt writes. While his size would seem more of a fit for the interior of the line, Helmholdt passes along that LSU plans on starting him out at right tackle. His athleticism makes that possible. On the Rivals rankings board for the 2019 cycle, Bradford ranks as the No. 186 overall prospect in the class.