Joey

Hunt

Hunt caught on with the Colts after being cut by Seattle in July 2020. He played just one game for Indy last year. Hunt, 27, isn’t likely to be a mainstay on the Colts’ offensive line.

Seattle signed Hunt to a restricted free agent tender this offseason. He started 10 games last year after Justin Britt suffered a season-ending ACL injury. Pro Football Focus graded Hunt as a poor run and pass blocker in those starts. The move saves Seattle $2.1 million. It comes with nine other cuts that bring Seattle’s roster to 80 men.

It’s the value of the low tender that was placed on Hunt as a restricted free agent. Forced to start the final 10 games of last season following Justin Britt’s season-ending injury, Hunt received abysmal marks from Pro Football Focus as both a run and pass blocker. Hunt was banged up in the final playoff loss. He’ll be back to compete for an interior depth gig.

It’s a terrific team-friendly deal as Hunt slid into Justin Britt’s (torn ACL) place off the bench in Week 8 and made 10 consecutive starts, including two in Seattle’s anticlimactic postseason run. He managed to avoid surgery this offseason but remains questionable for any offseason activities (if they even occur) following a stress fracture in his fibula and a dislocated finger suffered in the team’s Divisional Round loss to the Packers.

Hunt, who took over as the Seahawks’ starting center after Justin Britt was lost to a torn ACL in Week 8, suffered his leg injury all the way back in Week 9 but nonetheless made 10 consecutive starts for Seattle down the stretch. He dislocated his finger early in the loss to Green Bay but only missed one snap. A restricted free agent this offseason, Hunt is hopeful neither injury will require surgery.

Not only does O’Neil believe Hunt will compete to start, he “thinks” Hunt will actually beat Lewis out for the gig. The Seahawks are completely overhauling their offensive line this year. Lewis was PFF’s No. 21 center last season. Hunt is undersized at 6'/295, but size has never seemed to bother Seattle.

The Horned Frog prospect is undersized at 6-foot-0, 295 pounds. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein has called Hunt an “instinctive, efficient center” who is willing to “climb up to second level rather than linger on secure blocks that are already in the bag.” Hunt’s most likely rookie home is the practice squad as he gets used to being a smaller pivot in the big leagues.