NFL Cuts: Draft Status Meaningless to Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks Down to 53

Admittedly, Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll has rubbed plenty of people the wrong way over the last five-to-10 years. Whether it was the way he handled the whole USC debacle or the way he handles the Seahawks, someone is always bound to think he is doing things wrong. 

When scouring through the Seahawks' roster cuts and their current roster (each via Seahawks.com), it's easy to pick up on Carroll's evaluation of players. He doesn't care how much money a player makes or where that player was drafted. All he cares about is the player's ability on the field. 

Two perfect examples of this methodology would be wide receivers Deon Butler and Kris Durham. Butler was a third-round selection in 2009 by then-head coach Jim Mora, and Durham was the 107th pick in last year's draft. 

Since being drafted, Butler has failed to find consistent playing time regardless of the offensive system. At no point in his career has he played more than 550 snaps, and three underlying factors have severely worked against him in his tenure. His route running, ability to learn the offense and health all factored into his release.

Durham's stint in Seattle didn't last nearly as long, considering he barely made it a full calendar year. After being drafted in 2011, he came on strong in training camp and the preseason. During the preseason he was tied for second on the team with seven receptions. 

However, that production failed to carry over, as he only made three appearances before tearing his labrum and landing on injured reserve. I could definitely see Durham landing on the practice squad, as he is still eligible due to his lack of time on the active roster.

After Thursday night's game against the Raiders, coach Carroll made it clear that there were impact players who will definitely be brought back if the injury bug strikes (via Seahawks.com):

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What’s happened is that they’ve created value for themselves in our program. If we have to go back to guys we can’t keep on the roster, or can’t keep on the practice squad, we know we have guys out there that can play our style of football and can understand it.

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It's one of the unfortunate things about training camp that you can't keep everyone. There were definitely more than 53 players who had the skills to make the final roster. Unfortunately, everyone knows it's a game of numbers—without a doubt, plenty of the cuts will catch on elsewhere.

For the second time in Carroll's tenure, the team has kept five safeties, which shouldn't come as a shock based on the fact that he loves having a pass-rushing safety in his "Bandit" package. Winston Guy, the sixth-round selection out of Kentucky, did a really nice job manning that position all preseason long. In all, the team kept 10 defensive backs.

Here is a complete rundown of the final cuts and additional roster moves:

Quarterback: Josh Portis

Running Back: Vai Taua

Wide Receiver: Ricardo Lockette, Deon Butler, Kris Durham, Jermaine Kearse, Lavasier Tuinei

Tight End: Sean McGrath, Cooper Helfet

Offensive Line: Paul Fanaika, Kris O’Dowd, Rishaw Johnson

Defensive Line: Pierre Allen, Cordarro Law

Linebacker: Allen Bradford, Kyle Knox, Korey Toomer

Cornerback: Phillip Adams

Safety: DeShawn Shead

Injured Reserve: LB Matt McCoy

Physically Unable to Perform: DB Walter Thurmond III

Suspended: OL Allen Barbre

Look for Seattle general manager John Schneider and Carroll to keep churning the bottom of the roster, as the Seahawks are one of the most active clubs in the NFL.

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