Just six months ago Drew Nowak was the starting center for the Seattle Seahawks.
On Wednesday he found himself on the waiver wire.
Nowak was one of five players waived by the Seahawks on Wednesday as they made room for draft picks and undrafted rookie free agents on their 90-man offseason roster.
The other players waived Wednesday were linebacker Josh Shirley, running back Cameron Marshall, tight end Ronnie Shields and receiver Tyler Slavin.
Nowak was a surprise selection to begin last season as Seattle’s starting center. The Seahawks traded two-time Pro-Bowl center Max Unger to New Orleans the previous offseason in the deal that brought tight end Jimmy Graham to Seattle. Nowak, a converted college defensive tackle who spent all of 2014 on the Seahawks’ practice squad, was tabbed as the man to replace Unger as Seattle went with low-budget options on the offensive line.
However, the Seahawks’ offensive line was a disaster during the first half of the season, with quarterback Russell Wilson sacked 31 times through the first seven games. Patrick Lewis replaced Nowak for good as Seattle’s starting center during the Seahawks’ Week 10 game against the Arizona Cardinals. Over the final eight games Seattle allowed just 15 sacks, averaged 32.0 points and went 6-2.
Nowak, who started seven of the Seahawks’ first eight games last season, was waived last December, signed to Seattle’s practice squad, then signed to a futures contract in January.
The most notable name among the other four players waived by the Seahawks on Wednesday was Shirley. Shirley played three seasons as a defensive end at the University of Washington from 2011-13, registering 18 sacks and 25 tackles for loss before transferring to UNLV for his senior season. Last season he appeared in five games for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before being released in December, then finished the season on the Oakland Raiders’ practice squad. He was signed by the Seahawks to a futures contract in January.
Marshall, Shields and Slavin also were signed to futures contracts this offseason. Marshall was a standout in the Canadian Football League with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, but his chance of earning time with Seattle as a third-down back was eliminated when the Seahawks drafted Notre Dame’s C.J. Prosise in the third round of last weekend’s draft. Slavin spent a brief time on Seattle’s practice squad last season, while Shields attended rookie minicamp with the Seahawks last spring.
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