Did Christian Haynes preseason penalty hurt his chances of winning starting job?
The Seattle Seahawks still haven't announced a decision regarding their starting right guard despite being approximately 72 hours removed from their preseason finale victory over the Cleveland Browns. Sophomore guard Anthony Bradford and rookie blocker Christian Haynes have been entangled in that position battle all training camp long. Several developments on Saturday may have indicated that Bradford remains the leader in the clubhouse.
Head coach Mike Macdonald decided to play his starters in the final exhibition game. That included veteran offensive linemen like Laken Tomlinson at left guard and George Fant at right tackle. Bradford was the starting right guard, and Haynes worked with the second-team unit. That was a strong indication that Bradford is close to winning the job.
Haynes unfortunately made a big-time mistake when he received his opportunity with the second-string offensive line. Backup quarterback Sam Howell connected with Cody White for an explosive 73-yard touchdown, but a flag was thrown on the play. Haynes was penalized for holding, wiping out the highlight reel-worthy score.
This touchdown didn't count because of a hold on Christian Haynes (64) but it's an example of what we saw from WR Cody White in camp. He was making plays. pic.twitter.com/D2arIKV4Tb
— Dugar, Michael-Shawn (@MikeDugar) August 26, 2024
Penalties happen and Macdonald's coaching staff will focus on the learning opportunity, but there's no denying every rep counts when partaking in a position battle. Seattle's starting offensive line looked great with Geno Smith completing 4-of-5 passing attempts for 62 yards and one touchdown. Smith wasn't sacked, nor was he under constant pressure.
That qualified as a victory for Bradford. Meanwhile Haynes eventually entered the contest and made an error that hamstrung the offense. It was an outstanding preseason for Seattle’s third-round rookie lineman from UConn, but the margin for error going into Saturday was non-existent. The battle between Bradford and Haynes wasn't decided by one play, but it could have confirmed Seattle's thinking that their experienced sophomore is a better fit.
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This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Did Christian Haynes preseason penalty hurt his chances of winning starting job?
