Latest news with #Cabeldue
USA Today
19-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
The Seahawks' best developmental guard is the most surprising option
The Seahawks' best developmental guard is the most surprising option The Seattle Seahawks need to develop various guards on the roster if their offensive line is to take the desired step forward in 2025. The left guard spot will be filled by 2025 NFL draft first-round pick Grey Zabel. That's a foregone conclusion, with Zabel expected to establish himself as an above-average starter right away. The right guard position is more difficult to forecast. The Seahawks appear headed for a battle there between Anthony Bradford and Christian Haynes. It was a lackluster competition last offseason, with neither blocker meeting expectations in 2024. New offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak is introducing his scheme, and that offers both Bradford and Haynes a much-needed fresh start. It would be surprising if Bradford emerged as the starter after stringing together two disappointing campaigns in 2023 and 2024. There's hope for Haynes, who's entering his sophomore season. Haynes was a poor fit under previous OC Ryan Grubb. The arrival of Kubiak could help lead to second-year growth. If Haynes and Bradford fail to seize their fresh start, sixth-round rookie Bryce Cabeldue could be the developmental guard to capitalize. Kubiak inherited both Haynes and Bradford. He potentially played a role in the drafting of Cabeldue. Cabeldue was a four-year starter at right tackle at Kansas. The athletic blocker is making the transition to guard at the NFL level. Cabeldue could potentially throw a wrench into the situation at right guard. The Seahawks possess a ton of ascending interior offensive linemen. Jalen Sundell, Olu Oluwatimi, and Sataoa Laumea will also play a role inside. Cabeldue is a high-upside athlete who posted unimaginable testing numbers at the Big 12 pro day. Cabeldue may eventually prove to be the Seahawks' best developmental guard.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Seahawks keep addressing guard need in 6th round of NFL draft: Bryce Cabeldue from Kansas
The trend of the Seahawks inviting prospects to pre-draft visits then selecting them continues. Weeks after he was at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center meeting with general manager John Schneider and offensive line coach John Benton, Bryce Cabeldue become a Seahawk. Seattle drafted the Kansas University offensive tackle in the sixth round Saturday — to play guard, their position of most pressing need. The Seahawks began Saturday without a sixth-round pick. They got one in a trade down in round five with the Cleveland Browns. The Browns used that fifth-round pick from Seattle to select quarterback Shedeur Sanders, four rounds after some thought the Colorado star would go. The 6-foot-4, 308-pound Cabeldue is the first native of New Mexico drafted into the NFL since 2019 (Zach Gentry, by the Steelers). Cabeldue was at home in Clovis, N.M., Saturday afternoon when the Seahawks called to change his life. When that call came, 'Dad was on the smoker. Made some ribs and some pork butt,' Cabeldue said by telephone from the family home. 'We were playing some corn hole. 'I have a lot of pride being from New Mexico, being one of the only (among) a very seldom group out of New Mexico that's ever been drafted.' Cabeldue is the fifth of Seattle's first eight selections this year to go on a top-30 pre-draft visit to the Seahawks this spring. It used to be the opposite: The team didn't end up drafting most players the team invited to Renton. New regime with Schneider and first-time head coach Mike Macdonald in charge. 'Yeah, whenever I went out there, I had an amazing time. I love Seattle,' Cabeldue said. 'I knew I was in good graces with them.' The visits that Seattle's first two of three picks in round five Saturday — Rylie Mills, a defensive lineman from Notre Dame, and Colorado State wide receiver Tory Horton — made to the Seahawks were because of the team's injury concerns with them. There are none of those concerns apparent with Cabeldue. He allowed three sacks and eight pressures on 344 pass-blocking snaps last college season as a Kansas tackle. The Seahawks see him as a guard because he plays with low, advantageous leverage and good quickness off the ball. He played guard at the East-West Shrine Game for NFL scouts this winter, and impressed there. 'I'm really quick off the ball,' he said Saturday. The Seahawks' first pick in this draft was a guard, Grey Zabel from North Dakota State. He and his parents arrived at the team's Virginia Mason Athletic Center for the first time Saturday afternoon (he did not have a top-30 visit with the Seahawks). Zabel, picked 18th overall, is the new starting left guard. He's the first interior offensive lineman the Seahawks drafted in the first round since Hall of Famer Steve Hutchinson in 2001. Cabeldue joins with the chance to backup Zabel. He also played right guard at Kansas, and can compete there in Seattle. The Seahawks went through three right guards last season before 2024 sixth-round pick Sataoa Laumea finished the season as the starter there. Cabeldue can also be a swing backup tackle. 'I was just hopeful,' he said near Dad's smoker in New Mexico, 'and thankful that they ended up picking me.'
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Seahawks host potential underrated OL gem on pre-draft visit
Part of John Schneider's job as general manager of the Seattle Seahawks this offseason is to identify underrated talent in the 2025 NFL draft. The Seahawks are especially turning over every leaf in search of help on the offensive line. Finding a diamond in the rough would help improve the overall outlook. That's why it's particularly notable that the Seahawks are hosting Kansas offensive lineman Bryce Cabeldue on a pre-draft visit, according to a report from ESPN's Brady Henderson. Cabeldue primarily played right tackle for the Jayhawks, but NFL scouts project him to play guard at the next level. Lance Zierlein assigned him a grade of 5.98/10, which equates to an average backup or special teams player. "Cabeldue has good pop on contact and can maul his way to wins," Zierlein writes. "He's more athletic than expected inside the box, but his range as a blocker will trail off." Advertisement Cabeldue earned an invite to this year's East-West Shrine Bowl, where he primarily played guard. The Seahawks possess multiple holes at guard, particularly on the left side following Laken Tomlinson's departure in free agency. Perhaps Cabeldue will be a target in the latter rounds, or via undrafted free agency. This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: 2025 NFL draft: Seahawks host Kansas OL on pre-draft visit
USA Today
09-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Seahawks host potential underrated OL gem on pre-draft visit
Seahawks host potential underrated OL gem on pre-draft visit The Seahawks are hosting Kansas' Bryce Cabeldue on a 30 visit this week, a source tells me. Cabeldue (6-4 ¾, 306) played both tackle spots in college, making 47 starts over five seasons, but he may project as a guard or center in the NFL; he worked at guard at the Shrine Bowl. — Brady Henderson (@BradyHenderson) April 8, 2025 Part of John Schneider's job as general manager of the Seattle Seahawks this offseason is to identify underrated talent in the 2025 NFL draft. The Seahawks are especially turning over every leaf in search of help on the offensive line. Finding a diamond in the rough would help improve the overall outlook. That's why it's particularly notable that the Seahawks are hosting Kansas offensive lineman Bryce Cabeldue on a pre-draft visit, according to a report from ESPN's Brady Henderson. Cabeldue primarily played right tackle for the Jayhawks, but NFL scouts project him to play guard at the next level. Lance Zierlein assigned him a grade of 5.98/10, which equates to an average backup or special teams player. "Cabeldue has good pop on contact and can maul his way to wins," Zierlein writes. "He's more athletic than expected inside the box, but his range as a blocker will trail off." Cabeldue earned an invite to this year's East-West Shrine Bowl, where he primarily played guard. The Seahawks possess multiple holes at guard, particularly on the left side following Laken Tomlinson's departure in free agency. Perhaps Cabeldue will be a target in the latter rounds, or via undrafted free agency.
USA Today
24-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Unpacking Future Packers: No. 38, Kansas OL Bryce Cabeldue
Unpacking Future Packers: No. 38, Kansas OL Bryce Cabeldue The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects who the Green Bay Packers could select in the 2025 NFL draft. The Green Bay Packers have a rich history of drafting college offensive tackles and converting them to guards. Sean Rhyan is the most recent example. The former UCLA Bruin started 31 games at left ankle at the college level and has since kicked inside to right guard for the Packers. Jordan Morgan, last year's first-round pick started 37 games at left tackle during his time at Arizona and logged 185 snaps at guard and started one game at left guard during his rookie season. While his long-term position still may be at tackle, he could end up being the next tackle-to-guard convert for the Packers. Bryce Cabeldue could be the next college offensive tackle that the Packers draft and move to guard. The Kansas Jayhawk offensive lineman checks in at No. 38 in the Unpacking Future Packers Countdown. A native of New Mexico, Cabeldue finished his career at Kansas with 47 career starts. He started 36 games at right tackle and 11 games at left tackle for the Jayhawks. 'He was a part of one of the biggest turnarounds in recent college football memory, where the Jayhawks went from bottom dwellers and the butt of many national jokes to a 9-win team in 2023 and holding a top-25 preseason ranking entering the 2024 season," Matt Tait, the managing editor for said. "Cabledue wasn't the face of that turnaround nor was he the most popular player, but he embodied everything that it was about - toughness, resilience, a team-first mentality and great appreciation for simply getting to play the game and for finally getting a taste of winning. Beyond that, his talent and versatility up front was important. He played right tackle in 2023 and was a part of one of the best offensive lines in college football and flipped over to left tackle in 2024 after Kansas lost Dominick Puni to the NFL. Cabledue never thought he'd play left tackle, but when they asked him to do it, the answer was an immediate, 'Whatever's best for the team.' He's that kind of dude." Cabeldue never started a game at guard during his time with the Jayhawks, but that's likely where he'll wind up on Sundays. The 47-game starter logged reps at guard during Shrine Bowl week and was a standout at his "new" position. From NFL Draft analyst Chad Reuter: "Cabeldue really stood out on the interior despite the fact that he only played a handful of snaps at guard while at Kansas. He has guard size, though, and his hip explosion and strong hands helped him control his man off the snap in various run-blocking schemes." Cabeldue continued his strong predraft process with a good showing at the Big 12 Pro Day. He clocked a 4.95 40-yard dash with a 1.71 10-yard split. He also put up 30 reps on the bench and clocked a 4.59 short shuttle. Cabeldue plays through the whistle and embraces the mauler mentality as a run blocker. He has a powerful upper half and uses that strength to steer defenders in any direction he chooses. He's great at finishing plays. The Jayhawlk offensive lineman is quick out of his stance to get into blockers early and he shows no restrictions when on the move. "Cabledue's a no-frills kind of dude and if he finds something that works, he'll lean into it and let it work as long as it can," Tait said. "That's how he approached playing his position, and he became pretty good as a people mover. He didn't jump off the film at you very often, but the fact that you didn't always notice him also had its own advantages. You don't see elite athlete when you look at him, but he has a tendency to play that way. If you ask him, he'd probably say he prefers run-blocking because he's in control. He likes getting off the ball with a good burst, has great body control in doing so and is way smart, understanding angles and schemes while also being able to adjust on the fly as needed." Cabeldue has good vision and is assignment-sound. His football instincts are through the roof. The Jayhawk offensive lineman plays with good knee bend. He pounces out of his stance and has good foot quickness. He has a wide base and could thrive playing on the inside at the next level. Over the past two seasons, he gave up six sacks and 27 pressures. "So much of what made Cabledue successful at both tackle spots was simple pride," Tait said. "He was always up for anything asked of him and worked as hard as he needed to to meet any challenge. He has good feet, great balance and body control and has learned to use his hands incredibly well to keep pass rushers from dictating the way each snap would go. He didn't win every battle, of course, but his length, IQ and will always seemed to lead him to find a way to give the KU QBs just enough time to make a play or get out of harm's way. The guy has no quit in him and he just kept getting better." Fit with the Packers The Packers need to bolster the depth up front. They have a solid starting five with Rasheed Walker, Aaron Banks, Elgton Jenkins, Rhyan and Zach Tom, with Morgan as a player who could challenge for a starting role. There isn't a lot of proven or quality depth behind that group. The Packers own a pair of seventh-round picks and could target Cabeldue with one of them. He checks the boxes with his experience, versatility and athleticism. He'd provide quality depth at guard and with his experience playing both tackle spots he could kick outside in a pinch. "I think the versatility is a huge part of his value," Tait said. "He's almost certainly a guard if he gets a shot at the next level, but the fact that he has played so much tackle, too — on both sides of the line — has given him a complete understanding of what goes on up there, from left to right, on run plays and in pass protection. He's been around some really smart and talented linemen and coaches during his KU career. The one he worked with the longest, Scott Fuchs, spent last season with the Tennessee Titans and was praised for the way he taught the position, so I'm sure Bryce grew a ton under Fuchs' leadership. His feel for the game is good, he can (and will) play anywhere you ask him to play, and he'll work as hard as anyone on your roster without any drama or being someone you have to worry about in any way. High-character dude who just loves playing football." The Packers have had success drafting Day 3 offensive lineman. Cabeldue is expected to go in the sixth or seventh round and Gutekunst has made it a habit to draft multiple offensive linemen during the draft as he looks to keep the offensive line a strength. Cabeldue could be the next one Gutekunst targets.
