1976 Day by Day Date Event Win/Loss 3 January Jack Patera appointed head coach 30 March Veterans' allocation 8 April College draft 15 July Signed RB Robin Ross Released K Don Bitterlich K Ted Gerela K Lauriberto Ignacio P Johnny Masters C Larry Lilja announced his retirement TE Reggie Brown left camp DT John Neuman left camp 16 July Released WR Ron Barnett RB Al Kelso RB Kerry Marbury QB Chris Rowland S Steve Taylor G Jeff Urczyk RB Vaughn Williams 17 July Signed LB Mike Curtis LB Don Hansen C Fred Hoaglin RB Al Matthews FB Bill Olds E Dave Tipton Signed from veterans' allocation. QBs Neil Graff and Gary Keithley remained unsigned. 27 July Released G Steve Duncanson TE Ruben Hodges Jr DE Stan Lewis K Peter Miskov 29 July RB Kerry Marbury released by Cleveland 1 August Seattle v San Francisco (pre-season) L 20-27 2 August RB Po James released by Philadelphia 3 August Released T Wayne Baker DB Jarvis Blinks T Jay Douglas DB Jerry Davis RB Alan Dixon RB G G Galloway RB Andy Reid RB Larry Bates placed on injured reserve LB Charles Waddell placed on injured reserve 5 August Signed RB Po James Released WR Larry Shipp 7 August Seattle v Chicago (pre-season) L 16-27 9 August Released P Skip Boyd QB Gary Keithley 14 August Seattle v LA Rams (pre-season) L 0-16 20 August Released WR Dave Williams 21 August Denver v Seattle (pre-season) L 52-7 23 August Released DT Dick Dixon OT Robin Ross WR Wayne Johnson WR Cornelius Greene released by Dallas 24 August Signed WR Cornelius Greene Released S Rondy Colbert OT Dave Simonson traded by Giants to Houston 25 August DT Richard Harris asks Bears to be traded RB Don Testerman traded by Miami to Philadelphia 26 August WR Steve Largent traded by Houston to Seattle 29 August Seattle v San Diego (pre-season) W 17-16 30 August Signed G Doug Payton (ex Pats) 2 September DT Dave Tipton released by San Diego 4 September Oakland v Seattle (pre-season) L 13-16 6 September G Ron Coder traded by Philadelphia to Seattle Signed QB Bill Munson Released DB Dwayne Crump DB Larry Howse RB Po James G Randy Johnson G Doug Payton G Rocky Rasley CB Ted Bachman released by Miami S Terry Brown released by Minnesota DE Al Cowlings released by LA Rams RB Hugh McKinnis released by Cleveland RB Ralph Nelson released by Washington G Bob Newton released by Chicago RB Don Testerman released by Philadelphia 7 September Signed LB Greg Collins (ex SF) DE Al Cowlings RB Hugh McKinnis RB Ralph Nelson G Bob Newton RB Oliver Ross RB Don Testerman LB Ken Hutcherson placed on injured reserve Traded S Terry Brown (to Cleveland for Ted Bachman) Released WR Cornelius Greene DE Bob Martin WR Ahmad Rashad RB Gary Hayman RB James Ford DT Jeff Lloyd WR Bob Picard RB Eddie Ray CB Ted Bachman signed by Cleveland for trade to Seattle DT Richard Harris released by Chicago WR Ahmad Rashad signed by Minnesota RB Oliver Ross released by Denver 8 September Signed DT Richard Harris 9 September Signed DE Jim White (ex Oilers) 12 September Seattle v St Louis L 24-30 13 September Signed DE Bob Lurtsema 14 September K John Leypoldt released by Buffalo 17 September DB Dwayne Crump signed by St Louis 19 September Washington v Seattle L 31-7 22 September Traded LB Don Hansen (to Green Bay) Released TE Alvis Darby QB Neil Graff RB Bill Olds DB Jim White 23 September Signed DL Al Cowlings QB Neil Graff 26 September Seattle v San Francisco L 21-37 29 September Signed K John Leypoldt OT Dave Simonson DT Jeff Lloyd signed by Buffalo RB Bill Olds signed by Philadelphia 3 October Seattle v Dallas 10 October Green Bay v Seattle L 27-20 13 October WR Bob Picard released by Philadelphia 14 October QB Neil Graff signed by Pittsburgh 17 October Tampa Bay v Seattle W 10-13 24 October Detroit v Seattle L 41-13 31 October LA Rams v Seattle L 45-9 7 November Seattle v Atlanta W 30-13 14 November Minnesota v Seattle L 27-21 21 November Seattle v New Orleans L 27-51 28 November NY Giants v Seattle L 28-16 5 December Seattle v Chicago L 7-34 12 December Philadelphia v Seattle L 27-10 Research Notes: The NFL granted expansion teams permission to have a roster of 49, instead of the usual 42, for the first 3 weeks of the season. The teams could only activate 42 of the list at any time, but players could be moved freely between active and inactive status during that period. Looking back on it, the rules for the new teams really were as bad as we think - especially by comparison with the expansions of the 90s. Seattle and Tampa Bay were seriously disadvantaged by the roster rules, and continued to be weakened for years to come. However much we might appreciate the leadership and influence of people like Mike Curtis and Norm Evans, the roster rules limited the Seahawks' ability to negotiate with players outside the allocated list - which was clearly to the advantage of the established clubs.