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The Seattle Seahawks released long snapper Nolan Frese on Wednesday, clearing a roster spot for the presumed return to the squad of top draft pick Malik McDowell.

Frese appeared in all 16 regular season games for Seattle before a high-ankle sprain landed him on injured reserve for the postseason.He was plagued by errant snaps at time last season, but the Seahawks stuck with him for the entirety of the year before the injury.

McDowell, a defensive tackle out of Michigan State that was selected with the 35th overall pick in May’s draft, did not report for the start of training camp and missed the first three days of practice. McDowell sustained a concussion and facial injuries in a recent ATV accident in Michigan that brings his availability in to serious question.

McDowell made it to the Seattle area on Tuesday and was expected to meet with team officials that afternoon.

“He is in the area now. He got in town,” head coach Pete Carroll said. “We’re really anxious to really let everybody see him and take care of him and look after him and find out really first-hand,” Carroll said. “Everything has been through communications with doctors at the other end, which has been in-depth, but we’ll get to see him and do all the stuff and figure out what it all means right now.”

It’s likely McDowell would be placed on the non-football injury list upon his official reporting to the team. He currently doesn’t count against the team’s 90-man roster limit while on the reserve/did not report list. A roster spot is necessary for movement to the non-football injury list upon reporting to the team.

The release of Frese leaves Tyler Ott as the lone snapper on Seattle’s roster.