HEADLINES

Byron Murphy (DT)

Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker Back For Week 4

September 28th, 2024 at 5:15pm CST by Ely Allen

Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker was off to a hot start in Week 1 with 103 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries before leaving the game with an oblique injury. He’s been out ever since, but according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the third-year rusher will make his return to the field in Week 4.

Since Walker’s departure, Zach Charbonnet has stepped in as the lead back in Seattle. He struggled in his first start of the season, amassing only 38 rushing yards on 14 carries but saved the performance with a touchdown, as well as five catches for 31 yards through the air. Last week, he showed RB1 potential with a 91-yard, two-touchdown performance.

While Walker is returning to the field, it might be in the Seahawks’ best interest to slow-play his comeback. The team will obviously want to get Walker involved in the offense, but if they feel confident with the body of work Charbonnet has put forth thus far, they may continue to give Charbonnet a good number of carries until they’re certain Walker is 100 percent.

Walker’s return is obviously good news, but unfortunately, it comes alongside the announcement that four defensive players will be unavailable this coming Monday. Per Brady Henderson of ESPN, defensive tackles Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy and outside linebackers Uchenna Nwosu and Boye Mafe have all been ruled out for Week 4. Williams, Nwosu, and Mafe have been starters so far this year, while Murphy has played a strong rotational role on the line.

Nwosu has missed Seattle’s first three games with an MCL sprain and is not yet ready to come back. The other three all suffered injuries in last week’s matchup with the Dolphins. Murphy suffered a hamstring injury, Williams hurt his ribs, and Mafe aggravated a previous knee issue. The Seahawks will attempt to use Mike Morris and Myles Adams to fill the holes on the line, while Derick Hall and Dre’Mont Jones should fill in at outside linebacker.

NFC Injury Updates: Lewis, Murphy, Darnold

September 25th, 2024 at 9:59pm CST by Ely Allen

After the high of getting their first win this past weekend, it’s a tough swing back down as the Panthers will see starting left guard Damien Lewis miss at least one game with an elbow injury, per Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report. Schultz tells us that, while Lewis will likely avoid a stint on injured reserve, he will have to miss some time.

While the quarterback play has suffered up until this past week, Carolina has seen some pretty solid offensive line play so far this season. In fact, Lewis, who grades out as the 25th-best guard in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), has, so far, graded out as the team’s fifth-best player on offense. Lewis is the only one who’s missed time on an otherwise stalwart line, with Chandler Zavala filling in during Lewis’s short absence.

A tear in Lewis’s elbow will likely require Zavala’s presence once again. While he will definitely miss one game, Lewis plans to eventually play through the injury. The team will miss his play, but the hope is that he won’t be gone for long.

Here are a couple other injury updates from around the NFL:

  • The Seahawks have enjoyed the benefits of a talented defensive line this season, one that has been boosted by the contributions of rookie first-round defensive tackle Byron Murphy. The second defensive player taken off the board last April, Murphy is expected to miss some time with a hamstring injury, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. Seattle doesn’t intend to put him on IR for now, but they’ll be decidedly careful not to rush the rookie back.
  • Late in the team’s win over the Texans this past weekend, the Vikings experienced a scare when starting quarterback Sam Darnold took a low hit from former Minnesota-favorite Danielle Hunter. Darnold limped to the sideline, where he sat out one play before running back onto the field. Tests on Monday revealed a bruise but no structural damage to Darnold’s left knee, according to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. The team will experience a collective sigh of relief to realize that their quarterback avoided serious injury just weeks after that of rookie first-round quarterback J.J. McCarthy.

Seahawks’ GM, HC Discuss Byron Murphy Pick; Team Not Expected To Trade From DL Group

May 8th, 2024 at 3:45pm CST by Rory Parks

MAY 8: The Rams also made an offer for the Seahawks’ No. 16 pick, according to Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline. Los Angeles, which also attempted to trade up higher for Brock Bowers, is believed to have been targeting Murphy. The Eagles’ interest stemmed from a fear they would lose Quinyon Mitchell had they not traded up. Mitchell ended up falling to Philly at No. 22, while the Rams went with Florida State D-lineman Jared Verse at No. 19.

MAY 5: Going into this year’s draft, guard was arguably the Seahawks’ biggest need. And as ESPN’s Brady Henderson writes, Seattle had targeted Alabama’s JC Latham, who was selected by the Titans with the No. 7 overall pick (the ‘Hawks would have slid Latham, a collegiate tackle, to the interior of their O-line, at least in the early stages of his pro career).

[RELATED: Murphy Signs Rookie Deal]

A number of this year’s top defensive prospects fell lower than expected due to an unprecedented run on offensive talent. When the Seahawks were on the clock with the No. 16 pick, only one defensive player, UCLA edge defender Laiatu Latu, was off the board, and he went to the Colts at No. 15. That left Texas DT Byron Murphy II available for Seattle, whom the team saw as the best defender in the 2024 class. The ‘Hawks ultimately turned in the card for the former Longhorn.

As offensive players were flying off the board, the Seahawks — who did not have a second-round choice — were fielding trade offers that would have allowed them to move down the board and pick up additional draft capital in the process. Per Henderson, the ‘Hawks received offers from the Steelers, Eagles, Vikings, and Falcons (who were trying to trade back into the first round after surprisingly drafting QB Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 choice). The Packers were also interested in acquiring Seattle’s No. 16 selection, but Green Bay ultimately did not make an offer.

With Murphy still available but with Leonard Williams, Jarran Reed, Dre’Mont Jones, Johnathan Hankins, and several recent draftees already on the roster, GM John Schneider was tempted to trade back. However, Seattle is not in rebuild mode, and Schneider felt that Murphy was too good to pass up.

“I’d be lying to you if I said we didn’t think about [trading back],” Schneider said. “But [Murphy], he was just too good. He influences the game, like a lot. He’s got that ability to jump off the ball and get up field. He can play edges, he can play square, he can rush the passer inside, he gets up and down the line of scrimmage.”

New head coach Mike Macdonald added, “he just plays our style of football, really. And then he’s so talented. Versatility along the front, such an aggressive player, plays violently, heavy hands for a guy [of] shorter stature, flexible, pass-rush flexibility — you name it. Yeah, just really excited to have him.”

With all of the D-linemen on the roster and the Seahawks’ shortage of cap space — per OverTheCap.com, Seattle is the only team in the red as of the time of this writing — it would be fair to expect the club to deal from its DL surplus. However, Henderson said the team has no such plans, especially since Macdonald intends to rotate his players more frequently than his predecessor, Pete Carroll.

In related news, the team is expected to have outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu back for training camp, per Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic. Nwosu, who recorded 9.5 sacks in his first Seattle slate in 2022, suffered a pectoral strain in October and missed the remainder of the 2023 campaign. He is under contract through 2026 by virtue of the three-year, $45MM extension he signed in July.

Seahawks Sign First-Round DT Byron Murphy

May 3rd, 2024 at 6:50pm CST by Ely Allen

The Ravens broke the seal on signing some of their drafted players to rookie contracts yesterday, now the Seahawks follow close behind. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Seattle was one of the quicker teams to do the same, signing first-round defensive tackle Byron Murphy to his rookie deal today. Murphy’s deal is the standard four years with a fifth-year option worth $16.08MM that will be fully guaranteed.

Murphy was the first defensive tackle taken off the board in the 2024 NFL Draft and the only one of his position taken in the first round. There was an early run at defensive tackle in the second round with four taken in the first seven picks of Day 2 and seven taken overall in the second round. Thanks to an historic run of offensive players to open the draft, though, only Murphy will be provided the fifth-year option granted to players drafted on Day 1.

The position’s top prospect left Austin after only his first year as a full-time starter his junior season. Over his three-year career with the Longhorns, Murphy compiled eight sacks and 15.0 tackles for loss, with five sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss coming in 2023. His efforts last year earned him first-team All-Big 12 honors and second-team All-American honors. He brings to Seattle an explosive first step and a competitive drive worthy of his first-round draft status.

The Seahawks will likely see him compete for snaps early on a defensive line that returns starters Jarran Reed, Dre’Mont Jones, and Leonard Williams, who re-signed with the team after being acquired at the trade deadline last year. Williams is a permanent fixture in the starting lineup, while Reed and Jones both had strong 2023 seasons.

Murphy is talented enough to push for starting time in place of Reed or Jones immediately. Even if he doesn’t immediately supplant one of the two as a full-time starter, defensive linemen rotate more than most other positions based on snap counts and situational matchups. Murphy should factor into the Seahawks’ defensive front early and often as a rookie, pushing the starters for playing time if he doesn’t become a starter himself by Week 1.

Seahawks Select DT Byron Murphy With No. 16 Pick

April 25th, 2024 at 9:04pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Seahawks did not host Byron Murphy on a top-30 visit, but the team has nevertheless gone ahead with adding him. Seattle has drafted the Texas defensive tackle 16th overall.

With the litany of offensive picks to open the night, a number of top defensive players were naturally going to slide. Seattle is able to land the top defensive tackle on the board at No. 16 overall. Murphy was a second-team All-American for the Longhorns in 2023. After impressive contributions in a rotation during his freshman and sophomore year, Murphy’s production more than doubled. He comes out of Austin with five career sacks and 15 tackles for loss.

While stout at just over 6-feet tall, Murphy makes up for a lack of ideal size with impressive leverage and power off the snap. His high motor and determination make him a disruptive menace. He was expected to be able to step in as a starter immediately.

In Seattle, though, Murphy may have to wait for his snaps. The Seahawks are set to return three starters on their defensive line. Jarran Reed, Dre’Mont Jones, and Leonard Williams — re-signed after arriving as a deadline rental piece last year — are back to create a daunting defensive front. Reed is set to be a free agent after this season, so perhaps Murphy is being brought in to eventually replace the veteran.

Regardless, Murphy provides a strong option to come in and compete for snaps on the defensive line as a rookie and into the future. Murphy becomes the first first-round defensive tackle to come out of Austin since Malcom Brown in 2015.

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

Draft Rumors: Williams, Bears, Fashanu, Latham, Bolts, Bowers, Seahawks, Murphy

April 25th, 2024 at 3:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

Pass rusher and wide receiver have been mentioned most often as the Bears‘ targets at No. 9 overall. Though, the player who will almost definitely be chosen at No. 1 (Caleb Williams) in a few hours seems to have Chicago’s D-line ranked outside the top two among his positional priorities here.

“I’d probably go Olu Fashanu because I know he’d put his life on the line for me, protecting me,” Williams said, via Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith. “Then I’d go one of the top three wide receivers.”

A Penn State-developed tackle, Fashanu played high school football (at Gonzaga College HS in Washington D.C.) with Williams. That makes it unsurprising the 2022 Heisman winner would stump for his old teammate. The Bears are believed to have a tackle addition on their radar for No. 9, with GM Ryan Poles splitting his staff into pods debating the merits of taking a tackle, edge rusher or wide receiver with that pick. Chicago looks to have done more work on wideouts and pass rushers, being linked to adding a weapon — potentially Rome Odunze or tight end Brock Bowers — for Williams. The team has Braxton Jones and 2023 No. 10 overall pick Darnell Wright at tackle. Fashanu grades 15th on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board.

Hours away from Williams starting this draft, here is the latest:

NFC Draft Rumors: Nabers, Giants, Falcons, Bears, Cowboys, Barton, Murphy, Seahawks

April 23rd, 2024 at 4:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the Giants continue to be tied to a potential trade into the top four for a quarterback, they have the likely option of staying at No. 6 and filling a years-long wide receiver need in their back pocket. Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze visited the team in March. Of this trio, Nabers may the likeliest to end up a Giant. They are interested in the LSU speedster, SNY’s Connor Hughes notes, adding many in the league expect this match to come to fruition at No. 6. A wideout in Round 1 would stand to give Daniel Jones new life, whereas his Giants tenure would be on borrowed time if a QB trade-up happens.

The Giants are also high on Harrison, as should be expected, and SI.com’s Albert Breer views 6 as the floor for the two-year Ohio State standout. Breer also offers Odunze as being a cleaner prospect, character-wise, compared to Nabers, who has developed a bit of a reputation as being tougher to coach. Some teams have the Washington prospect higher on their boards. If the Giants stand down at QB, they are virtually guaranteed one of these three WRs. That presents a big opportunity to fortify a position that has not employed an impact player since Odell Beckham Jr.

Here is the latest from the draft scene:

  • Breer also ties the Falcons to Nabers, noting some teams have this match on their radar. Atlanta, which holds No. 8 overall, has a greater need on defense; the team has been linked to pass rushers throughout the pre-draft process. Nabers would stand to represent value, and the Falcons could plug him in alongside Drake London and Darnell Mooney at receiver. Though, Atlanta having gone TE-WR-RB in the top 10 over the past three years would invite a Matt Millen-era Lions vibe if this happens again. It would be interesting to see if GM Terry Fontenot would truly use a fourth straight top-10 pick on a skill-position player. The Falcons have also been connected to trading down, per the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs.
  • How the Falcons proceed will be of interest to the Bears, who have also been tied to pass-catching aid with their No. 9 choice. Chicago is poised to go either pass catcher or pass rusher at 9, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones notes, with Breer adding wideout may be the more likely play — if one of the top three remains available. Both Jones and Biggs mock Odunze to Chicago at 9. The Bears hosted the Washington standout on a “30” visit; Keenan Allen‘s contract expires after the 2024 season. Brock Bowers is not expected to make it out of the top 10, and the Bears also hosted the Georgia tight end recently. Holding only four picks, the Bears could also opt to trade down.
  • The Cowboys are believed to be interested in Duke’s Graham Barton, per Breer, who notes the O-lineman has been the player most closely connected to the team during the pre-draft process. While Barton started the past three seasons at left tackle, he is viewed as a better fit inside in the NFL. The Cowboys hosted Barton, among a number of other O-linemen, on a “30” visit recently. Dallas lost Tyler Biadasz and also must replace Tyron Smith. Tyler Smith‘s success at left tackle and left guard give Dallas options. While the team adding one of this draft’s many tackle prospects would stand to keep Tyler Smith inside, Barton would allow him to move back to LT.
  • The Seahawks passed on Jalen Carter last year, but they may be readier to pull the trigger on a D-tackle this week. The prospect of Seattle snagging Texas DT Byron Murphy at 16 has come up, with Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline noting the former Big 12 standout — who logged a Hawks “30” visit — also has an outside chance of moving into the top 10. The Falcons, who have been tied to edge rushers, are high on Murphy as well. Yahoo.com’s Charles Robinson confirms some interest inside the top 10 indeed exists here. This year’s crop is light on DTs, potentially driving Murphy up the board.

NFL Draft Notes: Harrison, LSU, Texas, DeJean, Bowers

March 2nd, 2024 at 4:06pm CST by Ely Allen

We truly are starting to see a new era of pre-draft football in the NFL. On a day in which we saw every quarterback in the first group of passers except for Notre Dame’s Sam Hartman opt out of running the 40-yard dash, we continue to report on prospects who are seeing the NFL’s scouting combine as less and less of a priority.

According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, star Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. will not be participating in any of the testing at the combine. It doesn’t stop there, though, as Harrison has made the decision to not even train for those types of drills in the runup to the draft. Harrison will continue to work on pure football drills, allowing his tape to do the talking.

Players like Harrison have the luxury of this approach. For the last two years, Harrison has widely been considered the top wide receiver prospect in this year’s crop. He only solidified that status with a second straight stellar season with the Buckeyes. He has a fairly good idea of where he’s going to fall in the draft, so he doesn’t feel the need to display his full set of abilities in an attempt to up his draft stock. Instead, he will focus on team interviews and preparing for the more practical aspects of NFL readiness. Breer also informs us that Harrison will head to the league without an agent, joining another recent trend.

The combine and pro days remain a crucial part of the pre-draft process for many of the mid- to late-round prospects, but for top players, workouts like these are beginning to become more and more superfluous.

Here are a few other draft rumors as the combine continues:

  • On the topic of non-participants, LSU Heisman-winning quarterback Jayden Daniels and his wide receiver Malik Nabers have both opted out of their workouts in Indianapolis, choosing to work out at their pro day, instead. Today we found out that both players are also skipping the measurements portion of the combine, as well, per ESPN’s Field Yates. The two Tigers will submit to measurements at their pro day before workouts.
  • One name that’s been climbing draft boards of late is Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy. Murphy’s versatility across the line has scouts excited and makes him a fit for pretty much every squad. Reflecting this, Murphy reportedly had 25 official interviews set up at the combine, according to Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda. Pauline also reports that the Raiders, Colts, Seahawks, and Vikings have all scheduled to bring him in for an official-30 visit. The list of suitors for the Longhorn defender likely won’t stop there.
  • Another top Texas prospect, running back Jonathon Brooks continues to make his way back from ACL surgery that ended his final season in Austin. The top rusher on both ESPN’s Mel Kiper’s and Dane Brugler of The Athletic’s boards, Brooks is reportedly “healing well and as expected,” per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. While he obviously won’t be participating in any pre-draft workouts, he’s expected to be cleared for training camp.
  • Iowa cornerback Cooper DeJean‘s leg injury continues to hold him out of football activities in the leadup to the draft. After already learning that he wouldn’t be available to workout at the combine, Greg Auman of FOX Sports informs us that DeJean will also not participate in physical activities at Iowa’s pro day. DeJean claims to be fully cleared from the fracture in his lower leg and that he will work out at some point before the draft, but it looks like scouts will have to make personal trips out to Iowa City in order to workout DeJean.
  • Finally, one more top draft prospect made the decision not to workout at the combine this year. Georgia tight end Brock Bowers, the top prospect at his position per both Kiper and Brugler and a likely top-10 pick, will not work out in Indianapolis. Scouts interested in seeing this Bulldog in action will have to make their way out to Georgia’s pro day.