HEADLINES

D’Wayne Eskridge

NFL Suspends Seahawks WR Dee Eskridge

August 4th, 2023 at 4:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

4:26pm: An Eskridge arrest led to this ban. Eskridge was arrested on misdemeanor charges involving his child’s mother in February, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. It is unclear what the charges were, but they are under the domestic violence umbrella. The third-year wide receiver reached an agreement where the charges will be dismissed by virtue of the completion of domestic violence moral recognition therapy. No conviction has occurred, but the NFL does not need one to proceed with a suspension under the personal conduct policy.

3:28pm: Following the long-rumored Alvin Kamara–Chris Lammons suspensions, the NFL is using this Friday afternoon to confirm more bans. In addition to Chiefs defensive end Charles Omenihu being hit with a six-game suspension, Seahawks wide receiver Dee Eskridge will also be shut down for an extended stretch.

Eskridge received a six-game ban due to a violation of the NFL’s personal conduct policy, the league announced. The violation is unknown at this point, but the former second-round pick will be out for a third of his third NFL season.

This creates another hurdle for the former MAC standout, who has not established himself as a dependable pass catcher in Seattle. The Seahawks drafted Eskridge 56th overall in 2021, making him their first draft choice that year (the team had traded its first-rounder in the 2020 Jamal Adams swap). But Eskridge has battled injuries and inconsistency as a pro, having only caught 17 passes for 122 yards since debuting with the Seahawks. A concussion and a toe injury limited Eskridge as a rookie, and a broken hand sidelined him during part of last season. Overall, the Western Michigan alum has missed 14 NFL games.

Seattle also made a splashy addition at receiver this offseason, drafting Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the first round. The Hawks made the Ohio State product this year’s first receiver off the board, taking him 20th overall. Eskridge was initially pegged as a slot player to go with Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf. Smith-Njigba, who dominated for the Buckeyes as a sophomore in 2021 before a nagging hamstring injury kept him off the field for most of last season, is now penciled into that role.

Eskridge’s rookie contract runs through the 2024 season. He is due to make $1.2MM this year. The Seahawks are still thin beyond their high-end top three at receiver. Dareke Young, a 2022 seventh-rounder, joins ex-UDFAs Cody Thompson and Easop Winston as aspiring second-stringers. Altogether, that trio has not totaled 10 receptions. It would not surprise to see the Seahawks make an addition in the wake of Eskridge’s ban.

Seahawks Place WR D’Wayne Eskridge On IR

November 26th, 2022 at 7:01pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Seahawks are in a better place than most teams from a health perspective as they exit their bye week, but they will have one extended absence amongst their offense playmakers. Receiver D’Wayne Eskridge was placed on IR Saturday, per a team announcement.

The 25-year-old has a broken hand, and will now miss at least the next four weeks. That will mark a second consecutive year in which Eskridge has missed extended time. He dealt with a concussion as well as a toe injury in his rookie season, which also included an IR stint. He made just 10 catches in 2021, amidst the injury troubles limiting him to 10 games and the lack of a starting role at the position.

That remained the case heading into this season, but there was nevertheless optimism in the build-up to the campaign that a step forward would be coming in 2022. A hamstring injury cost the former second-rounder time in the offseason, and he has yet to emerge as a consistent contributor with seven scoreless catches. He has been a factor on special teams, though, averaging 21.4 yards on his seven kick returns this year.

Eskridge had a hugely productive final season in college, racking up 768 yards and eight touchdowns in only six games at Western Michigan. That made him a highly-touted NFL prospect, despite his 5-9, 190-pound stature. This news marks another blow to his career development, though, and adds further to an injury list the length of which is concerning given his limited time as a pro.

The Seahawks will continue with D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett at the top of their WR depth chart moving forward, though a potentially noteworthy name at the position has been elevated from the practice squad. Laquon Treadwell is set to make his Seattle debut, after he was released by the Jaguars in August and bounced around to various teams before heading to the Emerald City.

“I’m anxious to see what Treadwell does when he gets a chance,” head coach Peter Carroll said when asked about the former first-rounder. He, along with the rest of the team’s surprisingly effective passing attack will look to move the Seahawks to 7-4 on the year when they host the Raiders on Sunday.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/26/22

November 26th, 2022 at 4:49pm CST by Ely Allen

The league’s minor moves and standard gameday elevations for Week 12:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

NFC West Rumors: Wagner, Walker, Eskridge, Lenoir

July 17th, 2022 at 7:45pm CST by Ely Allen

Seattle made headlines earlier this year when they made the decision to release career-Seahawk Bobby Wagner. The 32-year-old linebacker may have seen the writing on the wall after the team traded away quarterback Russell Wilson, but, according to Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times, Wagner didn’t want to leave Seattle.

The Seahawks released their star linebacker in order to avoid his $20.35MM cap hit in the 2022 NFL season. Wagner understood that but, reportedly, wanted to stick around. The sting of having to leave his home of the last ten years was softened a bit by two factors: the unfortunate way that the franchise handled the news and the eventual conclusion that he would return to his old home of California.

Wagner claimed he heard the news from “so many other people” and had to reach out to head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider to confirm. Carroll and Schneider have since admitted that they regret the way the news was handled.

On returning home, Wagner said, “I didn’t want to leave Seattle. But if I was going to leave Seattle, home was the next-best thing for me and so being able to be home, like I’m at peace with the situation.”

Here are a few other rumors from around the NFC West, starting with a couple out of Wagner’s former home in Washington:

  • Seattle utilized a second-round pick to bring in one of the draft’s top running back prospects, Kenneth Walker III, and they don’t intend to let that use of draft capital sit on the bench. For a number of reasons, Walker figures to factor heavily into the Seahawks’ running backs rotation in 2022, according to ESPN’s Brady Henderson. With Wilson’s departure, and the lack of a star quarterback to step in for him, Seattle will likely rely a little more heavily on the run game. If incumbent starter Chris Carson‘s health keeps him from returning to the field (or even the roster), the team will have to lean on Rashaad Penny. Penny has missed time with injury, too, though, and, whether Penny “misses more times and/or…the Seahawks manage his touches to prevent overwork,” Walker should benefit from increased opportunities to contribute.
  • The Seahawks are set to return their top-three receivers from last year in Tyler Lockett, D.K. Metcalf, and Freddie Swain. According to Henderson, though, second-year receiver D’Wayne Eskridge could be the X-factor in Seattle’s receivers room next season. The former second-round pick has had a slow start to his career due to a number of injuries. His rookie season was marred by a toe injury and concussion, and Carroll has opined about time he missed this offseason with hamstring issues. If Eskridge can get healthy and show the talent that made him a second-round pick, he can combine with Lockett and Metcalf to provide a strong receiving corps for quarterbacks Drew Lock and Geno Smith.
  • We’ve talked a couple of times now about the 49ers’ position battle at nickel cornerback. Multiple sources have pinned Darqueze Dennard against rookie fifth-round pick Samuel Womack for the starting job with the possibility that starting outside corner Emmanuel Moseley may slide inside on nickel-formations if Dennard or Womack fail to seize the role. Someone we haven’t mentioned, though, who can’t be ruled out, is last year’s fifth-round pick Deommodore Lenoir, according to Cam Inman of The Mercury News. When he was drafted, many viewed Lenoir as the “heir apparent” to K’Waun Williams, who left for Denver in free agency this offseason, creating the vacant nickel position up for grabs now. Currently, Dennard, Womack, or Moseley are still the favorites to win the job, but Lenoir still has the potential to swoop in and take the crown he was drafted to grow into.

Seahawks Activate Russell Wilson From IR

November 12th, 2021 at 6:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Pete Carroll confirmed Russell Wilson will start against the Packers, and the Seahawks made it official Friday evening. Wilson is back on Seattle’s active roster.

On IR since rupturing a right middle finger tendon in Week 5, Wilson will return after missing the minimum three games. The 10th-year Seahawks quarterback underwent two surgeries but beat the six- to eight-week timetable initially floated once the extent of his injuries became public.

Seattle went 1-2 without Wilson and lost to the Rams during the game he suffered the injury — his first notable setback as a pro. Wilson had started 149 straight games prior to this finger issue. His absence led to three Geno Smith starts and the Seahawks tumbling down the NFC standings. They are 3-5 entering Week 10.

Wilson, who will turn 33 later this month, has thrown 10 touchdown passes and just one interception this season. Over his five-game sample, he ranks seventh in QBR. Should Aaron Rodgers clear COVID-19 protocols as the Packers expect, the future Hall of Famers will match up for the ninth time (counting playoff games) Sunday.

Placed on IR the same day as Wilson, Chris Carson will not be activated along with the quarterback. Carroll said his starting running back, who returned to practice this week, will not play against the Packers. Carson is working his way back from a neck injury.

In addition to activating Wilson, the Seahawks also moved rookie wide receiver D’Wayne Eskridge from IR back to the active roster. Chosen in the second round, Eskridge has not played since suffering a concussion in Week 1. Following the concerningly lengthy absence, the Western Michigan product will attempt to salvage the remainder of his rookie year.

Seahawks Place WR D’Wayne Eskridge On IR

October 7th, 2021 at 3:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

D’Wayne Eskridge has not played since Week 1, and the Seahawks’ top 2021 draft choice will be out for the next three games. The team moved its second-round wide receiver to IR Thursday.

This is a concerning situation for Eskridge, who suffered a concussion in his debut. The 5-foot-9 wideout played 12 snaps against the Colts but left that game with a head injury. While the Seahawks are giving him extra time to recover, Eskridge’s extensive time in the protocol has become a situation to monitor.

Despite the presences of Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf, Seattle added Eskridge with the No. 56 overall pick. The Western Michigan alum saw action in five seasons at the mid-major program, redshirting one of those slates, and was one of college football’s top deep threats as an upperclassman. He averaged 23.3 yards per catch (33 receptions, 768 yards) and caught eight TD passes during the COVID-19-altered 2020 season, which reduced the MAC slate to six games.

The Seahawks have used Freddie Swain in an increased role in recent weeks; the 2020 sixth-round pick has two touchdown receptions thus far this season. Penny Hart resides as the fifth wideout on the Seahawks’ 53-man roster, but the team elevated former first-round pick Phillip Dorsett ahead of Thursday night’s game. Dorsett recently re-signed with the Seahawks, joining their practice squad, following his Jaguars exit.

Hawks Sign Round 2 Pick D’Wayne Eskridge

May 14th, 2021 at 6:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Seahawks started their rookie minicamp Friday; their top 2021 draft pick is now under contract. The team agreed to terms with second-rounder D’Wayne Eskridge, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com tweets.

One of college football’s top deep threats in recent years, Eskridge went to the Seahawks at No. 56 overall. The team dipped into the Mid-American Conference’s talent pool here, with Eskridge attending Western Michigan, and will pair him with former Day 2 picks Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf.

Eskridge played parts of five seasons at the mid-major program, redshirting after four games in 2019. In his final two full seasons, the 5-foot-8 wide receiver eclipsed 20 yards per reception. While Eskridge never tallied an 800-yard season, he was on pace to post a dominant stat line as a senior. The MAC limited its schedule to six games in 2020; Eskridge still posted 768 receiving yards and a career-high eight touchdowns.

Seattle lost backup wideout David Moore this offseason and recently severed ties with Josh Gordon, paving a path for Eskridge. Day 3 picks and UDFAs populate the rest of the Seahawks’ receiving corps.

Eskridge and sixth-round tackle Stone Forsythe are under contract. Fourth-round cornerback Tre Brown is participating in minicamp but is not yet signed.