HEADLINES

Seattle Seahawks News & Rumors

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/30/21

October 30th, 2021 at 4:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here is the Week 8 Saturday minor move blitz:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets 

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

Latest On Seahawks RB Chris Carson

October 30th, 2021 at 11:01am CST by Ben Levine

The Seahawks are still hoping that Chris Carson will return this season, but head coach Pete Carroll cautioned that the organization will soon have to make a decision about his starting running back’s availability for the rest of the 2021 campaign.

“He’s got to make a turn here, show us that he is feeling better and good enough to really go for it,” Carroll said (via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times). “He hasn’t been able to come out to practice yet and go.

“Pretty soon you will be saying, ‘Is he going to make it back?’ just like you are asking, and I’m not ready to do that yet. I’m really keeping my fingers crossed for him that he gets a chance to come back and play. He’s working out hard, but he’s not ready to practice football yet.”

Carson landed on injured reserve in mid-October with a neck injury. Per Condotta, Carson had been dealing with the injury since the preseason, with Carroll previously describing it as a “lingering” ailment. The 27-year-old managed to play through the discomfort for the first four games of the season, collecting 261 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown.

The former seventh-round pick has dealt with his fair share of injuries throughout his career; he missed most of his rookie year with a broken leg, missed the end of the 2019 season with an arm injury, and was down for four games in 2020 with a foot issue. Still, he was able to secure a two-year, $10.4MM deal this offseason.

At the earliest, Carson won’t be able to return from injured reserve until Week 10, which happens to follow Seattle’s bye week. For the time being, the Seahawks will continue rolling with a running back corps that’s led by Alex Collins and Rashaad Penny.

Seahawks’ Marquise Blair To Undergo Surgery

October 28th, 2021 at 2:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Knee trouble has plagued Marquise Blair for much of his career, and the former second-round pick has run into perhaps his toughest challenge yet.

The third-year Seahawks cornerback suffered a fractured right kneecap, and Pete Carroll said (via the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta) season-ending surgery is on tap. This marks the second straight year Blair’s season has ended early because of a right knee injury. Blair suffered a torn ACL in 2020. Blair suffered this latest injury in the fourth quarter of the Seahawks’ Monday loss to the Saints.

Blair sustained a torn left ACL during his junior season at Utah but bounced back in 2018 to be one of the top corners drafted. The Seahawks selected Blair 47th overall in 2019 and used him in a part-time role as a rookie. He played in just two games last season but had bounced back to rotate with Ugo Amadi at Seattle’s nickel spot. Amadi, a 2019 fourth-round pick, will move forward in that role.

This is certainly a concerning run of setbacks for Blair, whose rookie contract runs through the 2022 season. While the Seahawks salvaged their 2019 draft by choosing D.K. Metcalf later in the second round, Blair and first-rounder L.J. Collier have not been able to contribute much.

The Seahawks have undergone a retooling effort at corner, having let Shaquill Griffin walk in free agency and having recently cut Tre Flowers. The team, which also traded offseason addition Ahkello Witherspoon weeks ago, drafted Tre Brown in the fourth round. Recent trade get Sidney Jones and 2020 waiver claim D.J. Reed join Amadi as Seattle’s top three corners.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/27/21

October 27th, 2021 at 6:46pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad moves:

Denver Broncos

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

Seahawks Release OL Cedric Ogbuehi

October 25th, 2021 at 7:55pm CST by Ben Levine

Cedric Ogbuehi‘s stint with the Seahawks has come to an end. Earlier today, Seattle released the veteran offensive tackle, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo (via Twitter).

The former first-round pick dealt with a biceps injury that forced him to miss the first chunk of the season. He was activated from IR when first eligible, and he started Week 4 while playing 86 percent of his team’s offensive snaps. He hasn’t seen the field since that time, and Seattle ultimately decided to move on from the 29-year-old.

Ogbuehi played just eight games with Seattle in 2020, starting four, but he did just enough to return to the Seahawks — his third NFL team. The Bengals drafted Ogbuehi in 2015, but after not meeting expectations, the Texas A&M product had to settle for a low-cost Jaguars deal in 2019 before coming to Seattle.

With 58 games (30 starts) on his resume, Ogbuehi will likely catch on with a squad that needs some extra depth on their offensive line.

Seahawks Activate RB Rashaad Penny

October 25th, 2021 at 7:15pm CST by Ben Levine

Rashaad Penny is officially back. The Seahawks activated the running back from injured reserve ahead of tonight’s game against the Saints, reports Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus (via Twitter).

A hamstring injury limited Penny to only one game this season, but he should have an opportunity to contribute on Monday night. With Chris Carson sidelined, Penny will join a running back grouping that includes Alex Collins, DeeJay Dallas, and Travis Homer. Collins is expected to lead the depth chart, but Penny should get some action in what’s expected to be a rain-soaked game.

Penny has dealt with his fair share of injuries since he was selected in the first round of the 2018 draft. The running back has been limited to only 28 games through four seasons, and he sat out the majority of the 2020 campaign while recovering from a torn ACL. Through his first two seasons in the NFL, Penny collected 947 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns on 167 touches.

Prior to the season, the Seahawks declined the 25-year-old fifth-year option, meaning he’ll be a free agent following the 2021 campaign.

 

Seahawks DL L.J. Collier Generating Trade Interest

October 24th, 2021 at 8:46am CST by Rory Parks

It would be an understatement to say that Seahawks DL L.J. Collier has not lived up to his status as a first-round draft pick. The No. 29 overall choice of the 2019 draft played in just 152 snaps in his rookie campaign, though he later said that his rush to return from a preseason ankle sprain may have played a role in that limited usage. But after starting all 16 games and Seattle’s lone playoff contest in 2020, Collier has been active for only two games in 2021.

As such, his name has come up in trade conversations, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Rapoport does not say which teams have reached out to the Seahawks, but he does indicate that Seattle entertained discussions before and during the season. Given the disappointing start to his career, the Seahawks cannot expect a significant return in a Collier trade, and rival clubs are surely hoping for a low-risk, high-reward transaction.

Ironically, another former No. 29 overall pick, Robert Nkemdiche, has played a part in Collier’s lack of a role on this year’s defense. Nkemdiche, who was selected by the Cardinals in the 2016 draft and who was nothing short of a bust, was out of football entirely in 2020 and played in only two games in 2019. However, Seahawks DC Ken Norton said at the end of September that Nkemdiche had surpassed Collier on the depth chart.

“It came down to competition,” Norton said. “It came down to being able to play, being able to make quick decisions…and right now we felt like Nkemdiche was a little ahead of [Collier].”

It is certainly telling that Collier is having a hard time seeing the field for a defense that is ranked dead-last in terms of yards per game and that has been unable to generate a consistent pass rush. Still, plenty of teams need edge help, and it could be that a change of scenery will help the TCU product unlock his potential.

Latest On Seahawks QB Russell Wilson

October 23rd, 2021 at 11:16am CST by Ben Levine

We’re starting to get some clarity on Russell Wilson‘s return to the field. According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo (via Twitter), the quarterback has a shot to immediately return from IR when eligible in Week 10.

Per Garafolo, Wilson will take a major step in his recovery when he has a pin removed from his fractured middle finger, and it sounds like that will end up happening within the next week. After that, Wilson and the Seahawks will just be waiting for the bones to fully heal, at which case the QB will presumably be cleared to play.

Wilson suffered a ruptured middle finger tendon in his throwing hand earlier this month, requiring surgery and his placement on injured reserve. It was uncertain how long it’d take Wilson to recover, but Week 10 was always the earliest the franchise QB could be activated. Seattle has a Week 9 bye, which will provide the team some extra time to make a final decision on Wilson’s status.

Wilson’s stint on the IR forced him to miss the first regular season action of his career. Geno Smith will continue under center for Seattle while Wilson is sidelined.

Seahawks Claim QB Jacob Eason

October 20th, 2021 at 5:37pm CST by Ben Levine

Jacob Eason has found his next job. After getting waived yesterday by the Colts, the quarterback has been claimed by the Seahawks, reports ESPN’s Brady Henderson (via Twitter).

The Seahawks have been sniffing around for some reinforcement at quarterback following Russell Wilson‘s placement on IR. Geno Smith will continue to sit atop the depth chart, and Eason will temporarily serve as his backup. Seattle is also rostering Jake Luton and Danny Etling on their practice squad.

Eason found himself on the outside looking in during his time in Indy. He was already the third-stringer QB behind Carson Wentz and Brett Hundley, and the team decided to move on from the 2020 fourth-round pick after activating 2021 sixth-round pick Sam Ehlinger from IR.

Eason had a breakout college campaign in 2019, completing 64.2 percent of his passes for 3,132 yards, 23 touchdowns, and eight interceptions after transferring from Georgia to Washington. He made his NFL debut in Week 2, completing two of his five pass attempts for 25. He also tossed an interception.

Seahawks To Keep Tabs On Cam Newton

October 19th, 2021 at 8:23am CST by Zachary Links

The Seahawks will continue to “keep tabs” on Cam Newton, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero hears (Twitter link). However, they’re unlikely to sign him straight away. 

Newton is still collecting $1.5MM from his previous Patriots contract, a sum that is subject to offsets. Newton, understandably, is unwilling to play for free. So, in order to sign Newton, the Seahawks or any other club would have to offer a better deal. That amount would be prorated, but it could still prove to be a barrier.

For now, the Seahawks are willing to roll with Geno Smith and Jake Luton as their quarterbacks until Russell Wilson is ready to return. Star power aside, it’s hard to say whether Newton would represent a clear upgrade over Smith.

Newton finished near the bottom of the league in cumulative QBR from 2016-19 and didn’t impress in 2020. Last year, the former MVP threw for just 2,657 yards and eight touchdowns with ten interceptions. On the plus side, he displayed his usual rushing talent, collecting 592 yards and 12 TDs on the ground, plus a receiving touchdown.

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