Artie Burns

Seahawks re-sign veteran DB Artie Burns to practice squad

The Seattle Seahawks released veteran defensive back Artie Burns from his contract earlier this week. Burns, who just recovered from a multi-week injury, was activated to the 53-man roster for the Sunday Night Football loss against the Green Bay Packers. However, he was ruled inactive prior to kickoff, and released on Tuesday.

Unsurprisingly, Seahawks general manager John Schneider has now re-added Burns to their practice squad.

Today’s @Seahawks practice squad addition: https://t.co/879jqxAaKF

— Seahawks PR (@seahawksPR) December 18, 2024

Burns has been an on-again, off-again member of the Seahawks since 2022. He’s been through countless transactions, involving both the practice squad and injured reserve IR). This season, Burns was placed on IR following Seattle’s Week 6 defeat to the San Francisco 49ers. He remained on that list until last Wednesday.

Overall this campaign, Burns has recorded one tackle and two passes defended. He’s totaled just 14 defensive snaps, according to Pro Football Reference. He’s also contributed seven special teams snaps for coordinator Jay Harbaugh. Burns played all 14 of his defensive snaps against the 49ers in Week 6, getting injured during that opportunity.

The Seahawks are fairly healthy in the secondary right now. Top three cornerbacks Riq Woolen, Devon Witherspoon, and Josh Jobe are all available in Mike Macdonald’s defensive backfield. Burns will hope another call-up from the practice squad arrives later this season.

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Seahawks waive CB Artie Burns

The Seattle Seahawks have made a pair of roster moves on Tuesday morning. First off, the team waived cornerback Artie Burns, who was activated to the 53-man roster for the Sunday Night Football game against the Green Bay Packers. However, Burns was made inactive prior to kick off.

Burns has been a Seahawk since 2022, but has rotated between injured reserve and the practice squad just as much (if not more) than actual time spent on the field. The 2024 season has been no different, as Burns was placed on injured reserve following Seattle’s Week 6 loss to the San Francisco 49ers and was only activated off IR last Wednesday.

Overall this season, Burns has recorded one tackle and two passes defended.

The second move the Seahawks made on Tuesday morning was releasing defensive end DeVere Levelston from the practice squad. Levelston was signed as an undrafted free agent this past spring from Southern Methodist University. The former Mustang recorded 90 total tackles (17 for a loss) and 11 sacks during his four-year collegiate career.

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S K’Von Wallace and CB Artie Burns to return to Seahawks practice

The Seattle Seahawks made a pair of roster moves on Wednesday morning. The team has designated safety K’Von Wallace and cornerback Artie Burns to return to practice. The pair have been on the injured reserve list for quite some time.

Wallace was placed on IR after injuring his ankle against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 9. Wallace has spent a little more time than usual on IR, since when he was put on the list the Seahawks were entering into their Bye Week, and still had to miss four games. The Week 15 showdown against the Green Bay Packers was always going to be his earliest return, and it seems this timeline could still be met.

As for Artie Burns, it has been a longer road for him. Burns has been with the Seahawks organization since 2022, constantly spending time on the practice squad or being inactive. He made a start this year in Week 6 against the 49ers and performed well, before landing on the IR with a toe injury.

It remains to be seen if either player will be ready to go for SNF this weekend, but the fact both are able to return to practice is a good sign. Of course, we at Seahawks Wire will keep everyone posted on their health status throughout the week.

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Seahawks need Coby Bryant, K’Von Wallace to step up after latest DB injuries

The Seattle Seahawks continue to deal with injuries in their secondary. General manager John Schneider placed starting safety Rayshawn Jenkins on IR earlier this week, sidelining him for a minimum of four contests. Jenkins is currently third on the team in tackles with 38. In response, Seattle promoted safety Ty Okada, who played well during the preseason, from the practice squad to the active roster. They also signed second-year UDFA cornerback Eric Garror to the practice squad.

#Seahawks put starting safety Rayshawn Jenkins on injured reserve. He’s out at least the next 4 games. He played the Giants, 49ers games with a bulbous wrap over his hand.
S Ty Okada signed off the practice squad to active roster. CB Eric Garror signed to the practice squad.

— Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) October 16, 2024

Elsewhere, starting cornerback Riq Woolen remains absent from practice with an ankle injury and is trending towards being a game-time decision against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. All these injuries and roster moves will force head coach Mike Macdonald to get creative with his secondary usage. The Seahawks need players like Coby Bryant and K’Von Wallace to step up.

With Artie Burns also on IR, and Tre Brown injured, the Seahawks must shuffle defensive personnel. Bryant could play nickel corner, a position he was more familiar with before making the transition to safety. That would catapult Wallace into a starting safety role opposite Julian Love. The third safety spot could belong to Okada or Jerrick Reed II, the latter of which would need to be officially activated after having his practice window recently triggered.

Bryant has played just 49 defensive snaps this season, and Wallace has been capped at 89. Okada and Reed are yet to make their debuts this season. Macdonald and defensive coordinator Aden Durde may rely on Bryant and Wallace to be near every-down starters against the Falcons.

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Seahawks to place CB Artie Burns on injured reserve

Another day, another unfortunate injury update for the Seattle Seahawks and their ailing defense. On Tuesday it was announced the team was placing cornerback Artie Burns on the injured reserve list.

Burns was signed to the active roster ahead of the Thursday Night Football showdown with the San Francisco 49ers. The veteran defensive back played in place of Riq Woolen, who was dealing with an ankle injury suffered during the game versus the New York Giants.

Burns played admirably in the eventual 36-24 loss to San Francisco. He had two pass defenses, including one in the end zone during the Niners’ opening drive. Burns’ defense stopped San Francisco’s offense, forcing them to settle for a field goal.

Since the 2022 season, Burns has been a member of the Seahawks organization. He signed a new one-year, veteran minimum contract ahead of the 2024 campaign. Burns did play in 14 games last year, and while his deal is up at the end of the season, given his familiarity with the system and his price, I would not be surprised to see him back in Seattle for 2025.

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Mike Macdonald gives injury updates to Artie Burns and Tre Brown

Injuries continue to bedevil the Seattle Seahawks, especially on defense. Already shorthanded at cornerback due to Riq Woolen’s absence, the Seahawks lost a couple more on Thursday night.

Against the San Francisco 49ers, Seattle had to rule out cornerbacks Tre Brown and Artie Burns (who was playing in Woolen’s spot) from the primetime affair. After the game, I asked head coach Mike Macdonald on the injury situation for Brown and Burns. Macdonald was brief in his response.

“Artie reaggravated his toe,” Macdonald stated. “So severity, I’m not sure. Tre had an ankle (injury). Pretty sure everybody else is okay.”

Of course, the good news is the fact the rest of the team seemed to escape the brutal loss with relative health. As for Brown and Burns, we will monitor their health situations intently in the coming few days, and will report accordingly.

After playing three games in eleven days, the Seahawks are in desperate need of a little more time off. The one benefit of playing on Thursday night is the fact it serves as somewhat of a “mini-bye” for the team. As of right now, the Seahawks desperately need some extra time to rest and get healthier.

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Seahawks need Artie Burns to step up vs. 49ers on TNF

The Seattle Seahawks could be without superstar cornerback Riq Woolen against the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday Night Football. Woolen missed Tuesday’s practice with an ankle injury designation. It was his second consecutive missed practice, though it’s worth noting Monday’s session was simply a walk through.

Woolen exited Sunday’s defeat to the New York Giants after 49 snaps with that ankle injury. Had Woolen played the entire contest, he’d likely be Seattle’s most-snapped cornerback this season. He now trails Devon Witherspoon by 21 snaps for that achievement. That’s how critical Seattle’s premier cover-man is to Mike Macdonald’s defense.

With Woolen trending on the wrong side of questionable, Macdonald and defensive coordinator Aden Durde are tasked with coming up with solutions. If Woolen doesn’t play, the likeliest scenario sees the Seahawks playing Witherspoon and Tre Brown on the outside with veteran corner Artie Burns in the slot. Burns is currently on the practice squad, but is expected to be promoted to the 53 man roster, or can be used as a standard game-day elevation.

Witherspoon has typically played slot corner this season, but kicking him outside allows the Seahawks to get the more experienced Burns into the lineup. The alternative would be to start fifth-round rookie cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett. That would be risky against a 49ers offense that features Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel at receiver, hence why promoting Burns makes more sense.

Burns totaled more than 200 defensive snaps for the Seahawks last season. Pro Football Focus assigned him a stellar coverage grade of 66.6. He allowed a passer rating under 100, and forfeited just 9.6 yards per reception. Burns is Seattle’s best answer to Woolen’s injury in a critical NFC West primetime showdown.

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5 most important Seattle Seahawks practice squad signings

The Seattle Seahawks officially announced a 15-man practice squad on Wednesday afternoon. No, general manager John Schneider didn’t retain every talent via the practice squad that he probably wanted to. The Carolina Panthers claimed ex Seahawks linebacker Jon Rhattigan and EDGE Jamie Sheriff on waivers, potentially altering Schneider’s plans.

Schneider and the Seahawks still put together an intriguing practice squad. Mixing veterans with developmental rookies, Seattle’s backup squad has a healthy balance of players that could immediately help and ones that could turn into long-term contributors. With that in mind, we’ve identified the five most important practice squad signings.

George Holani, RB

Many believed the Seahawks would retain four running backs on the active roster, but Schneider stuck with just three. Sophomore back Kenny McIntosh won the RB3 job, and the Seahawks choose to pass undrafted rookie George Holani through waivers. Thankfully, Holani cleared, and has been placed on the practice squad after rushing for 65 yards and two touchdowns during the preseason.

Artie Burns, CB

Veteran cornerback Artie Burns wasn’t subject to the waiver wire process because he’s a vested veteran. Burns could have signed with any team of his choosing after being released, but he opted to re-join the Seahawks via the practice squad. Retaining the experienced cover-man, who occasionally worked with the first-team defense in training camp as the nickel corner, was a big victory for Schneider.

Michael Barrett, LB

The Seahawks acquired rookie linebacker Michael Barrett in a trade with the Carolina Panthers in exchange for cornerback Mike Jackson. Seattle still waived Barrett, but managed to get him back on the practice squad. He’ll spend the season developing under coaches he’s familiar with from his time at Michigan, including special teams coordinator Jay Harbaugh.

McClendon Curtis, IOL

Sophomore blocker McClendon Curtis spent the majority of last season on the 53-man roster. This offseason, he proved versatile enough to work at both offensive tackle and his more prominent guard positions. If the Seahawks suffer an injury across the offensive line, Curtis will be ready to join the game-day roster.

Easop Winston Jr., WR

Eason Winston Jr. was Seattle’s most productive wide receiver throughout the preseason. He posted team-highs in receptions (8), receiving yards (99), and touchdowns (1). The Seahawks were deep at wideout, so Winston Jr. had to settle for a developmental spot on the practice squad.

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3 Nickel CB options if Devon Witherspoon plays boundary corner

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon was a dynamic nickel cover-man as a rookie last season. The No. 5 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft played 421 of his defensive snaps in the slot, per Pro Football Focus.

The Seahawks have a new coaching staff and that means defensive-minded head coach Mike Macdonald is experimenting with different looks. Witherspoon spent Tuesday’s practice earlier this week primarily playing as a boundary cornerback opposite Riq Woolen, according to local media members in attendance. That opens up a possibility for other players to rotate into the lineup as a nickel corner.

Macdonald’s defense is going to be multiple and complex. Witherespoon will move around and take advantage of matchups. We’ve identified three Seahawks defenders that could play the nickel more frequently this season.

Artie Burns played 202 snaps as a nickel corner last season. Macdonald and defensive coordinator Aden Durde clearly appreciate Burns’ ability to play that role, as he was the main beneficiary of Witherspoon’s foray to the boundary at practice earlier this week. The ninth-year versatile pro figures to be a chess-piece for Macdonald’s defense this season.

D.J. James

One of the concerns on rookie cornerback D.J. James coming out of Auburn was that he lacked the long-speed and frame (175 pounds at the NFL combine) required to consistently play the boundary. That likely makes James a nickel corner in the NFL. The Seahawks pounced on his availability with a sixth-round selection. He likely won’t play a big role this season, but does offer Macdonald another viable and versatile option.

Coby Bryant

Coby Bryant has played safety and nickel corner for the Seahawks. A toe injury cost him large portions of his 2023 campaign, but when on the field, he spent the majority of his snaps as a slot corner. Bryant hasn’t met his fourth-round expectations, but he’ll continue playing multiple positions in the defensive backfield as necessary.

Ranking the 4 most-important free agents the Seahawks should re-sign in 2024

The players weren’t the problem.

The Seahawks are in the midst of interviewing candidates for their open head coach position for a reason. The shock of Pete Carroll’s removal may not have fully set in for many fans, but the hard truth is that Carroll’s team underperformed this season given the level of talent they had – and Carroll’s defenses had been below average far longer than that.

A coach who occasionally zigged where Carroll would have zagged could have won this team 2-3 more games this year and made the playoffs. That’s why Carroll is now an “advisor” for the team and someone else will be replacing him soon.

To put it another way, the players weren’t the problem.

The team’s salary cap situation won’t make it easy, but Seattle should try to retain at least a handful of defensive free agents who could push this team back into the postseason as soon as 2024 with the right leadership. Here are the top four they should re-sign.

2024 NFL mock draft: 5 QBs off the board in Round 1, Seahawks go EDGE