Seahawks waive UDFA DE Eli Mencer to make room for Paul Richardson

The Seattle Seahawks waived undrafted free agent defensive end Eli Mencer to make space on the roster for wide receiver Paul Richardson.

The Seattle Seahawks recently signed wide receiver Paul Richardson to a one-year deal and waived undrafted rookie defensive end Eli Mencer to make room on the 80-man roster.

Seattle drafted Richardson in 2014, but he suffered numerous injuries throughout his first two seasons before showing flashes in 2016 and breaking out in 2017. The team let him walk in free agency and he signed a five-year, $40 million contract with Washington, where he spent two years before being released.

Mencer was an undrafted free agent out of the University of Albany. He set the program record for sacks as a senior with 14.5 in 14 games, led the FCS with five forced fumbles and led the Great Danes with 24 tackles for loss.

The Seahawks waived Mencer at little to no cost due to his status as a UDFA. They had to cut someone to make space for Richardson, and Mencer turned out to be the collateral damage. Since he was not claimed via waivers, he has now reverted to the injured reserve.

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Why Albany’s Eli Mencer could make Seahawks roster

Eli Mencer is a versatile pass rusher who excels on the special teams and is ready to prove himself, perfect Seattle Seahawks material.

The Seattle Seahawks brought in a whopping 17 undrafted free agents from the 2020 class to compete for spots on the active roster.

Most years, teams are lucky to get one UDFA to make the squad, as they are primarily brought in to give the team extra bodies during training camp. However, the Seahawks have had plenty of luck in the past, going all the way back to Dave Krieg and including Jermaine Kearse, Doug Baldwin and more recently, defensive tackle Poona Ford.

This years class is sure to have some intriguing players in it, and one who could stand out above the rest is Albany defensive end Eli Mencer.

Mencer was given one of Seattle’s largest signing bonuses among the undrafted players, earning $8,000. That’s not always a sign the player is more likely to make the team, but it usually indicates multiple other teams were interested in his services, which is never a bad thing.

Mencer originally lined up at outside linebacker while at Albany, but he moved to defensive end and set a school record with 14.5 sacks in 2019, along with 24 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles and one fumble recovery for a touchdown.

Mencer also played special teams all four years in college, which will almost certainly be his path to playing time in the Emerald City.

The Seahawks love players with versatility and a willingness to serve on special teams, and they also love guys who feel they have a lot to proof – another reason Mencer is a near perfect fit.

“Coming from not really being highly recruited out of high school to going to a school like Albany, where being an FCS school, it’s tough to get drafted,” Mencer told the Altoona Mirror. “I’m not going to have a chip on my shoulder, but it’s another thing that prepared me for this opportunity.”

Seattle is still doing everything virtually at the moment, with the hope that training camp can go on as usual in the summer.

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A look at the signing bonuses for Seahawks undrafted free agents

The Seattle Seahawks gave out signing bonuses to a handful of their undrafted free agents, including WSU quarterback Anthony Gordon.

Shortly after the NFL draft concluded, the Seattle Seahawks brought a whopping 17 undrafted free agents onto the roster to compete for spots in this unique, mostly virtual offseason.

Most of them won’t make the final roster, but with a bigger gameday roster and a bigger practice squad to work with, it makes sense for Pete Carroll and his staff to take a look at as many interesting players as they can get their hands on.

While it’s not always a direct correlation, we do have an idea who the team might be favoring by looking at the signing bonuses given out to Seattle’s undrafted free agents, information that was revealed by ESPN’s Brady Henderson.

Anthony Gordon, the quarterback from Washington State who was unexpectedly left undrafted, got the biggest bonus at $12,500 dollars. He was followed by $11,500 for Mississippi State tackle Tommy Champion, $10,000 each for Maryland tight end Tyler Mabry and Baylor safety Chris Miller, and $8,000 for Albany defensive end Eli Mencer.

The signing bonuses are usually more an indication that other teams were interested in said prospects, not necessarily that they have a better chance of making the active roster.

Gordon is the most likely candidate to break camp with the team, as he is the only other quarterback on the roster besides Russell Wilson.

Champion and Mencer seem like they have decent chances as well, playing at positions of need for the Seahawks that also don’t have a ton of depth.

Until we can see these guys on the field, which may be a while, it will be hard to know what Seattle has with their undrafted free agent pool – although this team has had plenty of success finding diamonds in the rough in recent years.

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Seahawks announce signings of 5 undrafted rookie free agents

The Seattle Seahawks have officially announced the signings of five undrafted rookie free agents following the 2020 NFL Draft.

The Seattle Seahawks have officially announced the signings of five undrafted rookie free agents following the 2020 NFL Draft.

On Friday afternoon, the Seahawks confirmed the following UDFAs are now under contract: Washington State quarterback Anthony Gordon, University of Washington wide receiver Aaron Fuller, Mississippi State tackle Tommy Champion, Albany defensive end Eli Mencer and Texas A&M cornerback Debione Renfro.

The rookies will complement Seattle’s draft class of eight new players on the roster.

Undrafted rookie signings have been leaking since the conclusion of the draft, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Seahawks opted not to confirm any new personnel moves until the paperwork had been finalized.

The undrafted rookies will now join the rest of the squad as they attempt to navigate their first NFL season without a rookie minicamp and participate in completely virtual activities for now.

Both Husky and Cougar fans can now officially celebrate Gordon and Fuller officially inked to the roster.

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