Tag: John Ursua

Seahawks’ Jaron Brown back with team after family emergency

Seattle Seahawks veteran receiver Jaron Brown is back after a family situation prevented him from suiting up on Sunday against Philadelphia.

The Seattle Seahawks were without veteran wide receiver Jaron Brown in their wild card win over the Eagles on Sunday.

Brown had been dealing with an MCL sprain in his knee, but his absence was unrelated to the knee injury – he missed the game due to a family situation and is already back and ready to go for the divisional round matchup with the Packers in Green Bay.

“It was not an injury,” Carroll clarified on Monday. “This was a family situation. I understand he’s back already. He’ll be back in the meetings today, so he should be fine. This week going forward, he should be okay.”

Brown’s return may not seem like a huge deal, as the veteran only has 16 receptions for 220 yards and two touchdowns this year, but he is known as a strong run-blocker and versatile route-runner – and his usage on the special teams had gone up quite a bit in the latter half of the year.

With Brown, the Seahawks will have five healthy receivers on the 53-man roster – Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf, David Moore and John Ursua. Malik Turner (concussion) is still recovering and it is unclear if he will be ready for Sunday’s bout.

If so, the rookie Ursua could find himself back on the inactive list this week to make room for the veterans.

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Pete Carroll heaps praise on rookie receiver John Ursua

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll believes rookie receiver John Ursua is going to be a big factor for the team, and it could be as soon as Sunday.

The Seattle Seahawks, at one point this season, had seven wide receivers all competing for playing time on the 53-man roster. Of those seven, rookie John Ursua was last on the depth chart.

However, his perseverance and continued growth within the system, coupled with injuries and suspensions to the players above him, culminated in him not only getting a chance to play on Sunday against San Francisco, but resulted in a crucial reception on the one-yard line that very nearly won the game, and the NFC West, for the Seahawks.

Now, he’ll look to have a role in the team’s playoff battle with the Eagles in Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon, a role that will be determined by the health of Malik Turner, who is hoping to be cleared by Thursday after suffering a concussion in Week 16 against the Cardinals.

It is very clear Ursua has caught the attention of his coach with his work ethic and skill set in practice this season, and he’s on the verge of unleashing those skills on the rest of the league.

“I think when everybody gets to see John play you’re going to really be excited about him,” Carroll said on Wednesday. “He’s such a natural athlete, he’s got magnificent body control, he’s got excellent quickness, the kind of getting out of your breaks stuff that the best guys have. He’s got a terrific catching range, really good leaper. It’s just a matter of time. I think he could be a terrific inside receiver for us as well as moving him around. But I think the run after catch might be a special part of it. He scored more touchdowns than anyone in college football his last year, you can see why. He’s explosive and creative and he’s got a lot of stuff to him.”

Ursua came to Seattle as a seventh round pick in the 2019 NFL draft. Seattle traded back into the draft to select him, a clear sign he was highly sought after in the final hours of draft weekend.

While he drew comparisons to Doug Baldwin in the preseason, Ursua was slow to pick up the playbook – which banished him to the healthy inactive report for most of the season, despite the accolades.

“It’s been a little bit of a struggle for him just getting it all together and that’s why he’s been the last guy on the depth chart, but as soon as it all clicks and he’s in he’s gonna be a factor,” Carroll continued. “This is really good for him to be around, where there’s a greater sense of urgency and he’s dressing to be a part of it. So, it’s going to bring out the best in John.”

Carroll said Ursua will be involved in the game plan regardless of Turner’s health, although his best path to playing time is if Turner is unable to recover in time for Sunday’s game.

Regardless of whether it happens in January, or not until September, fans can expect big things from the former Hawaii receiver in 2020.

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Seahawks WR Jaron Brown leaves game with knee injury, won’t return

Seattle Seahawks wideout Jaron Brown suffered a knee injury Week 17 against the San Francisco 49ers and has been ruled out of the game.

The Seattle Seahawks are in the midst of their biggest matchup of the regular season Sunday, battling against the San Francisco 49ers for the NFC West crown.

Seattle will be playing the remainder of the night without wide receiver Jaron Brown, who was injured during the first quarter and has been ruled out of the game.

Brown was targeted twice Week 17 but did not log a reception.

The Seahawks has entered the contest down a receiver already as Malik Turner was inactive Sunday as the result of a concussion.

In Brown’s absence, rookie wide receiver John Ursua should get some looks against the 49ers. Ursua was selected this year in the seventh round of the NFL draft out of Hawaii. He led the NCAA in touchdowns last season.

Coach Pete Carroll is expected to provide an injury update during his postgame press conference.

This story is still continuing to develop.

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John Ursua will see some action on Sunday against 49ers

Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll indicated that rookie receiver John Ursua will see some action on Sunday against the 49ers.

The Seattle Seahawks are heading into the final regular season game of the year with a relatively clean bill of health. Only two players, left tackle Duane Brown and receiver Malik Turner, have officially been ruled out against San Francisco.

Turner sustained a concussion in Week 16 against the Cardinals and was unable to participate in practice at all this week.

Rookie receiver John Ursua is expected to fill Turner’s spot on the active roster, and should get some time on the field after spending most of the year on the inactive list.

“Johnny [Ursua] is looking great,” coach Pete Carroll said on Friday. “He’s been battling. He’s ready. He jumped in a couple weeks ago and dressed with us. He’s ready to go. It’s been good for him to know all throughout the week that he was going to get the call. So, he’s fit in. We love the stuff that he does. He’ll be in the game.”

Fans have been clamoring for a bigger role for Ursua, a seventh round pick who lead the NCAA in touchdowns his senior year at Hawaii, but so far he has been unable to crack the rotation for Seattle.

However, Turner only averages about 17 offensive snaps a game, instead doing most of his work on the special teams. Plus, Jaron Brown and David Moore are both healthy and active, making it tough to see a big role for Ursua in the passing game.

The likely scenario has Ursua playing special teams in place of Turner, and possibly handling a small percentage of snaps on offense for the Seahawks, who are looking to sweep the 49ers and win the NFC West in what should be one of the most exciting games of the season on Sunday night.

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Seahawks feel set at wide receiver even after loss of Josh Gordon

The Seattle Seahawks are comfortable with the six receivers they have, even after losing Josh Gordon to another suspension for drug abuse.

The Seattle Seahawks receiving corps took a big hit earlier this week when it was announced that Josh Gordon would be suspended, yet again, for violation of the league’s substance abuse policy.

However, despite losing their No. 3 receiver, who had a spectacular 59-yard catch against the Panthers in his final game, coach Pete Carroll isn’t too worried about the depth at that position going forward – although he stuck with his mantra about the team always looking for ways to get better.

“We’re always looking, but I like our guys,” Carroll said on Wednesday. “We had seven guys active last week, so we’re still in good shape at this point. We’re always looking.”

The loss of Gordon will shift David Moore back into the No. 3 receiver role, and increases the role of both Jaron Brown and Malik Turner.

Rookie John Ursua was active last week as well, and could continue to be a part of the 46-man active roster this season.

Considering the team’s confidence in Moore and Turner, it does seem unlikely they will pursue any additions to their receiving group – although intriguing names like Dez Bryant and Antonio Brown will certainly at least merit a phone call.

For now, the Seahawks will go into Week 16 against the Cardinals with the six receivers they have, looking to pad their lead in the crowded NFC playoff picture.

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Seahawks have yet to make a decision on tight end Ed Dickson

The Seattle Seahawks have not decided if veteran tight end Ed Dickson will be activated off the injured reserve in time for Monday’s game.

The Seattle Seahawks are just a few hours away from taking on the undefeated San Francisco 49ers on Monday night football.

In typical Pete Carroll fashion, he is keeping his roster decisions as close to the chest as possible, which includes the potential activation of tight end Ed Dickson off the injured reserve.

“You have to wait and see on that one,” Carroll said on Saturday. “I’m not calling that one yet.”

Dickson was placed on the injured reserve in Week 1, so he is now eligible to return for Seattle. However, the team opted to keep him out last week while he got his legs under him in practice.

Now, with two full weeks of practice under his belt, it appears Dickson is ready to help this team on the field.

However, Seattle has not made room for him on their active roster just yet. The team will need to release someone, likely either receiver John Ursua or backup tight end Jacob Hollister, in order to clear a spot for him.

It seems they are waiting until the last possible moment, perhaps hoping they’ll be able to squeeze whomever they release through waivers and re-sign them to their practice squad.

Regardless, Dickson’s veteran experience and strong run-blocking will be a big boost for the Seahawks, whenever they feel he is ready to contribute on the field.

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