The Seattle Seahawks, in a manner of weeks, went from having too many receivers on the 53-man roster to just four healthy ones heading into their playoff battle with the Eagles in Philadelphia.
The loss of Josh Gordon to suspension and Jaron Brown to a knee injury sapped them of two veterans, and Malik Turner’s concussion looks likely to keep him out for the second week in a row, at least according to Pete Carroll.
“He’s recovering from concussion syndrome stuff,” Carroll said on Monday. “He’s got to make it back. I can’t tell you that he’s fully back yet.”
For now, Seattle has Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf, David Moore and John Ursua as the only four receivers on the active roster. Does that mean Seattle will pursue veterans on the free agent market, like they did when they brought back Robert Turbin and Marshawn Lynch last week?
“We’re talking about it,” Carroll quipped. “We’re talking about it.”
The Seahawks reportedly made one addition, signing big receiver Jaylen Smith to the practice squad, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Smith was a teammate of Lamar Jackson’s at Louisville and again with the Ravens, but he has yet to appear in an NFL game.
The #Seahawks are signing rookie WR Jaylen Smith to their practice squad, source said. Lamar Jackson's onetime target at Louisville (and briefly with the #Ravens) has a new home for the playoffs.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 31, 2019
Smith joins Penny Hart as receivers on Seattle’s practice squad, and either could be promoted to the active roster as the team’s No. 5 receiver if Seattle feels they are ready to contribute.
If Seattle chooses to look outside the organization, the most prominent free agent remains Antonio Brown. Brown recently worked out with the Saints, and Seattle is no stranger to bringing in players with questionable pasts (just look at Gordon and Mychal Kendricks) but Brown’s transgressions might too much for this team to take on – even if Russell Wilson did campaign for him earlier in the year.
That could leave Seattle perusing the XFL’s pool of talent, which could be a good match considering the bevy of former Seahawks who are currently planning to suit up for the new league in February.
Included on XFL rosters are former Seattle receivers Keenan Reynolds, Kasen Williams, Jazz Ferguson and Tanner McEvoy. Of the group, Reynolds and Ferguson both spent preseason with the Seahawks, and would be the most ready to come in and contribute right away thanks to their familiarity with the offense.
The XFL has been stringent on allowing players to break contract and re-join the NFL, but if Seattle is able to get Ferguson or Reynolds back it would give them added depth and someone who should be able to step onto the field and contribute on Sunday, if needed.
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