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 finding diamonds in the rough in years past, including Dave Krieg, Jermaine Kearse, Doug Baldwin and most recently, defensive tackle Poona Ford.
They have a lot who could impress enough in training camp to make the active roster, including blocking tight end Tyler Mabry.
Mabry spent three years at Buffalo, racking up 60 receptions for 567 yards and three touchdowns before graduating and transferring to Maryland for his final year of eligibility.
Mabry had 13 receptions for 155 yards and three touchdowns for the Terrapins, reaching his three-year touchdown total in just one year.
However, the Seahawks are not interested in Mabry for his receiving yards, or even his touchdowns numbers. They like him for his size (six-foot-three, 250 pounds) and his reputation as a very good run blocker, something the Seahawks have long coveted from their tight ends.
Of course, Seattle has plenty of tight ends to choose from on the current roster. Will Dissly, Jacob Hollister and Luke Willson are all back in uniform, and they are joined by veteran Greg Olsen and a pair of draft picks, Colby Parkinson and Stephen Sullivan, as well as fellow undrafted free agent Dominick Wood-Anderson.
However, despite the sheer number of tight ends, Seattle actually doesn’t have that many who are primarily run-blockers. Dissly is excellent in protection, but injury issues have really slowed him down in his first two NFL seasons. Willson is a good blocker as well, but he has also dealt with injuries and could be a cap casualty this offseason.
The newcomers are all receivers more than they are blockers, which leaves a bit of a hole on the roster.
Seattle probably won’t roster more than four tight ends, and imagining Mabry making the roster over the two draft picks is tough to do, but perhaps a spot on the practice squad, and an emergency role as a special teams contributor or extra blocker could come to fruition for the former Terrapin if he can show well in training camp.
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