While Michael Thomas recovers from a knee injury, the Saints are turning to a familiar face. Marquez Callaway is back with the Saints after bouncing around the NFL in 2023. The wideout wasn’t re-signed by the Saints following the 2022 campaign, and he’s since spent time with the Broncos and Raiders. The former UDFA spent the first three seasons of his career in New Orleans, hauling in 83 catches for 1,069 yards and seven touchdowns.
Eric Rowe has found a new home after getting cut by the Panthers practice squad back in September. Rowe earned a pair of Super Bowl rings during his three-year stint in New England, and he followed that up with a three-year stint in Miami. Rowe got into 14 games (six starts) for the Dolphins in 2022, finishing with 56 tackles and two sacks.
Evans had been called up from the practice squad three times by the Cowboys, meaning he needed to be added to the 53-man roster this week to continue suiting up. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports “several teams” attempted to poach the veteran off the taxi squad, but his decision to remain with Dallas has culminated in today’s move. Evans has logged 74 combined defensive and special teams snaps with the Cowboys so far, recording three tackles.
James was out of the lineup for one game after being designated for return, but he will be eligible to suit up for the upcoming Super Bowl rematch against the Eagles. Mentioned as a trade candidate earlier this year, he will be able to add depth to a WR corps which has underperformed to date, and add to his single catch recorded in his two Kansas City games at the start of the campaign.
September 15th, 2023 at 12:27pm CST by Adam La Rose
SEPTEMBER 15: As expected, the Seahawks will be without both starting tackles on Sunday. Carroll confirmed that Cross will be out for Week 2 while he recovers from a toe injury. He added, encouragingly, that the blindside blocker made progress in his recovery during the week, meaning he might be available come Week 3. With Peters not ready to play so soon after signing, though, Seattle will be notably shorthanded along the O-line for the time being.
Lucas underwent knee surgery this week, Carroll said. It is not known if the second-year tackle will be back when first eligible (Week 6). Forsythe and Curham will start at tackle Sunday, per the Seattle Times’Bob Condotta.
SEPTEMBER 13: As the Jason Peterssigning foreshadowed, the Seahawks will be shorthanded at offensive tackle for a stretch. The team announced on Wednesday that Abraham Lucas has been placed on injured reserve.
As a result of the move, Seattle’s right tackle starter will be sidelined for at least the next four weeks. Lucas, part of the team’s highly impactful 2022 draft class, was a first-teamer right away as a rookie. He partnered with first-round selection Charles Crossto give the team a young tackle tandem with the potential to give the offense a consistent presence up front for both the short- and long-term.
Like Lucas, Cross is banged up following the Seahawks’ Week 1 loss. His status moving forward is also in question, so it comes as no surprise that the team added tackle depth in the expected absence of both its left and right tackle starters. Seattle signedRaiqwon O’Nealoff the Buccaneers’ practice squad, and added McClendon Curtis from the Raiders’ taxi squad. Both players are undrafted rookies, so they have less experience than incumbents Stone Forsytheand Jake Curhan. The latter two, likewise, have far less service time than Peters.
Having not taken part in spring workouts or training camp, Peters’ most recent team practices came during his time with the Cowboys last season. The 41-year-old would thus be a longshot to suit up on Sunday, as head coach Pete Carroll noted (via ESPN’s Brady Henderson). Cross being unable to play, coupled with the timeline of Peters’ ramp-up period, would leave the Seahawks particularly thin up front for Week 2.
In more positive injury news, Carroll said earlier this week that first-round corner Devon Witherspoonwill be a full participant in practice in the build-up to his NFL debut, per Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Taken with the No. 5 pick in April’s draft, Witherspoon was held out of Week 1 with a hamstring injury but playing him on Sunday will give Seattle’s secondary a notable boost when they look to rebound from their season-opening defeat to the Rams.
Not big on making big cornerback investments, with Richard Sherman‘s 2014 extension the exception, the Seahawks have some questions at the position ahead of training camp. A year after the team let Shaquill Griffin walk in free agency, 2021 starter D.J. Reed joined the Jets in March. The Seahawks did not use a first- or second-day draft pick at corner and, while they brought back Justin Coleman in the slot, have some uncertainty in how they will replace Reed. One option will be Artie Burns, the former Steelers first-round pick who signed a one-year, $2MM deal. Burns, 27, lined up opposite Sidney Jones with Seattle’s first-team defense at minicamp, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times notes. Burns, who worked as a late-season starter with the Bears last season, has not been looked upon as a primary starter since the Steelers benched him in 2018. A pair of fourth-round picks — second-year cover man Tre Brown and rookieCoby Bryant — loom as options as well. Brown did not participate in minicamp, due to the knee injury that ended his rookie slate. After nearly four years after his Steelers starter run wrapped, Burns has a chance to carve out a key role with his third team.
Here is the latest from the NFC West:
The 49ers‘Tyrion Davis-Pricethird-round pick was somewhat surprising, but bolstering a backfield featuring other notable assets may be a two-fold solution. While the 49ers have starter Elijah Mitchell, backup Jeff Wilson and 2021 third-rounder Trey Sermon, Albert Breer of SI.com notes the selection of the LSU running back choice doubled as an “olive branch” of sorts to Deebo Samuel. Kyle Shanahan using Samuel as a between-the-tackles back last season is believed to be one of the gripes the disgruntled wide receiver had when he made his trade request in April. Davis-Price joining the backfield will provide more insurance so that Samuel — his 6.2 yards-per-carry figure notwithstanding — will not be needed for such a role in 2022. The 49ers continue to work toward a Samuel extension.
The Rams‘ big-ticket extensions for Aaron Donald and Cooper Kupp will create a bit of cap room in 2022. The defending Super Bowl champions are gaining $3.63MM in space, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets, with Donald tied to a $24MM cap number and Kupp tethered to a $17.8MM figure. Los Angeles’ Donald and Kupp deals occurred two days apart. Donald is now the game’s highest-paid non-quarterback, while Kupp’s new pact checks in at $26.7MM per year — fourth among wideouts — and carries a receiver-high $75MM guaranteed.
Shifting back to the Seahawks, they set to return their 2021 guard duo — Gabe Jackson and Damien Lewis — but their oldest O-lineman will be returning from offseason knee surgery, per Condotta. Jackson, 30, missed OTAs and the Seahawks’ minicamp because of the procedure. The former Raiders starter is going into his ninth season. Because of the new contract the Seahawks gave Jackson last year, he is set to count $9MM toward their 2022 cap. Jackson only missed one game in his first Seahawks season.
Staying on the Seahawks’ O-line, the team will feature a right tackle competition in camp. Rookie Abraham Lucaswill vie for the job against second-year blockers Jake Curhan and Stone Forsythe, Condotta adds. A former UDFA, Curhan started five games last season. Forsythe, who has mostly worked as a left tackle during his short career, played just 14 offensive snaps as a rookie. Second-year Seattle OC Shane Waldron said he does not have an issue starting two rookies at tackle; No. 9 overall pick Charles Crossis set to succeed Duane Brown on the left side.
With their rookie minicamp underway, the Seahawks announced their undrafted free agent class. Here are the rookie hopefuls eyeing back-end-of-the-roster spots in Seattle:
Seattle drafted just three players this year, having sent its first- and third-round picks to the Jets in 2020’s Jamal Adams deal. The Seahawks’ large (for 2021) UDFA class includes a few under-the-radar prospects. The 10th overall pick in this year’s CFL draft, Lestage will give the NFL a try first. Both Johnson and Mills were Division I-FCS All-Americans.
Scouts Inc. viewed the 6-foot-2, 207-pound Terry as a fifth-round prospect. In 13 2019 games, the Seminoles receiver caught 60 passes for 1,188 yards and nine touchdowns. Although the Seahawks drafted a receiver (D’Wayne Eskridge) in Round 2, they figure to have competition for backup roles. Josh Johnson surpassed 1,200 rushing yards in 2019, averaging 6.5 per carry, while Emmons was initially an Alabama recruit who transferred to the Conference USA program. The Seahawks re-signed Chris Carson but lost Carlos Hyde in free agency and did not pick up Rashaad Penny‘s fifth-year option.
Hocker joins Texans UDFAsCarson Greenand Ryan McCollumas Texas A&M O-linemen to land post-draft deals. The Steelers drafted ex-Aggies tackle Dan Moore Jr.in Round 4. Hocker worked as a guard with the SEC team. Curhan started 40 games at tackle for the Golden Bears; he will join sixth-round tackle Stone Forsytheas a rookie edge blockers with the Seahawks. Eiland received starts at both tackle positions and right guard for the Bulldogs.
