Seahawks Sign LB Alexander Johnson, Activate DE L.J. Collier From IR
A three-year starter with the Broncos, Alexander Johnson did not generate much free agency interest this offseason. Despite past production, the veteran defender lingered on the market for seven-plus months. The Seahawks will provide another opportunity.
Seattle is adding Johnson to its practice squad, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets. The team also activated L.J. Collier from injured reserve. Wednesday marked the final day Collier could hold an IR-return designation. The former first-rounder remaining on IR after today would have meant his season was over. The Seahawks also signed wide receiver Kevin Kassis to their P-squad.
Only a four-year veteran, Johnson is nearing his 31st birthday. An off-field issue delayed the off-ball linebacker’s NFL entrance, but he produced once bumped into Denver’s starting lineup early in Vic Fangio‘s tenure. Pro Football Focus consistently graded Johnson as one of the league’s top off-ball ‘backers. The Tennessee alum posted 124 tackles in his most recent full season (2020), helping Fangio’s defense particularly against the run. Johnson joined offseason Seahawk trade acquisition Shelby Harris as key Fangio-era starters in Denver.
An injury also affected Johnson’s market. After placing a second-round RFA tender on Johnson last year, the Broncos moved on following the linebacker’s torn pec. Denver lost both its primary off-ball starters last season, but its new regime re-signed Josey Jewell over Johnson. With Seattle DC Clint Hurtt being a Fangio disciple, Johnson could prove a fit.
The Seahawks moved on from Bobby Wagner this offseason, giving Cody Barton a starting job alongside Jordyn Brooks. While Brooks continues to work as an every-down player, Barton has seen his role diminish somewhat in recent weeks. Tanner Muse, Nick Bellore and Cullen Gillaspia reside as the backup linebackers on Seattle’s 53-man roster.
Seattle also designated cornerback Tre Brown and running back Travis Homer to return from IR, Condotta adds (via Twitter). Each is back at practice Wednesday.
Brown has been out since November 2021 due to a knee injury. The 2021 fourth-round pick started three games as a rookie, but the Seahawks have made some changes at the position since Brown last played. They have used two 2022 draftees — Tariq Woolen and Coby Bryant — as regulars. Homer, who has been with the Seahawks since 2019, suffered a rib injury against the Falcons in Week 3. Kenneth Walker has taken over as Seattle’s lead back, but Homer has been a backup presence and special teams regular since 2019.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/25/22
Today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: OL Sage Doxtater
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: CB Thakarius Keyes
- Released: LB Jordan Brailford
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: S Mike Brown
Detroit Lions
- Signed: S J.R. Reed
- Released: DL Bruce Hector
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: TE Josh Babicz
- Released: TE Shaun Beyer
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: P Nolan Cooney, LB Forrest Rhyne
- Released: WR DeMichael Harris, CB Ryan Smith
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: OT Sebastian Gutierrez
- Released: CB Javelin Guidry
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: WR Calvin Jackson, DB Jamal Perry
- Placed on IR: WR Freddie Swain
New York Giants
- Signed: TE Andre Miller
New York Jets
- Signed: G Myron Cunningham
Seattle Seahawks
- Released: RB Godwin Igwebuike, LB Christian Jones
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/22/22
Here are the league’s minor moves going into Week 7:
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Cornell Armstrong
- Placed on IR: WR Jared Bernhardt
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed to active roster: CB Daryl Worley
- Promoted from practice squad: OLB Devon Kennard
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on IR: C Pat Elflein
Cincinnati Bengals
- Activated from PUP: LB Joe Bachie
- Promoted from practice squad: DT Tyler Shelvin
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed to active roster: DT Carlos Watkins
- Promoted from practice squad: RB Malik Davis, TE Sean McKeon
- Placed on IR: OL Matt Waletzko
Detroit Lions
- Signed to active roster: WR Maurice Alexander
- Promoted from practice squad: K Michael Badgley, WR Brandon Zylstra
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Ethan Fernea, WR Dezmon Patmon
Kansas City Chiefs
- Activated from reserve/suspended by commissioner: LB Willie Gay
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Dicaprio Bootle, WR Marcus Kemp
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Javelin Guidry
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed to active roster: WR Michael Bandy
- Promoted from practice squad: K Taylor Bertolet
- Placed on IR: RB Joshua Kelley
Miami Dolphins
- Signed to active roster: OL Brandon Shell
- Promoted from practice squad: S Verone McKinley III, DL Ben Stille
New York Giants
- Signed to active roster: OLB Quincy Roche
- Promoted from practice squad: S Landon Collins, DE Ryder Anderson
- Placed on IR: OLB Azeez Ojulari
New York Jets
- Promoted from practice squad: TE Kenny Yeboah
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted from practice squad: S Dontae Johnson
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted from practice squad: OLB Bruce Irvin, CB Xavier Crawford
- Placed on IR: CB Isaiah Dunn
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Activated from IR: T Josh Wells
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Anthony Chesley, S Nolan Turner
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Joe Schobert, WR Mason Kinsey
Washington Commanders
- Promoted from practice squad: FB Alex Armah, WR Kyric McGowan
Trade Notes: Gesicki, Hawks, Commanders
Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki recently emerged as a potential trade candidate. The tight end doesn’t seem overly focused on the latest rumblings, telling reporters that he hasn’t asked the front office for clarity about the report.
“No,” Gesicki responded when asked if he’s reached out to the Dolphins (h/t Joe Schad of The Palm Beach Post). “I mean, I think I just kind of like I said, I just kind of go about my business. Whatever happens, happens. And I’ve been here for five years now. I love it here. I’m happy to be here. And if I stay here, which I mean, I would assume, I would. I’m excited to continue to be here, make plays and you know, help the team win and move forward and all that kind of stuff for the rest of season.”
Gesicki is coming off his best game of the season, with the tight end hauling in six catches for 69 yards and a pair of touchdowns against the Vikings. However, the 27-year-old has been limited to only 101 yards in his other five appearances, with receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle commanding the bulk of the targets. Despite his inconsistent offensive role, Gesicki made it clear that he hasn’t asked for a trade.
“Nah,” Gesicki said when asked if he’s requested a trade.” I mean, I think these coaches also understand what I’m capable of. And I think, you know, Sunday was a good, you know, showing of that just, you know, a couple of opportunities to go out there and make plays. And that was my thing. I don’t know when the opportunity is gonna come, but I gotta keep preparing as if they’re gonna come.”
More trade notes from around the NFL…
- The Seahawks have made cornerback Sidney Jones available, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. While the organization would prefer to keep the veteran, they’re willing to listen to offers with Jones buried on the depth chart. Michael Jackson and Tariq Woolen are holding down the fort as the outside cornerbacks, and Tre Brown will eventually work his way back into the lineup. Jones is playing on a one-year deal following a career season in 2021. In 16 games (11 starts) for Seattle, the cornerback compiled 66 tackles and 10 passes defended.
- Speaking of Seattle, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times can’t envision the Seahawks making a significant move at the trade deadline. While Seattle has made deadline moves in the past, the team currently seems focused on building their core from within. The team also has little cap space to work with, making a big splash unlikely.
- Following his benching in Week 5, it was reported that Commanders cornerback William Jackson could be looking for a fresh start elsewhere. However, the defensive back denied reports that he wants to be traded (per ESPN’s John Keim on Twitter). Jackson was ruled out for Week 6 with a back injury, and it sounds like he’s unlikely to play in Week 7. Jackson is attached to a three-year, $40.5MM deal, but teams have expressed interest ahead of the Nov. 1 deadline.
- The Panthers were planning to cut Robbie Anderson before they found a taker in the Cardinals, reports ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter). Considering the prospect of just eating his salary, the Panthers made out well in the deal, securing a 2024 sixth-round pick and a 2025 seventh-round pick from Arizona.
NFL Workouts: Ross, Austin, Butler
Despite adding star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins back to the active roster and acquiring former Panthers wide out Robbie Anderson for a pair of draft picks, the Cardinals worked out another receiver yesterday in John Ross, according to Field Yates of ESPN. While many viewed Anderson as a replacement for the lost production of draft day acquisition Marquise Brown, who faces a potential multi-week absence, the speedy Ross would be a better match, in terms of skill set, to team up with diminutive wide outs Rondale Moore and Greg Dortch to replace Brown’s ability.
A former top ten draft pick for the Bengals in 2017, Ross is widely considered not to have lived up to his draft stock. After missing the majority of his rookie season with knee and shoulder issues, Ross was still able to salvage some bright spots in his second and third seasons, reaching career highs for touchdowns with seven in 2018 and receiving yards with 506 in 2019. Despite showing some promise, injuries continued to drag the young wide out down. Over the final two years of his contract, Ross missed 21 games, leading him towards free agency. He signed with the Giants last year and appeared in 10 games, catching 11 passes for 224 yards and a touchdown.
Here are a couple of other workouts reported around the league, starting with Brown’s former home in Baltimore:
- After losing second-year wide receiver Rashod Bateman to injury for the past two weeks, the Ravens were looking to add some receiving depth recently, as well. This desire resulted in the practice squad addition of veteran DeSean Jackson, but, according to Yates, Baltimore auditioned another veteran wide out in Tavon Austin. The former long-time Ram has spent the last four seasons since leaving Los Angeles with three other teams. Austin has seen quite a down-sized role since his heyday as a starter with the Rams, but showed a big-play ability in Dallas, averaging 15.1 yards per reception as a Cowboy three seasons ago. With Jackson now on the practice squad, Austin will likely have to keep searching for his fifth NFL squad.
- The Seahawks worked out a former first round pick in defensive tackle Vernon Butler yesterday, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Butler waited until the final year of his rookie contract with the Panthers to play up to his draft stock, racking up 6.0 sacks, 7.0 tackles for loss, 32 tackles, and three forced fumbles, which all still stand as career highs by quite a bit. Butler signed a two-year contract with the Bills after leaving Carolina but failed to match the production from his best year with the Panthers. He’s available after failing to make the Raiders’ final 53-man roster and looks to add some depth to a minorly banged up Seahawks defensive line.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/19/22
Today’s practice squad moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Released: S Richard LeCounte
Detroit Lions
- Signed: WR Stanley Berryhill
- Placed on IR: DB Saivion Smith
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: WR Kawaan Baker
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: WR Blake Proehl
New England Patriots
- Signed: DL Ron’Dell Carter
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR Easop Winston
- Released: WR Kevin Kassis
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: TE David Wells
Washington Commanders
- Signed: RB Alex Armah
- Released: OT Christian DiLauro
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/18/22
Here are Tuesday’s practice squad additions and subtractions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LB Blake Lynch
- Released: WR Stanley Berryhill
Atlanta Falcons
- Released: DT Kobe Smith
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: LB Brandon Copeland, LB Julian Stanford
- Released: LB Jeremiah Attaochu, WR Slade Bolden
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: RB Spencer Brown, DE Delontae Scott, DT Raequan Williams
- Released: TE Josh Babicz, DE Austin Larkin, TE John Lovett
Chicago Bears
- Signed: TE Sammis Reyes
Denver Broncos
- Signed: WR Brandon Johnson
- Released: TE Dalton Keene
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: S Innis Gaines
- Released: CB Benjie Franklin, LB Ray Wilborn
Houston Texans
- Signed: S C.J. Moore
- Released: CB BoPete Keyes
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: WR DeMichael Harris
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: WR Deionte Thompson
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: LS Kyle Nelson
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: RB La’Mical Perine
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: S Myles Dorn
- Released: S Mike Brown
New England Patriots
- Released: K Tristan Vizcaino
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: QB Jake Luton, DE Jabari Zuniga
- Released: DT Christian Ringo
New York Jets
- Signed: OL Conor McDermott
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: RB Jason Huntley, WR Josh Malone
- Released: S Scott Nelson
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: QB Kurt Benkert, CB Ka’dar Hollman
- Released: LB Buddy Johnson, K Sam Sloman
Seattle Seahawks
- Released: WR Kevin Kassis
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Released: OL Justin Skule
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DB Kyron Brown, DB Steven Parker
- Released: DB Nate Brooks
Washington Commanders
- Released: DT Donovan Jeter
Seahawks View Geno Smith As Long-Term QB?
The Seahawks traded longtime QB and franchise icon Russell Wilson to the Broncos this offseason, and part of the Wilson return was fellow signal-caller Drew Lock. Seattle was said to think highly of Lock, who appeared to have a real chance to open the season as the team’s QB1. Geno Smith, who served as Wilson’s backup over the past three seasons and who played well in Wilson’s absence in 2021, was re-signed to a modest deal in April.
Smith and Lock battled for the starting job throughout the spring and summer, and Smith emerged as the winner of that competition (he also survived the possibility of additional acquisitions like Baker Mayfield and Jimmy Garoppolo). And although the ‘Hawks are sporting a 2-3 record through the first five games of the 2022 campaign, Smith is more than holding up his end of the bargain. He leads the league in completion percentage (75.2%) and QB rating (113.2), and he has thrown nine TDs against just two interceptions. He has also rushed 20 times for 77 yards and a score.
Per Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network, the Seahawks are beginning to see Smith as a long-term option (video link). That is not just because of the above-referenced surface-level stats, but also because of how Smith is managing the offense, including recent audibles from pass plays to run plays that have resulted in long touchdowns. Though he had not been a full-time starter since 2014, his experience in the league and his poise have been evident, and Garafolo says the club is “absolutely thrilled” with what it has seen thus far.
Of course, there are 12 more regular season games and plenty of time for the thrill to go away. Plus, even if Smith continues to perform at his current level, he is now 32 years old, and the 2023 crop of collegiate passers should be much more appealing than the 2022 class. So if Seattle is in position to take a top QB with one of its two first-round picks — or trade up to select such a player — it would be hard to turn down that opportunity based on one productive season from a player on the wrong side of 30.
Smith, though, should not be particularly expensive to re-sign, at least relative to other QBs. He will earn $3.5MM this year (with a chance to hit $7MM via incentives), and a short-term, $15MM-$20MM/year deal would seem to be a fair price for him even if he finishes the season as strong as he has started it. That type of contract would not preclude the team from drafting a signal-caller to groom behind Smith while letting the West Virginia product try to continue his belated coming-out party.
Like Smith, Lock is out of contract at season’s end, and as of right now, his last game tape features him throwing three picks in this year’s preseason finale. Barring injury or a collapse from Smith, Lock could be looking for backup gigs as a free agent in 2023.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/15/22
Today’s minor moves around the league:
Atlanta Falcons
- Activated from IR: CB Isaiah Oliver
- Promoted: TE MyCole Pruitt
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted: LB Jeremiah Attaochu, S Ar’Darius Washington
Carolina Panthers
- Signed to active roster: LB Arron Mosby
- Promoted: QB Jacob Eason, CB Tae Hayes
- Placed on IR: CB Stantley Thomas-Oliver
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed to active roster: LS Matt Overton
- Promoted: TE Sean McKeon, RB Malik Davis
- Placed on IR: WR Simi Fehoko, RB Rico Dowdle
Green Bay Packers
- Promoted: WR Juwann Winfree
- Placed on IR: LB Tipa Galeai
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed to active roster: WR Keke Coutee
- Promoted: RB Phillip Lindsay, RB D’Vonte Price
- Waived: T Luke Tenuta
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Promoted: LB Ty Summers
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed to active roster: CB Dicaprio Bootle
- Promoted: S Zayne Anderson, LB Cole Christiansen
- Placed on IR: DT Tershawn Wharton
Los Angeles Rams
- OL Chandler Brewer, RB Ronnie Rivers
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted: T Brandon Shell, T Kion Smith
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: TE Jacob Hollister
New England Patriots
- Promoted: QB Garrett Gilbert, WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey
New Orleans Saints
- Signed to active roster: WR Keith Kirkwood, WR Rashid Shaheen
- Promoted: CB Chris Harris, WR Kevin White
- Placed on IR: WR Deonte Harty
- Waived: QB Jake Luton
New York Giants
- Promoted: DT Ryder Anderson, WR Marcus Johnson
- Placed on IR: S Tony Jefferson
New York Jets
- Promoted: TE Kenny Yeboah
- Waived: WR Lawrence Cager
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted: S Andre Chachere
- Placed on IR: DE Janarius Robinson
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed to active roster: CB Josh Jackson
- Promoted: S Elijah Riley, CB Quincy Wilson
- Placed on IR: DL DeMarvin Leal
San Francisco 49ers
- Activated from IR: LB Curtis Robinson
- Promoted: CB Dontae Johnson, WR Willie Snead
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted: LB Christian Jones
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: CB Anthony Chesley, S Nolan Turner
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/14/22
Just one minor move on the transaction wire today:
Seattle Seahawks
- Placed on IR: RB Rashaad Penny (story)

