Seahawks To Sign QB Anthony Gordon
The Seahawks exited the draft with one quarterback on their roster. Over the past few years, they have not poured much in the way of resources into the spot. But they now have two QBs, as of Sunday afternoon.
Washington State product Anthony Gordon will sign with the Seahawks as a UDFA, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
A one-year starter with the Cougars, Gordon took over for Gardner Minshew after he became a sixth-round Jaguars pick in 2019. In Mike Leach’s final Washington State offense, Gordon put up monster numbers and surpassed Minshew statistically. Among Division I-FBS passers, only Joe Burrow bettered Gordon’s 5,579 yards and 48 touchdown passes — accomplished in 13 games compared to Burrow’s 15. Gordon completed 72% of his throws last season and played in the Senior Bowl.
Wilson and Gordon are the Seahawks’ only QBs for the time being. Wilson has never missed a start in his eight-season run as Seattle’s quarterback. Geno Smith spent 2019 as Wilson’s backup, but he remains in free agency. While it’s likely the team will add a third quarterback before training camp, another two-QB setup in Seattle will be likely for the 2020 regular season.
Seahawks Release D.J. Fluker
The Seahawks are making a big change on their offensive line. Seattle released guard D.J. Fluker Sunday, the lineman announced himself on Twitter.
Fluker has been with the Seahawks the past two years, starting all 14 games that he appeared in last season. Fluker had been set to enter the final season of the two-year, $6MM pact he signed with the Seahawks last offseason. As Brady Henderson of ESPN.com pointed out in a tweet, the Seahawks’ recent drafting of guard Damien Lewis out of LSU in the third-round might’ve been the nail in the coffin for Fluker.
Fluker entered the league as the 11th overall pick of the Chargers back in 2013. He started at least 12 games in all four years with San Diego, but never quite lived up to his draft status. A tackle in college and his first couple of pro seasons, Fluker moved to guard in 2015 and has stayed there ever since.
After a pit stop with the Giants in 2017, he landed in Seattle. The Seahawks have Mike Iupati at left guard, and Lewis can now be considered the likely favorite to start on the right side if everything goes according to plan. Still only 29, Fluker should resurface somewhere before too long.
Latest On Packers, Jordan Love
In a big win for pre-draft rumors, the Packers’ interest in Jordan Love was quite real. But their trade-up to No. 26 did not fully illustrate how much the franchise coveted the Utah State product.
The Packers had a deal worked out with the Seahawks, who picked at No. 27, but decided to climb up to 26 (via the Dolphins) to make the pick, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (video link). This was not a case of the Packers changing course to take a falling quarterback; they were “adamant” on taking one, per Rapoport.
While the Packers’ fascination with Love could have induced another team to trade ahead of them at No. 30, Rapoport adds that it does not look like anyone else was pursuing him in that range. The Colts did not make any calls to move up for Love, Rapoport notes. They ended up drafting Jacob Eason in Round 4. The Packers traded a fourth-round pick (No. 136) to climb up four spots for Love. The Seahawks ended up taking linebacker Jordyn Brooks at No. 27.
Green Bay being able to execute the ultra-rare years-long developmental program before — when Aaron Rodgers developed from 2005-07 behind Brett Favre — has the franchise confident this latest effort can work. Rodgers, however, has made it clearer than Favre did at that point that he wants to play many more seasons. The 36-year-old passer has said on multiple occasions he wants to play into his 40s. The Love addition opens the door to the future Hall of Famer finishing his career elsewhere.
Rodgers’ contract runs through 2023. His cap numbers spike beyond $36MM in 2021 and ’22. Although Love could be a star-in-training like Rodgers once was, the Packers keeping Rodgers during most of Love’s rookie contract will negate the potential benefit the organization would gain from that rookie deal. That has been a key roster-building tool for several Super Bowl teams since the 2011 CBA went into effect.
Panthers Acquire No. 64 From Seahawks
Known to trade down from time to time, the Seahawks are at it again. They will send their No. 64 overall pick to the Panthers, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
In sliding down to No. 69, the Seahawks will pick up the Panthers’ No. 148 overall choice — at the top of Round 5. The Seahawks now have a seventh pick in this draft. Based on John Schneider‘s M.O., it should be expected they will attempt to pick up more.
After taking defensive linemen Derrick Brown and Yetur Gross-Matos with their first two picks, the Panthers traded up for safety Jeremy Chinn.
A 6-foot-3, 221-pound defender out of Southern Illinois, Chinn was one of Division I-FCS’ best players last season. Chinn intercepted 13 passes with the Salukis. He will join a Panthers team that moved on from Eric Reid this offseason and has an opening opposite the recently re-signed Tre Boston.
Seahawks Trade Up To Jets’ No. 48, Take Darrell Taylor
The Jets considered a move up the board in Round 2, but they ultimately traded back with the Seahawks. The Seahawks moved up to No. 48 overall to select defensive end Darrell Taylor. In exchange, the Jets got the No. 59 and No. 101 overall choices.
Taylor racked up 8.5 sacks last season to solidify his early round draft status. He might not offer the kind of upside as new Panthers pickup Yetur Matos-Gross, but he’s much more NFL ready. In Seattle, he’ll join forces with first-round linebacker Jordyn Brooks to boost the front seven. Also in the front seven: Bruce Irvin and Benson Mayowa. At this point, the Seahawks seem to be bracing for life without Jadeveon Clowney.
The Jets, meanwhile, still have lots of work to do after addresssing their tackle need in Round 1.
Percy Harvin Eyes NFL Return
Percy Harvin‘s second retirement might not stick. The longtime NFL wide receiver wants to return to the field in 2020, as Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets. 
“I’m ready to return to the NFL,” Harvin said. “I thought I was done, but that itch came back. I’ve been training with a former Olympian. My body is feeling good. Mentally I’m better. My family is good. The timing is right.”
We haven’t seen Harvin on the field since 2016, when he played in a pair of games for the Bills. Throughout his career, he was held back by hip injuries, knee issues, and chronic migraines. But, when he was healthy, he was special.
Harvin, a former first-round pick, enjoyed his best season in 2011, when he posted 87 receptions for 967 yards and six touchdowns, while adding another 345 yards and two scores on the ground. Prior to the 2013 season, he was traded to the Seahawks, but he ultimately played in just six games before being dealt once again, this time to the Jets. Harvin struggled through a half-season with Gang Green before finishing his career in Buffalo, where he never truly got off the ground.
Harvin probably won’t fetch much in the way of guaranteed money, but he profiles as an intriguing low-risk pickup for teams in need of WR help.
Seahawks GM: “Door Not Closed” On Jadeveon Clowney
Edge defender Jadeveon Clowney continues to languish on the open market, and though it sounded like he and the Seahawks were closing in on a re-up at the end of March, more recent rumors have indicated that other teams may be able to sign him away from Seattle.
In a video conference today, however, Seahawks GM John Schneider told reporters that the door is not closed on a new contract for Clowney (Twitter link via Brady Henderson of ESPN.com). But the team could not wait to address its pass rush, which is why it went out and signed Bruce Irvin and Benson Mayowa in free agency.
Seattle could also add a pass rusher in this week’s draft, but a rookie defender would not preclude a Clowney signing any more than the Irvin and Mayowa acquisitions. At his best, Clowney is an absolute game-wrecker against both the run and the pass, and even though he has never managed double-digit sacks in a single season, his impact goes beyond his raw statistics.
Most likely, the fact that Clowney remains unsigned has less to do with his sack totals — though those totals do get plenty of attention from his detractors — and more to do with the fact that teams have been unable to gauge where he is health-wise as a result of COVID-19 restrictions. Though he has played in at least 13 games every year since his rookie campaign, he has dealt with knee problems at multiple junctures of his career and underwent core-muscle surgery this offseason after dealing with a midsection issue throughout much of 2019.
The former No. 1 overall pick has come down from his initial ask of a $20MM/year contract, but the Seahawks are reportedly unwilling to offer more than $15MM/year for him, and it does not sound as if Clowney’s camp is prepared to go that low. And, as NFL Insider Adam Caplan notes, the Seahawks do not plan on increasing their bid (Twitter link).
The outcome of the draft could change Schneider’s thinking in that regard, but for now, if Clowney does not reduce his asking price even further, he will not be suiting up for the Seahawks in 2020.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/21/20
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the day.
Dallas Cowboys
- Waived: WR Lance Lenoir
Miami Dolphins
- Waived/injured: DE Jonathan Ledbetter
Seattle Seahawks
- Claimed off waivers from Dolphins: CB Linden Stephens
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: CB Tye Smith
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/20/20
Today’s minor moves will be posted here:
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Released: RB Taj McGowan
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: OL Kahlil McKenzie
McKenzie is best known for being the son of former Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie. Drafted by the Chiefs in the sixth-round back in 2018, he spent 2019 on Seattle’s practice squad. He was with the Los Angeles Wildcats of the XFL most recently. McGowan was an undrafted rookie from UCF last year who spent his rookie season on the Jags’ injured reserve list after going down in July.
2020 NFL Draft Picks By Team
The 2020 NFL Draft is just days away and it’s just a matter of time before picks are swapped and shuffled at lightning speed. Before the trading frenzy starts, let’s take a look at the draft picks owned by each team.
[RELATED: 2020 NFL Draft Order By Round]
Updated: 4-17-20 (5:00pm CT)
Arizona Cardinals
1-8:
3-72:
4-114:
4-131: (from Houston)
6-202: (from New England)
7-222:
Atlanta Falcons
1-16:
2-47:
3-78:
4-119:
4-143: (from Baltimore*)
7-228: (from Tampa Bay, via Philadelphia)
Baltimore Ravens
1-28:
2-55: (from Atlanta, via New England)
2-60:
3-92:
3-106*:
4-129: (from New England)
4-134:
5-170: (from Minnesota)
7-225: (from Jets)
Buffalo Bills
2-54:
3-86:
4-128:
5-167:
6-188: (from Cleveland)
6-207: (from Baltimore via New England)
7-239: (from Minnesota)