Seahawks To Sign CB Byron Maxwell
The Seahawks are signing cornerback Byron Maxwell, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). It’s a one-year deal for the veteran. 
The deal brings Maxwell back to where he played his best football. His lucrative free agent deal turned out to be a mistake for the Eagles and the Dolphins couldn’t get much out of him post-trade, but he might be able to recapture some of his old magic with a return to Seattle. He’ll also have a huge opportunity to shine after Richard Sherman suffered a season-ending Achilles tear.
Coaches in Miami believed that Maxwell was going rogue and refusing to play the defenses called from the sidelines. That could indicate that Maxwell – now a much richer man than he was in 2014 – had lost motivation. It could also signal that he has lost a step and is no longer able to play press-man coverage against speedier receivers.
Before signing with Seattle, Maxwell also auditioned for the Falcons earlier this month.
Did Seahawks Violate Concussion Protocol?
Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, citing a source close to the situation, reports that the Seahawks violated the league’s concussion protocol by allowing quarterback Russell Wilson to reenter Thursday night’s game against Arizona without going to the locker room and being cleared by a team doctor and an independent physician. However, a league spokesman told ESPN that the NFL has not conducted any interviews yet, so it has not reached any conclusions. The NFL and NFLPA will jointly review the situation over the coming weeks.
Seahawks Likely To Start Jeremy Lane
- 49ers defensive end Tank Carradine returned to practice this week, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com reports. The team planned to bring the injured defender back from IR, and it looks like that’s still the plan. Carradine can return as soon as Week 12 — a November 26 game against the Seahawks. Both Carradine and Arik Armstead are on IR, and it looks like the latter’s third NFL season will be over. “It’s a tough decision, but we feel Tank has got a good chance to at least be back for these last six games where we know Arik would have been only the last two,” Kyle Shanahan said. “We had to make a decision (Wednesday), so we’re going to go with Tank right now.” Fellow defensive lineman Ronald Blair took San Francisco’s first IR-return spot last week.
- The Seahawks‘ post-Richard Sherman plan will likely feature the nearly traded Jeremy Lane moving into the starting lineup alongside rookie Shaquill Griffin, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times writes. Condotta predicted the Seahawks would bring in former starter Byron Maxwell for a visit, which they plan to, but no agreement is yet imminent. DeShawn Shead remains on the PUP list after suffering a serious knee injury in the divisional round last season, but thanks to an NFL rule change, the Seahawks don’t have to make an activation decision by Week 11. They can wait longer if they want to activate Shead, but he would likely require multiple weeks of practice to return to a game-ready status. Time’s running out on those prospects, if Seattle wants to use Shead during the regular season.
Seahawks To Audition CBs Byron Maxwell, Trovon Reed
With Richard Sherman lost for the season, the Seahawks are now in the market for a new cornerback. Well, the team is apparently zeroing in on a pair of familiar faces, as Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times reports (via Twitter) that free agent defensive backs Byron Maxwell and Trovon Reed are expected to audition for the team.
Maxwell, a 2011 sixth-round pick, made a name for himself during his tenure in Seattle. After serving in a backup role during his first two seasons in the league, Maxwell took on more responsibility during the 2013 and 2014 seasons. After starting 12 games and compiling 39 tackles and a pair of interceptions during his final season in Seattle, Maxwell signed a lucrative six-year deal with the Eagles during the 2015 offseason. The veteran has struggled since, as he was traded to the Dolphins after only one season in Philly, and he was eventually released by Miami earlier this season. Since then, the 29-year-old has had a lone workout with the Falcons.
Reed has bounced around the league since going undrafted out of Auburn in 2015. The 26-year-old has had a pair of stints with the Seahawks organization, and he also spent time with the Rams, Dolphins, and Chargers. Reed played in six games (one start) for the Chargers in 2016, compiling 14 tackles, three passes defended, and two interceptions.
With Sherman out and DeShawn Shead sitting on the PUP, the Seahawks are currently rostering only four healthy cornerbacks in Shaquill Griffin, Justin Coleman, Neiko Thorpe, and Jeremy Lane.
Seahawks’ Richard Sherman Done For Year
Richard Sherman‘s season is over. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll confirmed to reporters after Thursday night’s game that Sherman has suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times). The cornerback will be placed on injured reserve in the coming days. 
Sherman told reporters, including Gregg Bell of The News Tribune (Twitter link) that his Achilles has been bothering him since the Rams game back on Oct. 8. He figured it would rupture eventually, but he wanted to keep playing for his teammates. Tonight, he heard a pop and his worst fears were confirmed by doctors in the locker room.
The Seahawks’ options for out-of-house reinforcements are somewhat limited now that the trade deadline has passed. Vontae Davis will be a free agent once he formally clears waivers on Friday, but he is said to be considering season-ending groin surgery. For now, the Seahawks seem likely to fill from within using Justin Coleman, Neiko Thorpe, and Jeremy Lane alongside Shaquill Griffin. It’s also possible that DeShawn Shead will be able to return from IR at some point this year.
Sherman is in the third year of a four-year, $56MM contract extension he inked with the Seahawks back in 2014. The deal calls for a cap number of $13.6MM this year followed by $13.2MM in 2018. In theory, if the Seahawks wanted to put their resources in another direction, they could release Sherman and save $11MM against the cap while carrying just $2.2MM in dead money.
Sherman is still among the league’s best cornerbacks, but it’s a situation to keep an eye on if he does not regain all of his explosiveness after surgery. The Seahawks may seek to tamp down his 2018 cap number, perhaps via a pay cut or a more team-friendly extension.
This marks Sherman’s first incomplete season since entering the league as a fifth-round pick in the 2011 draft. In his six previous seasons, he had perfect regular season attendance while earning five Pro Bowl nods and two First-Team All-Pro selections.
Seahawks Place OL Rees Odhiambo On IR
The Seahawks have placed offensive lineman Rees Odhiambo on injured reserve in order to clear a roster spot for newly-activated defensive lineman Dion Jordan, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter link).
Odhiambo, a 2016 third-round pick, became Seattle’s starting left tackle this year following a preseason injury to George Fant. The 25-year-old was extremely ineffective in his seven starts, however, grading as a bottom-three blindside protector, per Pro Football Focus. The Seahawks offensive line continued to struggle as a unit, ranking 16th in adjusted sack rate and 27th in adjusted line yards.
Those problems forced Seattle general manager John Schneider to make a move before the NFL’s trade deadline, and the club ultimately sent second- and third-round picks to the Texans in exchange for veteran left tackle Duane Brown. Brown started against the Redskins in Week 9 and played all 83 offensive snaps, while Odhiambo was not only relegated to the bench, but listed as inactive for Sunday’s game.
Odhiambo dealt with a serious chest injury earlier this year, but it’s a multiple hand issues — which will require surgery — that will sideline him for the rest of the season.
Richardson Thriving In Walk Year
Paul Richardson is finally healthy and the Seahawks are thrilled to see him playing up to his potential.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/7/17
Today’s minor moves:
Denver Broncos
- Signed off Seahawks‘ practice squad: LB Joseph Jones
- Waived: LB Kevin Snyder
Indianapolis Colts
Los Angeles Chargers
- Waived: LB Josh Keyes, T Tyler Marz
Miami Dolphins
- Signed off Browns‘ practice squad: T Zach Sterup
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived from injured reserve: WR R.J. Shelton
New Orleans Saints
- Waived from injured reserve: WR Corey Fuller, T Martin Wallace
New York Jets
- Signed: DL Ed Stinson
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DB Antone Exum
- Placed on injured reserve: T Garry Gilliam
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted to active roster: LB Josh Forrest
- Placed on injured reserve: FB Tre Madden
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/7/17
Today’s practice squad moves:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: S Derron Smith
- Cut: TE Scott Orndoff
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: DT Joe Vellano
Indianapolis Colts
- Cut: CB Channing Stribling
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: OL Cole Toner
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: OL Willie Beavers
- Cut: RB Bronson Hill
New England Patriots
- Signed: DT Mike Purcell
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: S Tre Sullivan
- Cut: LB Don Cherry
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: T Jake Rodgers
- Cut: WR Justin Thomas
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: OL Isaiah Battle
Seahawks Won't Move On From Blair Walsh
- Even after he missed three field goal attempts on Sunday against Washington, the Seahawks say they will not move on from kicker Blair Walsh. “No, we will not,” coach Pete Carroll told reporters (via Brady Henderson of ESPN.com). “He’s 12-for-13 going into the game, guys. That was a hard day for whatever reason. We didn’t kick the ball off very well, either. It was just a hard day to kick the ball for us.” Walsh’s misses proved to be costly as Seattle lost by three points.
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