Seahawks Release CB Perrish Cox
The Seahawks have released the following players: 
- Chris Briggs, TE
- Ross Burbank, C
- Rodney Coe, DT
- Perrish Cox, CB
- George Farmer, RB
- Jamel Johnson, WR
- John Lunsford, K
- Terrence Magee, RB
Cox, 30, joined the Seahawks in January as insurance in the wake of DeShawn Shead‘s knee injury. Shead is not expected to be ready for Week 1, but the Seahawks do not feel that Cox is worth keeping around as an alternative. Before signing with Seattle, Cox was with the Titans. He intercepted three passes in 11 games for Tennessee in 2016.
With Lunsford out of the way, Blair Walsh stands as the only place kicker on Seattle’s roster.
Even after releasing Farmer and Magee, the Seahawks still have nine running backs under contract.
Seahawks’ Jarran Reed Accused Of Assault
Seahawks defensive tackle Jarran Reed is under investigation for domestic violence, as Alex Rozier of KING5-TV writes. Sources close to the Bellevue Police Department say that authorities are still assessing whether to file charges. The alleged incident took place in the early hours of April 27. 
The Seahawks selected Reed in the second round of the 2016 draft. As a rookie, he appeared in 15 games (six starts) and recorded 34 total tackles and 1.5 sacks. This year, Reed projects to start for the Seahawks at one defensive tackle spot, perhaps with 2017 second round pick Malik McDowell alongside him. Of course, if these accusations have merit, Reed’s availability could be jeopardized.
The young Alabama product has serious high upside, as longtime scout Dave-Te Thomas outlined for PFR prior to the 2016 draft:
Reed is a “never back down from anything” type. He sacrificed personal success to play the role of “trash man” for the Tide, using his power and frame to constantly take on double teams in order for a freed-up teammate to make the play. He is an all-out battler in tight quarters and shows enough functional quickness to make plays outside the box while also generating good urgency in pursuit. When he gets in a groove, he simply overpowers and wears down the blockers with his leg drive and combative nature.
He might not have the 330-pound frame you look for in a three-tech, but he has above average upper body strength and that strong anchor to split double teams and collapse the offensive line….He will engage and shed with good force and shows a surprising motor in short area pursuit. When he gets into the hole, he delivers that strong hand punch to clog the rush lanes and push back the lead blocker as evidenced by teams recording just four first downs on 52 rushing attempts against him in 2015.
Seahawks Sign DE/LB David Bass
The Seahawks have signed edge defender David Bass, per an Instagram announcement from the player (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times).
Bass entered the NFL in 2013 as a seventh-round pick of the Raiders, though he never actually suited up for them. He instead spent his first two seasons in Chicago, where he totaled 20 appearances (two starts) and combined for four sacks.
Bass was a member of the Titans over the previous two years, setting career highs in games (16) and starts (seven) during a 1.5-sack, one-interception 2015 campaign. He made less of a defensive impact across 13 appearances last season, playing just over 20 percent of the Titans’ snaps and picking up 12 tackles, but partook in 45 percent of special teams snaps.
As of now, the 26-year-old Bass is in line to function as a defensive end for Seattle, writes Condotta. The Seahawks have no shortage of proven and/or familiar names at DE, including Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril, Frank Clark and Dion Jordan, so Bass could have difficulty distinguishing himself as a defender if he makes their roster.
Seahawks Claim RB Mike Davis Off Waivers
Mike Davis is staying in the NFC West. The Seahawks have claimed the running back off waivers from the 49ers, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 
[RELATED: Seahawks Expect To Retain Richard Sherman]
The Seahawks selected Oklahoma running back Chris Carson with one of the final picks in the draft but they’re still looking into reserve options to slot behind Eddie Lacy, Thomas Rawls, and C.J. Prosise. Troymaine Pope, 2016 fifth-round pick Alex Collins, J.D. McKissic, Terrence Magee, and Tre Madden are also vying for a roster spot.
The 49ers informed Davis of his release last week. Davis, a fourth-round pick in 2015, hasn’t done a whole lot in his two NFL seasons. Last year, he suffered a broken hand midway through the season and never returned to action even though he was slated to be the team’s one IR-DTR player. Between 2015 and 2016, he has averaged just 2.0 yards per carry on 54 attempts for the 49ers.
Seahawks Expect To Retain Richard Sherman
Less than two weeks ago, Seahawks general manager John Schneider wasn’t ready to rule out trading cornerback Richard Sherman. But with the draft having passed since then, it appears the team’s chance to deal the four-time Pro Bowler has gone by the wayside.
[RELATED: Earl Thomas On Track For Opener]
As a guest on the “Brock and Salk” show on 710 ESPN Seattle on Thursday, head coach Pete Carroll addressed the odds of a Sherman trade, saying (via Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com): “I don’t think anybody’s going to offer us anything that would make it worthwhile, because there’s no draft involved and all that kind of stuff. But that’s always out there. There’s always opportunities to trade. But the likelihood is like zero percent, it seems like. Teams don’t want to give up stuff. They don’t want to trade at times like this, and it’s really hard to navigate through a trade with experienced players during draft time. It just doesn’t happen very often.”
While Sherman and the Seahawks had mutual interest in parting ways earlier this spring, no one was willing to meet the club’s asking price (reportedly a first-round pick this year and a conditional mid-rounder in 2018). Now, there’s “no animosity at all” between the two sides, according to Carroll, who believes his relationship with the 29-year-old is “as good as it’s ever been.” To Carroll, shopping Sherman was an example of the Seahawks doing their due diligence.
“We don’t want to trade guys,” he said. “We want to keep our guys. But we have to in an effort to always work to be better and help our team. We’ve got to listen and all that. So we went through that process. There was very open conversation about that.”
Now that Sherman will return to helm the Legion of Boom again in 2017, Carroll noted that the Seahawks need “to continue to dig into [Sherman] and make sure that he’s really at the height of his game, intensity-wise.” Sherman wasn’t necessarily at the height of his game, performance-wise, in 2016, but he still served as a top-notch defender. In the fifth straight 16-start season of his career, the six-year veteran tallied four interceptions and 13 passes defensed, and ranked among Pro Football Focus’ 15 best corners.
Chiefs Claim Kelvin Taylor
The Chiefs have claimed running back Kelvin Taylor off waivers from the Seahawks, according to Adam Teicher of ESPN.com.
The son of Fred Taylor, the greatest running back in Jaguars history, Kelvin Taylor hit waivers Thursday when Seattle cut him. He spent part of last season on the Seahawks’ practice squad and a week on their active roster, but he didn’t see any game action. Taylor, an ex-Florida Gator, originally went to the 49ers in the sixth round of last year’s draft, but he didn’t advance beyond their practice squad before they cut him in November.
As was the case in both San Francisco and Seattle, Taylor will face an uphill battle in attempting to carve out a role in Kansas City. The Chiefs have no shortage of options at running back, including veterans Spencer Ware, Charcandrick West and C.J. Spiller and rookie third-rounder Kareem Hunt.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/4/17
Today’s minor moves:
- Defensive tackle Dominique Easley signed his restricted free agent tender with the Rams today, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Easley was tendered at the original round level, which means he’ll earn a non-guaranteed base salary of $1.797MM for 2017. Because Easley is a former first-round pick, any club that signed him to an offer sheet would have had to be willing to sacrifice a first-round pick. Clearly, no team was interested in such a move, so Easley will return to Los Angeles next year before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2018.
- The Seahawks have waived running back Kelvin Taylor, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). Taylor, 23, was selected by San Francisco in the sixth round of the 2016 draft. During his rookie campaign, Taylor spent time on the practice squads of both the Seahawks and the 49ers, and was on Seattle’s active roster for one week in December. The Florida alum is the son of former NFL running back Fred Taylor.
- The Vikings announced that they’ve waived defensive end Sterling Bailey and offensive tackle Marquis Lucas. Bailey, 24, went undrafted in 2016 and has already been with the Colts and Seahawks in addition to the Vikings. Lucas was also originally a UDFA who signed with Buffalo after last year’s draft before ending the season on Minnesota’a practice squad. Neither Bailey nor Lucas has appeared in an NFL contest.
- The Broncos have waived defensive end Iosia Iosia, wide receiver Mekale McKay, and long snapper Jeff Overbaugh, tweets Cameron Wolfe of the Denver Post. None of the three have any NFL experience, as both McKay and Overbaugh were signed to futures deals in January, while Iosia latched onto the Broncos’ practice squad at the end of last season.
- After signing 21 undrafted free agents earlier this week, the Falcons have added another UDFA in Miami linebacker Jermaine Grace, the club announced today. Grace didn’t see the field in 2016, as he was dismissed from the Hurricanes squad following an investigation into Grace’s link to a luxury car rental agency.
Earl Thomas On Track For Season Opener
The Seahawks expect safety Earl Thomas to be available for the start of the 2017 campaign, head coach Pete Carroll told reporters, including Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter link).
Thomas, of course, hinted at retirement after breaking his leg in December, but ultimately indicated he’d be back for the 2017 season. The news that Thomas is on track to return for the season opener doesn’t come as a significant surprise, as Carroll said in March that Thomas was “way ahead of schedule” in his recovery. When healthy, Thomas is considered the best deep safety in the NFL, so his absence — for any length of time — would represent a massive blow to a stingy Seattle defense. Signed through 2018, Thomas is set to have cap charges of $10.4MM in each of the next two seasons.
Thomas’ secondary mate Kam Chancellor, meanwhile, is still working his way back from multiple ankle surgeries and isn’t yet at full speed, tweets Condotta. Chancellor, like Thomas, is an excellent player when healthy, but injury concerns have sidelined him in recent years. He’s missed 11 total games over the past three seasons, although those absences were caused by injuries to his hip, groin, and tailbone (not ankle). Recently, Carroll admitted the Seahawks would like to work out a new deal with Chancellor, who’s entering a contract season.
Seattle has added reinforcements in the defensive backfield this offseason, so the club should be well-prepared if Thomas and/or Chancellor are forced to miss any time. In addition to making a value signing in Bradley McDougald, the Seahawks used a third-round pick to draft Michigan safety Delano Hill.
Seahawks Re-Sign Brandon Cottom
- The Seahawks have re-signed fullback/tight end Brandon Cottom, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Cottom, 24, originally signed with Seattle as an undrafted free agent in 2015. He’s spent time on the Seahawks’ active roster and practice squad, but landed on injured reserve in 2016 after tearing his Achilles.
Former Ravens RB Justin Forsett Retires
Justin Forsett is retiring. The longtime NFL running back is hanging up his cleats after nine seasons. 
“It’s time. I’m officially announcing my retirement from the game I love,” Forsett wrote. “Its been an amazing ride and I’m grateful for every moment. My career has brought so many great people into my life, and I asked some of them to join me in saying goodbye. Against all odds, critics, and naysayers, I accomplished something great. Scouts measured my height and said I was too short. They measured my 40-yard dash and said I was too slow. They looked at my build and said I wouldn’t last. But they couldn’t measure my heart, my faith, and my perseverance. I am living proof that dreams come true and God answers prayers, and I thank God everyday for the opportunity to live out my dream.”
Forsett was a backup for the first six years of his career until 2014 when he got his big opportunity with the Ravens. As Baltimore’s lead back, he ran for 1,266 yards and eight touchdowns en route to his first Pro Bowl selection.
After being held back by injuries in 2015, the Ravens cut him loose early in the 2016 season. In 44 combined carries for the Lions and Ravens in the fall, he posted just over 3.0 yards per rush on 44 tries. When he later hooked on with the Broncos, he averaged a mere 3.6 yards per carry on 43 attempts. Entering what would have been his age-32 season, it was clear that Forsett’s best football was behind him.
Forsett will be fondly remembered for his impressive 2014 campaign and his positive locker room influence. PFR wishes Forsett all the best in retirement.