Seahawks Considered Drafting Joshua Dobbs
- The belief is that the Seahawks and Vikings had interest in Tennessee quarterback Joshua Dobbs on the third day of the draft, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Dobbs ended up with the Steelers in the fourth round, pick No. 135. The Seahawks used their fourth-rounder, No. 111, on Colorado safety Tedric Thompson. Minnesota selected Michigan linebacker Ben Gedeon 120th.
Seahawks Sign QB Jake Heaps
The Seahawks have signed quarterback Jake Heaps, according to Field Yates of ESPN (Twitter link). Heaps will now rejoin the organization he spent time with last season.
Heaps, who played college football at three different schools (BYU, Kansas and Miami), went undrafted in 2015. He then served on the Jets’ practice squad and played in the now-defunct Fall Experimental Football League before signing with Seattle last May. Heaps didn’t make the Seahawks’ season-opening roster in 2016, but they quickly brought him back as a member of their practice squad. However, Seattle cut him again in October, and he didn’t catch on anywhere else.
Now, the 25-year-old Heaps once again joins Trevone Boykin to comprise the Seahawks’ contingent of signal-callers behind starter Russell Wilson. Although Heaps is probably a long shot to stick with the club, it’s worth noting that Boykin was arrested twice in an 11-day span earlier this offseason – perhaps putting his roster spot in jeopardy.
After Boykin’s first arrest, which led to charges for marijuana possession and public intoxication, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll indicated the team would go forward with him. Police in Texas later picked up Boykin on a possible parole violation, but there hasn’t been any word from the Seahawks regarding his status since then.
Colts To Make Personnel Changes
The Colts made a change by ousting GM Ryan Grigson and bringing in Chris Ballard, but with Jim Irsay waiting until a few weeks had transpired in the offseason to fire Grigson and begin a search, the team did not make a sweeping staff overhaul immediately following Ballard’s arrival. After the draft, though, the franchise has more changes planned.
T.J. McCreight will not see a sixth season running the Colts’ scouting department, with ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reporting (via Twitter) the Colts are moving on from their director of college scouting. Schefter adds that others within the department won’t be back under Ballard, who already has some new scouting staffers in mind, according to the Indianapolis Star’s Stephen Holder (on Twitter).
Holder adds that the changes to the franchise’s personnel department will be widespread (Twitter link), but considering Ballard’s late-January hire, letting the scouts continue through the draft isn’t exactly surprising. McCreight spent five seasons working under Grigson after arriving from the Cardinals, with whom he served as the director of pro personnel.
One new staffer the Colts are interested in: Seahawks senior personnel executive Ed Dodds. Both Holder and CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora report (Twitter links) that Dodds is a Ballard target. Dodds has been on the Colts’ radar for more than a month. Ballard decided to make this scouting pivot now rather than have scouts working in a largely lame-duck capacity going forward.
Jaguars Acquire Seahawks’ No. 34 Pick
The Jaguars announced that they’ve acquired the No. 34 pick from the Seahawks in exchange for No. 35 and No. 187.
Jacksonville will use the selection to draft Alabama offensive tackle Cam Robinson. While the Jaguars acquired veteran left tackle Branden Albert during the offseason, he has yet to report. If that holdout continues, Robinson could conceivably step in on the blindside. Otherwise, he can also play right tackle or guard.
Seahawks Rumors: Mahomes, Cowboys
Even though the Seahawks have one of the top starting quarterbacks in the NFL in Russell Wilson, they would have strongly considered drafting Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes if he were still on the board for their first-round pick, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Mahomes, who went 10th to Kansas City, was long gone by the time Seattle was on the clock at No. 26. The Seahawks ultimately traded out of the opening round.
- Speaking of the Seahawks, the Cowboys had an opportunity to swap picks with them in the first round, per Dallas executive Stephen Jones (Twitter link via Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News). The Cowboys instead chose to stay at No. 28 because they liked the players remaining on the board, and ended up choosing Michigan defensive end Taco Charlton.
49ers Acquire No. 31 Pick From Seahawks
Who says you can’t trade within your division? The 49ers have acquired the No. 31 pick from the Seahawks. With that pick, they will select Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster. The Seahawks will receive pick Nos. 34 and No. 111 in the deal. 
Foster, at one point in time, was viewed as a top ten pick. However, his stock tumbled due to a handful of red flags.
- Red flag #1: Bad shoulder.
- Red flag #2: Getting into an argument with a hospital worker at the combine.
- Red flag #3: Submitting a watered down urine sample at the combine.
Still, he is immensely talented. If he stays on the right track, Foster could prove to be one of the best values in the entire 2017 draft.
Our first mock draft had Foster going to the 49ers within the top ten. It took a little longer, but Foster has landed in San Francisco.
Falcons Trade Up To Seahawks’ No. 26 Pick
The Falcons traded up to the Seahawks’ No. 26 pick. With the pick, they have selected UCLA linebacker/defensive end Takkarist McKinley. The Seahawks will receive Atlanta’s No. 31 pick plus third and seventh round choices.
McKinley came into the draft process with tons of hype but his stock has fallen somewhat in recent weeks. Some teams may have cooled on the pass rusher, but the Falcons are as excited about him as ever.
McKinley may slot in as a starting defensive end opposite of Adrian Clayborn. Currently, it’s something of a full house at linebacker with Vic Beasley, Deion Jones, and De’Vondre Campbell as likely starters.
Chad Kelly Met With Seahawks
- Before he underwent wrist surgery Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly visited the Chiefs and also had visits planned with the Seahawks and Bills, Schefter hears. Those teams still represent intriguing fits for Kelly, Schefter argues.
Raiders Acquire Marshawn Lynch
It’s officially official: Marshawn Lynch is a member of the Raiders. Lynch’s representatives and the team have agreed to terms on a two-year deal.
Early Wednesday morning, the Raiders and Seahawks hammered out the framework of a trade that sending the the Raiders’ 2018 fifth-round pick to the Seahawks in exchange for Lynch and the Seahawks’ 2018 sixth-round pick. The only box to check was a passed physical, and Lynch has satisfied that requirement on Wednesday afternoon.
Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie said the draft was his deadline for a potential Lynch deal. Now, he has his starting running back in place and can satisfy other areas of need in the draft. Without Lynch, a running back would have been in consideration as early as the No. 24 overall pick.
Lynch’s deal with the Raiders will pay him a $3MM base for the 2017 season with a chance to earn $2MM more if he gains 1,000 yards. The base value of the contract is $9MM and the max is $16.5MM, giving him similar upside to Adrian Peterson‘s deal with the Saints.
In Lynch, the Raiders acquire one of the NFL’s best running backs in recent memory, though he does not come without question marks. Lynch is a 30-year-old with over 2,100 carries on his odometer and he wasn’t particularly effective in his most recent action. The last time we saw Lynch, he averaged 3.8 yards per attempt on 111 carries during an injury-shortened, seven-game 2015 campaign. They’re hoping to see Lynch in his 2014 form, a season in which he averaged 4.7 yards per carry and had a career-high 13 touchdowns on the ground.
Photo courtesy of Pro Football Rumors on Instagram. Details provided by Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (on Twitter), and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com hears (Twitter link).
Seahawks Targeting CBs
- Although Richard Sherman is now unlikely to be traded, the Seahawks are still thought to be targeting a cornerback on Day 1, reports Miller. In Rounds 2 and 3, Seattle could potentially go after pass-catchers and edge rushers before eyeing quarterbacks late in the draft.