Seahawks 90-Man Roster Primer: Damarious Randall

Offering first-round pedigree, Randall latched on with the Seahawks early in the 2020 season to provide insurance with several injuries in the secondary. Will transitioning back to his natural position at cornerback give him a chance to stay on the roster in 2021?

Author:
Corbin K. Smith
Publish date:
Jun 19, 2021 8:45 PM EDT

With the calendar flipping to June and offseason programs recently wrapping up, NFL training camps will begin around the league in less than two months. To celebrate the new incoming season, we will be breaking down the Seahawks' 90-man roster over the next several weeks, exploring best and worst case scenarios and what to expect from each player entering the 2021 campaign.

Damarious Randall, Cornerback

Height/Weight: 5-foot-11, 196 pounds

2020 Stats: Three tackles in 10 games

Drafted in the first round by the Packers in 2015, Randall's career was at a crossroads heading into the 2020 season. Despite starting 56 games at cornerback and safety and producing 14 interceptions during his first five NFL seasons in Green Bay and Cleveland, he didn't survive roster cuts with the Las Vegas Raiders and was waived in early September. Weeks later, Seattle worked him out and signed him to the practice squad, where the ex-Arizona State standout remained for a month before permanently being elevated to the 53-man roster as a reserve safety. Though he only played 35 defensive snaps, the Seahawks were satisfied enough with his performance on special teams to re-sign him in April and plan to move him back to his original position at cornerback.

Best Case Scenario: Returning to his pre-2020 form as a capable playmaker in the secondary, Randall intercepts a pair of passes in exhibition games and excels on Seattle's special teams coverage units, earning himself a spot on the Week 1 roster as a reserve cornerback.

Worst Case Scenario: The move back to cornerback doesn't pan out as Randall gives up several big pass plays during the preseason and begins losing snaps to younger players such as Jordan Miller and Bryan Mills, sealing his fate as a roster cut in early September.

What to Expect in 2021: Set to turn 29 years old in August, Randall still is young enough to potentially turn things around and factor into Seattle's wide-open cornerback competition. He's only two years removed from picking off four passes and producing a career-best 85 tackles in Cleveland. With that said, the Seahawks now have a surplus of cornerbacks after signing Ahkello Witherspoon and Pierre Desir in free agency and drafting Tre Brown. With Tre Flowers and D.J. Reed also returning, reps will be scarce for other players to move up the depth chart. What Randall does have working for him, however, is that he's a quality special teams player who has the positional versatility to play either safety spot in a pinch. These two qualities should keep him very much in the discussion for a roster spot in a crowded corner group.