COVID-19 Protocols Complicating Efforts for Seahawks, NFL Teams to Replace Injured Players
RENTON, WA - Early on Thursday morning, reports surfaced about the Seahawks bringing in veteran defensive tackle Damon Harrison for a visit next week.
Under normal circumstances, such a statement in the middle of the season would have been absurd, particularly when it comes to waiting to meet with Harrison until next week. If Seattle needed help along the defensive line, they would rush the former All-Pro into town for a workout and physical with hopes of signing him quickly.
But in the COVID-19 era that the NFL currently finds itself trying to play through, these types of free agent operations have become the new normal.
"We have to solve our problems immediately from within," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said on Friday. "And that's what we're trying to be prepared to do. Then when you can find a guy who can match up and could fill a need, then we'll go ahead and work outside."
As he's stated numerous times throughout his tenure as coach in Seattle, Carroll reaffirmed to reporters the organization is constantly "looking and working" trying to assemble the best roster possible each week. But there's no question the process has been complicated by health and safety protocols amid a pandemic.
Last week, the Seahawks lost linebacker Bruce Irvin and safety Marquise Blair to season-ending torn ACLs and both receiver Phillip Dorsett and defensive end Rasheem Green landed on injured reserve, creating numerous roster spots left to be filled.
Typically, the Seahawks would bring in veterans throughout the course of the season to meet roster needs as they spring up due to such injuries as well as suspensions. With each team carrying expanded practice squads with 16 players who are tested daily and ready to play immediately when called upon, however, instant changes now have to be done in-house out of necessity.
If Seattle has interest in a veteran, Carroll and general manager John Schneider can't simply pick up a phone and sign them. If a team wants to add an outside free agent, there's a lengthy process involving three negative tests in a span of four days before players can even be evaluated my medical personnel.
As a result, there's a great deal of planning that must go into making such a move and front offices as well as coaching staffs have to be thinking days ahead with players such as Harrison. That's why he won't even be in town until after the Seahawks play the Cowboys on Sunday.
"It is different because of the time frame it takes you," Carroll elaborated. "It's hard to immediately respond if you want to do that and so you have to plan everything out and you gotta get organized and you don't always have all the information."
When Carroll references missing information, the inability to instantly bring a player in for a workout and physical adds a complex wrinkle to the process. In a season where teams didn't have anything close to a traditional offseason or training camp and conditioning is unknown, that's especially problematic.
If a team wants a free agent to come in play the following week, he better arrive on Monday to start his testing window with hopes of practicing by Friday. As Carroll notes, it isn't ideal, but the Seahawks and the rest of the NFL have to adapt and while it won't happen near as frequently during this unprecedented season, he doesn't have reservations about signing players off the street despite circumstances.
"As far as worrying about the guys coming in, entering the 'bubble' in essence,'... It is what it is. It ain't great because there's a better way to do that and that means test them longer and further out, but we're not able to do that, so we do the best we can and we're not reluctant though based on the protocol."
