Source: Seahawks Claim S Johnathan Abram Off Waivers
For the second time in less than a month, Jonathan Abram has a new home after being claimed off waivers by the Seahawks.
An NFL source tells AllSeahawks / SI that Seattle was awarded Abram off waivers following Green Bay's decision to cut the former first-round pick on Tuesday. Appearing in two games for the Packers, he primarily played special teams and only played one defensive snap before the organization decided to move on.
Formerly starring at Mississippi State, Abram broke into the league as the 27th overall pick for the Raiders in the 2019 NFL Draft. The 6-foot, 205-pound safety played in only one game as a rookie before suffering a season-ending torn rotator cuff, but he returned to health producing 86 tackles and two interceptions in 2020. Last season, he set a career-high with 116 tackles while adding a pick and four pass breakups in 14 starts to help his team make the playoffs.
Entering the final year of his rookie contract after Las Vegas opted not to pick up his fifth-year option, Abram lost his starting job after six games and had already started to see his snaps diminish earlier in the season. Following a 27-20 loss to the Jaguars, the Raiders unceremoniously released him and the Packers promptly were awarded his rights off the waiver wire.
During four NFL seasons, Abram has never developed into the player the Raiders hoped he would after a decorated college career. In particular, he has struggled mightily in coverage, allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 76 percent of their passes against him for 1,073 yards and 11 touchdowns compared to just three interceptions. Missed tackles have also been a major problem, as Pro Football Focus charged him with 42 of them for a poor 15.3 percent career missed tackle rate.
Despite his obvious struggles, however, Abram excelled in the SEC as a hard-hitting box safety, generating 5.0 sacks and 14 tackles for loss in his two seasons with the Bulldogs. While coach Pete Carroll told reporters on Monday that the Seahawks scheme is "demanding for the position," his strengths should fit the strong safety position quite well and if he can learn quickly, injuries have opened the door for him to see playing time on defense.
Ryan Neal, who has performed at a Pro Bowl level since replacing a benched Josh Jones earlier this season in Jamal Adams' former stead, suffered elbow and shoulder injuries in Sunday's loss to Las Vegas. Though Carroll thinks he has a decent chance to be able to play against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 13, he will miss practice time this week and given Jones' ongoing struggles and limited depth behind him, Abram could be fast-tracked as an experienced insurance policy for Seattle if needed. ... and there is little doubt some run-stopping help is needed.
At worst, as he did with the Packers, Abram brings a wealth of special teams experience and could immediately help the Seahawks in the third phase of the game while being available to contribute in a pinch on defense.
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