Seahawks Awarded Dakoda Shepley, Nigel Warrior Off Waivers
After revealing their initial 53-man roster on Tuesday, the Seahawks have already started the process of churning their roster before the season opener.
Per the NFL transaction wire, Seattle has been awarded tackle Dakoda Shepley and defensive back Nigel Warrior off waivers. To keep them on the active roster, the team will need to make two corresponding moves by cutting players, trading players, putting players on injured reserve, or a combination of those options.
Undrafted out of the University of British Columbia, the 26-year old Shepley originally signed with the Jets in 2018 and played in three preseason games before being cut. He then joined the Saskatchewan Rough Riders in the CFL in 2019, earning a unanimous selection as the team's Most Outstanding Rookie while starting 14 games. He opted out of his contract when the CFL cancelled its 2020 season due to the pandemic and joined the 49ers midway through training camp.
While Shepley was waived in early September a year ago, he signed with San Francisco's practice squad and dressed for the final three games in December, playing five special teams snaps. The team signed him to a future/reserve deal in January and he played in all three preseason games primarily at center, earning an 80.2 grade from Pro Football Focus while surrendering no pressures on 36 pass plays. Despite the performance, he was an odd-man out in the center competition and was waived on Tuesday.
Dating back to his collegiate career at UBC, Shepley has played left tackle as well as right guard and center, offering some positional flexibility. His arrival currently gives the Seahawks 12 offensive linemen on the 53-man roster, so a corresponding move should be expected with that position group.
Warrior, 23, also entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Tennessee last season. During his time with the Volunteers, he produced 229 combined tackles, five interceptions, a defensive touchdown, three forced fumbles, and 11 pass breakups. As a senior, he tied for the conference lead with four interceptions and earned First-Team All-SEC recognition from the Associated Press.
The 5-foot-11, 187-pound Warrior didn't appear in any regular season games after being released by the Ravens out of training camp last year, but he was retained on the practice squad for the entirety of the season. He re-signed a future/reserve deal after the season and played in two preseason games for Baltimore last month, producing eight tackles and two pass breakups before being waived on Tuesday.
Athletically, Warrior ran a 4.52 40-yard dash, posted a 6.70 3-cone drill, and jumped 33 1/2 inches vertically at his pro day. He also possesses long 32 5/8-inch arms and posted 10 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press.
With Ryan Neal (oblique) and Tre Brown (knee) nursing injuries and their statuses for the season opener up in the air, the Seahawks could need additional reinforcements in the secondary in the short term. If one of those players lands on injured reserve, Warrior could fill the void on special teams and provide depth at multiple positions.
While Seattle was awarded Shepley and Warrior, none of the 26 players waived by the team on Tuesday, including undrafted rookie receiver Cade Johnson, were claimed by other teams. As a result, all of them will be eligible to sign with other 53-man rosters or practice squads immediately.
