Seahawks Elevate S Damarious Randall, CB Gavin Heslop to Face Dolphins
With starting safety Jamal Adams and cornerback Quinton Dunbar already ruled out for Sunday's game against the Dolphins, the Seahawks added reinforcements in the secondary with less than 24 hours until kickoff.
As confirmed by team sources, Seattle will elevate safety Damarious Randall and cornerback Gavin Heslop from the practice squad, making both available to suit up in Miami if needed.
Signed by the Seahawks on Wednesday, Randall has 56 career starts under his belt in five NFL seasons. A former first-round pick out of Arizona State, he started his career as a cornerback for the Packers before being traded and transitioning to safety the past two seasons with the Browns.
While Ryan Neal, who was promoted to the 53-man roster earlier this week, will be expected to replace Adams in the starting lineup, the uber-athletic Randall should provide valuable experience if called upon. He has the flexibility to play either safety spot in a pinch.
“We thought he was a really, really good athlete, all-around ballplayer, and has great speed," coach Pete Carroll said about Randall on Wednesday. "He’s had a solid playing career, the film that you watch of him is really strong and makes a lot of plays, covers a lot of ground, makes a lot of tackles. Again, he runs 4.3 something. He has a great range back there.”
In 65 games, Randall has produced 290 combined tackles, 14 interceptions, 47 passes defensed, and two defensive touchdowns. His best season came in Cleveland in 2018, when he set a career-high in tackles (85) and intercepted four passes.
As for Heslop, the undrafted rookie out of Stony Brook missed most of training camp due to injury. But Seattle still retained him as a member of the practice squad after he was waived during final roster cuts and at 6-foot, 197 pounds, he has the size, length, and high football IQ the team prefers at the position.
With veteran Neiko Thorpe questionable to play on Sunday with a hip injury, Heslop will see some action on special teams and could be the main outside cornerback reserve behind Shaquill Griffin and Tre Flowers on the depth chart.
As showcased last week, Seattle would have been in trouble without Neal and Shaquem Griffin, who were brought up from the practice squad for game day last weekend against Dallas. Neal sealed the victory with an interception in the end zone late in the fourth quarter, while Griffin pitched in a quarterback hit and pass defensed on the final defensive drive.
Against the Dolphins, with several players such as Shaquill Griffin set to play at less than 100 percent and the status of Thorpe and safety Lano Hill in doubt, both Randall and Heslop could have a chance to see meaningful snaps in similar fashion in Week 4.
