Seahawks Sign 12 Players to Reserve/Future Contracts
With their 2021 campaign officially over, the Seahawks can now make preparations for the impending offseason. As such, the team announced it has signed 12 players from its practice squad to reserve/future contracts for the 2022 season.
WR Cade Johnson
A Senior Bowl standout, Johnson signed with the Seahawks after going undrafted in early May. Though he possesses a skill trait that's earned comparisons to franchise legend Doug Baldwin, the South Dakota State alum proved incapable of cracking the active roster at any given point this season. Nevertheless, he successfully maintained a spot on the team's practice squad for most of the year, aside from being waived in late November only to be brought back a week later. Given his route running prowess and after-the-catch ability, Johnson is an interesting stash for Seattle.
WR Cody Thompson
Set to turn 26 tomorrow, Thompson stayed put on the practice squad all season long. However, thanks to COVID-related exceptions, he was elevated to the active roster five times. He only played four offensive snaps in total, but put forth some quality reps on special teams, including a fumble recovery in the Seahawks' season finale victory over the Cardinals.
WR Aaron Fuller
Fuller has signed on for his third season in Seattle after making his NFL deubt in Week 18. He only played three snaps—one on offense and two on special teams—but the organization has long been intrigued by his skillset and may wind up throwing him in the mix to compete with fellow receiver Freddie Swain for punt return duties in 2022.
WR Matt Cole
Signing with the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2020, Cole bounced between five different teams before winding up in Seattle on December 14, 2021. His lone NFL experience boils down to kickoff coverage in a pair of call-ups with the 49ers and Panthers, respectively, though he's a receiver by trait and has a return specialist background as well.
T Greg Eiland
Eiland, a 2021 UDFA, will turn heads with his massive 6-foot-8, 321-pound frame. Although he didn't make his regular season debut, he played 45 snaps over the course of Seattle's three preseason games. Pro Football Focus graded him well in pass protection at a mark of 81.1, crediting him with just one pressure allowed in that time.
G Pier-Olivier Lestage
An exciting project for the Seahawks, Lestage had an unideal first year in the NFL. The French-Canadian missed the start of camp after undergoing sports hernia surgery in the summer, then later tested positive for COVID-19 at the height of Seattle's late-season outbreak. That aside, the team is hopeful a year's worth of development under his belt and a cleaner bill of health will lead to bigger and better things in 2022.
DT Myles Adams
With the Seahawks since December of 2020, Adams finally got his shot to play in Weeks 15 and 16 and left an impression. In his 33 snaps over that span, he built on a solid preseason showcase by exhibiting a knack for penetrating gaps and flashing interior pass rushing upside. He'll likely have a legitimate shot to win a roster spot this summer.
DT Jarrod Hewitt
Known for his gritty play style, Hewitt is a player after head coach Pete Carroll's own heart. He showed that tenacity in Seattle's final two preseason games, recording 2.0 sacks on three pressures and a trio of run stops. Though he's undersized for his position, Carroll and company have made similar exceptions in the past and clearly feel there's more to be uncovered here.
DT Niles Scott
Scott has travelled around the NFL quite a bit, making Seattle his eighth landing spot since entering the league as a UDFA in 2018. He played six games for the Bengals that year but saw his time in Cincinnati come to an abrupt end after he suffered a foot injury the following preseason. Ever since, he's bounced from practice squad to practice squad and has yet to suit up for another regular season game.
LB Aaron Donkor
Awarded to the Seahawks via the NFL's International Player Pathway Program, Donkor immediately became a coaching staff favorite for the unique athletic traits he possesses. Still incredibly raw, the German import spent his 2021 season solely focused on development and learning the ropes of being a professional football player. Now, Seattle hopes that time spent will result in a realistic bid for the 53-man roster.
LB Lakiem Williams
Williams, a Tacoma native, initially signed with the Seahawks as the corresponding move to their release of troubled pass rusher Aldon Smith. He was among those cut following the preseason and ended up spending time with the Saints' practice squad before making his way back to the Pacific Northwest in late December. An active player in his two years at Syracuse, Williams brings an energy that Seattle has long gravitated towards.
CB Mike Jackson Sr.
Formerly a fifth-round pick of the Cowboys in 2019, Jackson may have finally found a home with the Seahawks. As cornerback John Reid (head) exited the team's blowout win over the Lions in Week 17, an ailing Seattle secondary weakened to the point of turning to the third-year man out of Miami. Both of the targets that came his way went incomplete, with one coming as a pass breakup to his credit. That caught the attention of Carroll and his staff, who successfully pulled off an in-season rebuild of their cornerback group. Depending on how the organization approaches the impending free agencies of starters Sidney Jones and D.J. Reed, Jackson is a dark horse to make the Seahawks' 53-man roster in 2022.
