Seahawks Star WRs Praising Dee Eskridge: 'He's Been Special'
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RENTON, Wash. - Only two years after being drafted in the second round, Seattle Seahawks receiver Dee Eskridge enters a critical third season in the NFL with his career approaching a crossroads.
Since landing in the Pacific Northwest, while his talent has flashed in brief spurts, Eskridge has been hampered by numerous injuries, starting with a toe issue that caused him to miss extensive time in his first training camp. He then suffered a severe concussion in his regular season debut, missing seven games as a result, and a broken hand cost him the final seven games last season as well.
Sidelined for 14 out of 34 possible regular season games, Eskridge hasn't been able to find his groove on the field when healthy, with most of his career production coming in a breakout game against the 49ers as a rookie. In 20 games, he hasn't even averaged a catch per contest, reeling in only 17 receptions for 122 yards and a single touchdown, while also returning nine kicks in limited special teams action.
Considering his lack of production and durability woes, Eskridge has been a major disappointment up to this point, and his struggles played a part in the Seahawks deciding to draft Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the first round in April. The Ohio State rookie's arrival suddenly put an immense amount of pressure on the veteran, potentially putting his roster spot at risk if he can't stay healthy and turn things around.
But so far this spring, with a clean bill of health and a fire lit underneath him, Eskridge has turned heads at Seattle's offseason program. There's been a genuine buzz surrounding him coming out of the VMAC and for good reason, as he's been making positive things happen on the practice field daily, including scoring a long touchdown from Geno Smith on a corner route during 7-on-7 in the first minicamp session on Tuesday.
Media members haven't been the only ones impressed by Eskridge's awakening, as he has caught the attention of star receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett for not just his speed and catching ability, but how far he's come on the mental side of the game.
“From last year to now, I think he's a totally different player," Metcalf said of Eskridge following Wednesday's session. "He's been explosive off the line of scrimmage, catching everything, knows where to line up. He's teaching me stuff - since I haven't been here for a couple of weeks - so he's teaching me stuff about the offense, little details about the routes I didn't know before. He's locked in more than ever.”
Now in his ninth season with Seattle, Lockett has been equally impressed by Eskridge's growth, referencing the touchdown that he scored in Tuesday's practice as proof of the young receiver taking to coaching from assistant Sanjay Lal.
"When Dee is running routes, he looks explosive," Lockett said. "He's one of the most explosive receivers out there, whether it's the start or the finish. He's coming back to the ball. He's getting himself open. Dee's very explosive. He can do whatever it is coach wants him to do.”
From Metcalf's perspective, simply getting enough reps to get untracked has been the biggest problem for Eskridge. Starting with missed time during OTAs and training camp as a rookie, he spent too much time on the sidelines to get his feet underneath him and master the playbook. For example, in his first camp, he often had to receive help from teammates to line up correctly pre-snap, which created frustration for then-quarterback Russell Wilson and the coaching staff.
Behind the eight ball, Eskridge's lack of reps showed up on the field, as he struggled to earn consistent reps on offense upon his return from a concussion. Aside from catching three passes for 34 yards and a touchdown against San Francisco, he caught a total of seven passes in the other nine games he played in as a rookie, playing more than 50 percent of offensive snaps just once.
Last season, Eskridge remained a relative non-factor on offense even before suffering a broken hand in a loss to the Buccaneers in Germany. He failed to record a catch in five of the 10 games he suited up for and played more than 20 offensive snaps just three times with veteran Marquise Goodwin seizing the No. 3 receiver role and rookie Dareke Young gradually earning more playing time at his expense.
But since he has been actively involved in the entirety of Seattle's offseason program for the first time in his career, Eskridge now is light years ahead of where he was the past two seasons and the results are showing up on the field. His athleticism and playmaking ability have never been questioned. But he needed to stay healthy long enough to take advantage of his skills and prove himself between the lines as more than a gadget player who could run jet sweeps.
With a front row vantage point, Metcalf has seen a healthy, better prepared Eskridge's talent shine through this spring. Happy to see his teammate finally right the ship after enduring frequent injuries, he expects big things from the ex-Western Michigan standout contributing alongside him, Lockett, and Smith-Njigba to form a dynamic quartet of receivers for the Seahawks.
“With Dee, it's just getting him on the field," Metcalf said. "He's been special this whole camp. And we've seen how special he could be. But injuries just have plagued him throughout the career. Once he gets on the field and steps on the field, you'll see how special he is.”
Ultimately, Eskridge's breakout spring will have to carry over into training camp and the preseason when real football returns. Behind him, Young, Cade Johnson, Cody Thompson, and several intriguing undrafted rookies will be in the rear view mirror ready to capitalize if he struggles to perform or battles injuries again, which would put his status on the roster back in flux.
But the Seahawks should be nothing but encouraged by Eskridge's reemergence, as his speed, quickness, and ability to create as a runner and after the catch should still make him a valuable asset on offense and special teams even with Smith-Njigba joining the mix. For now, when it appeared he would be taking a quick detour out of town, the redemptive receiver looks to have other plans.
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