'Ready to Roll': Seattle Seahawks WR Dee Eskridge Much to Prove Upon Return From Suspension
RENTON, Wash. - Heading into Week 8 right on the tails of the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC West, the Seattle Seahawks have received as much production from the wide receiver position as any team in the NFL.
Even with star DK Metcalf sitting out a Week 7 win over the Cardinals, the Seahawks already have four receivers with at least 100 receiving yards and a touchdown, making them one of only three teams in the league to meet that criteria. This includes a pair of rookies in first-round pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba and undrafted Jake Bobo, who combined for over 120 receiving yards and two touchdowns in Metcalf's absence last Sunday.
As Seattle get set to square off with Cleveland in a matchup of 4-2 teams, the rich may soon get richer at receiver, at least in theory, with Dee Eskridge returning to practice this week after a six-game suspension. While the team has a one-week roster exemption at its disposal, coach Pete Carroll suggested prior to Wednesday's practice that the third-year wideout could potentially play this weekend.
“He has been working extensively with the trainers as they can work him by the rules and all of that," Carroll told reporters. "He has been doing weeks of practice mode; he gets as many reps as the guys get in practice so he’s ready to go. We don’t have to acclimate him as much as some of the guys coming off injuries. He’s ready to roll and we’ll see what happens.”
Due to injuries and his recent suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy, Eskridge unfortunately has largely been a non-factor since the Seahawks invested a second-round pick in the Western Michigan product in the 2021 NFL Draft.
As a rookie, Eskridge suffered a serious concussion in his NFL debut, which knocked him out of action for the next six games. Upon his return, aside from catching three receptions for 35 yards and a touchdown in a win over the 49ers, he struggled to earn reps on offense and contributed just 10 catches for 64 yards in 10 games.
With only 17 catches to his name in two NFL seasons, Eskridge will have to fight for reps against the likes of Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Jake Bobo in a deep Seahawks receiving corps.
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Last season, Eskridge's injury woes continued with him missing part of training camp and the preseason before eventually missing Seattle's final seven games with a broken hand. Unable to match his numbers from a dismal rookie campaign, he caught just seven passes for 58 yards in 10 games, playing more than 30 percent of the team's offensive snaps only three games.
Given his limited production as an NFL player and the talent already on the roster at receiver, on the surface, Seattle may not seem to have much of a need for Eskridge right now. The emergence of Smith-Njigba and Bobo behind established stars in Metcalf and Tyler Lockett leaves few opportunities available on offense, particularly for a player who has yet to do much with the chances awarded to him.
But while Eskridge has disappointed to this point in his career, as Carroll pointed out, he possesses sub-4.4 speed and a style that contrasts from his peers. Before the bombshell that came in the form of his suspension was announced on August 4, the Mississippi native had started off training camp with a bang, demonstrating his big play ability snagging passes from Geno Smith and Drew Lock and looking like a possible breakout candidate.
“He has a little different style than the guys," Carroll remarked. "He has a different style that he brings. Very explosive football player. We haven’t seen a lot of him over the years, but what he has shown and what he showed in camp when we saw him for a while, he looked like he was really ready to be a part of something. Make a spot for himself. We’re going to see how it goes and how it fits. We do know him and we understand him, but he’s got to show us what happens on the practice field all week long and see what happens for the game. He could possibly play.”
In the past, Carroll and general manager John Schneider have been willing to admit draft mistakes by benching high picks that didn't produce, most recently evidenced by the decision to deactivate former first-round pick L.J. Collier as a healthy scratch multiple times during the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
But in the case of Eskridge, the Seahawks haven't quite reached that point of no return, still believing in his raw talent based on flashes seen on the practice field and in a couple of decent performances in games. Having witnessed what he can do in brief spurts when healthy, coaches and teammates such as Geno Smith remain optimistic that the young receiver can make a significant impact, particularly with his elite track-caliber speed and after the catch upside.
"Another guy with tremendous ability," Smith said of Eskridge. "So much speed, great with the ball in his hands, had a tremendous camp. I thought [he] was really playing excellent football until he had to go away for a while. I can’t wait to see Dee out there. He’s got fresh legs, so he’s running as fast as ever, and we can’t wait to see him do his thing.”
Additionally, Carroll acknowledged Eskridge could be called upon to help in the return game on special teams as another use for his speed. In his first two seasons, he returned nine kickoffs for 204 yards and before injuring his knee in Seattle's preseason opener in August, he was in the mix to handle kick return duties.
With that said, Eskridge may have a difficult time carving out a role in the return game with running back DeeJay Dallas enjoying a rock solid season returning kickoffs and punts so far. Through seven weeks of action, the fourth-year back ranks fifth in the NFL in yards per punt return (13.6), first in yards per kick return (25.7), and sixth in special teams all purpose yards.
“He could definitely help us there. I love what DeeJay is doing. I think he’s doing a great job for us. He’s giving us a little bit of a different style of an attack-oriented guy, which really fits our makeup anyway. DeeJay has made a spot for himself, but he [Dee Eskridge] does give us support that he could be back there also.”
Ultimately, after multiple injuries and his recent suspension, Eskridge could be down to his last shot to carve out a meaningful role for himself on offense or special teams. With much left to prove, he faces an uphill battle to climb back into the rotation, but based on Carroll's remarks, the Seahawks are prepared to give him every opportunity to jump back into the mix and make an already elite receiving corps even better.
