Seahawks 90-Man Countdown: LB Devin Bush - Resurgence in Emerald City?

Taking a chance on the former top-10 pick, the Seattle Seahawks brought former All-American linebacker Devin Bush on board with visions of him invigorating his career with a change of scenery filling in for a recovering Jordyn Brooks.

Author:
Corbin K. Smith
Publish date:
Jul 6, 2023 4:18 PM EDT

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Seattle Seahawks

With the calendar flipping to July and offseason activities in the rearview mirror, the Seattle Seahawks will open training camp at the VMAC later this month, officially ushering in the 2023 season.

To celebrate the new incoming season, we'll be detailing every member of the Seahawks 90-man roster over the next several weeks, exploring best and worst case scenarios and what to expect from each player entering the 2023 campaign.

Devin Bush, Linebacker

Height/Weight: 5-11, 234 pounds

2022 Stats: 81 tackles, two tackles for loss, two pass breakups

A two-time First-Team All-Big Ten selection and First-Team All-American honoree at Michigan, Bush emerged as one of the NFL's top prospects in 2019 and after an impressive combine workout, the Steelers traded up to select him with the 10th overall pick. Initially, the decision to move up for the athletic linebacker looked like a steal, as the Florida native eclipsed 100 tackles, intercepted two passes, and recovered four fumbles, finishing third in Defensive Rookie of the Year balloting. But only a month into his second season, he tore his ACL on a non-contact play, causing him to miss the remaining 11 games.

Upon his return, Bush struggled to fully rediscover his pre-injury form and missed three additional games with other injury issues, but he still finished with 70 tackles and a pair of sacks. After the team declined his fifth-year option, he lost his starting job in December, a clear sign that the team intended to move on from him in the offseason. Still just 24 years old, the Seahawks signed him early in the free agency period to a one-year deal as an insurance policy for injured starter Jordyn Brooks.

Best-Case Scenario: Seizing his opportunity in a new setting with Brooks not quite ready to return to action for the start of the season, Bush rounds back into his rookie form flying all over the field to make tackles and plays on the football while learning under the tutelage of Bobby Wagner, creating buzz about a potential second contract with the team in the offseason.

Worst-Case Scenario: Lacking the burst he possessed before his knee injury and inconsistent in coverage, Bush loses out on defensive snaps when Brooks returns earlier than expected midway through camp and after failing to stand out on special teams, the Seahawks make the surprising decision to move on and release him during final roster cuts.

What to Expect in 2023: The Seahawks have never been afraid to kick the tires on talented players who didn't fulfill expectations with their former team and Bush presents the latest reclamation project for Pete Carroll and his staff to tackle. Athletically, when fully healthy, he has the speed and quickness to still be a disruptive playmaker chasing down plays sideline to sideline. At under 235 pounds, however, he will have to be moving at his best to help compensate for his lack of size, especially in a 3-4 defensive scheme such as the one Seattle employed last season.

Considering Brooks' somewhat cloudy timeline coming back from his own ACL injury, with the potential to play extensive snaps early in the season alongside Wagner, this may be the best chance for Bush to restore value after two pedestrian seasons to close out his tenure in Pittsburgh. If he can rebound from his benching late last season and return to his prior playmaking ways without further injuries, he has a prime opportunity to not only be a major factor for Seattle's defense this year, but make himself an intriguing free agent target next spring for linebacker-needy teams.

Previous Seahawks 90-Man Profiles