Camp Takeaways: Locker Room, Connections Key in Seahawks Decision to Sign Terrion Arnold

With ongoing legal issues at play stemming from a February incident in Florida, including eight felony charges for robbery and kidnapping, the Seattle Seahawks don’t know when - or if - Terrion Arnold will be allowed to return to the field.

But one day after reports surfaced that Seattle planned to sign Arnold, moments after wrapping up a quick walkthrough heading into Saturday’s preseason opener against Dallas, coach Mike Macdonald confirmed that the team and player have a deal in place, acknowledging that a myriad of factors led to franchise being comfortable on taking a chance on the former first round pick out of Alabama.

“I think it was an opportunity to bring on a player that we felt strongly about during the draft process,” Macdonald said. “We also understand that it's a serious situation with a legal matter. There’s a process behind it so we respect that. That’s how we’ll operate too, just letting that process play out and let the league decide if and when his return to play is. We understand that that's at play but there's an opportunity to bring him in and give him an opportunity to earn a position here.”

As Macdonald indicated earlier in the week, the third-year coach has the utmost confidence in the culture that has been built in Seattle, while several people inside and outside of the building also vouched for Arnold as part of the process.

Among those, general manager John Schneider has great respect for former Alabama coach Nick Saban, who wrote a letter in support of Arnold to the judge in Tampa at the beginning of the player’s legal case. Defensive backs coach Karl Scott, who coached under Saban for three seasons, helped recruit Arnold to Tuscaloosa before departing to accept a position with the Minnesota Vikings, while quarterback Jalen Milroe maintains a close relationship with his soon-to-be current teammate from their time together with the Crimson Tide.