Cutdown Takeaways: Montorie Foster Jr. Among Seahawks to Earn Spot on Initial 53-Man Roster
Fielding questions at the podium mere minutes after the Seattle Seahawks announced their final roster cuts on Sunday, general manager John Schneider caught himself mid-answer and hesitated for a split second.
In the midst of discussing second-year receiver Montorie Foster Jr.’s surprising ascendance to earn a place on the final 53-man roster, Schneider decided to choose his words more carefully, not wanting to live in absolutes thinking back to the many players who have come and gone through Seattle’s facility since his arrival in 2010. But after a moment to gather his thoughts, he wielded the type of praise worthy of the former Michigan State standout’s unexpected rise this summer during training camp and the preseason, comparing his performance to the reigning Offensive Player of the Year.
“I've never seen a player - I don't know how I say that. It's hard to remember a player at the receiver position that's improved as quickly as he has,” Schneider gushed. “I told Jax [Smith-Njigba], I felt like he like just took his film and just completely studied it or just followed him around for all spring or something.”
This time a year ago, Foster found himself back in Ohio without a team after the Seahawks released him with an injury designation early in his first training camp, preparing to begin substitute teaching at a nearby high school and not anywhere close to being in the same breath as Smith-Njigba or any other receiver for that matter. While he continued to train in preparation for his next opportunity, he also applied for a real estate license, doing his due diligence readying for life after football even as he remained confident he would get another shot between the lines.
Sure enough, the Seahawks came calling in late December, offering Foster a spot on the practice squad. He quickly hopped on a flight to Seattle, spending the last two weeks of the regular season and the entirety of the team’s historic playoff run on what coach Mike Macdonald calls the “ready” squad, earning a Super Bowl ring and a future/reserve deal days later.
WATCH: Seahawks Make Signing of Embattled CB Terrion Arnold Official
Two weeks after reportedly agreeing to terms with the former Alabama star on a contract, the Seattle Seahawks have finally inked third-year cornerback Terrion Arnold, though it could be quite some time before he actually sees the field with his new team.
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Corbin Smith dives into the latest on the Arnold saga as the former first round pick will land on the Commissioner's Exempt List immediately upon signing, discusses when he may potentially be available to practice or play for Seattle down the line as he deals with legal proceedings in Florida due to eight felony charges, and breaks down difficult cornerback decisions looming at cutdown day even without Arnold being eligible right now.
Report: Seahawks to Sign Former All-Pro CB Trevon Diggs
It appears the Seattle Seahawks are not yet satisfied with their depth at the cornerback position. Even with the news of them intending to sign Terrion Arnold, a former first round pick recently cut by the Lions due to ongoing legal issues, Seattle decided to pull the trigger adding another noteworthy veteran name to their secondary.
As reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, after working out for the team on Tuesday, the Seahawks have agreed to terms on a one-year deal with former Cowboys All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs. The team has yet to officially announce the deal, but is expected to do so before making the trip to Nashville for joint practices with the Titans.
Facing eight felony charges for an incident stemming from February in Tampa, Florida, the Arnold situation is still unresolved, with reports indicating that he will be heading to the Commissioner’s Exempt List whenever he signs. Even if he is eventually cleared for the Seahawks, it’s highly likely he won’t suit up anytime soon, as his next court date isn’t until October 5. This makes it far less pressing to sign him, and the team may wait until after the cut down date later this month to do so.
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.
Analysis: Why Did Seahawks Roll Dice on CB Terrion Arnold Amid Legal Issues?
Mere moments after completing a competitive padded practice on August 10, Mike Macdonald knew questions would be coming his way on the Seattle Seahawks reported interest in embattled cornerback Terrion Arnold.
Before the reporter who first broached the topic could even finish asking about the former Lions first round pick, mistakingly calling Arnold “Terrion Austin” instead, Macdonald politely corrected him with a smile and quickly addressed the issue at hand. Just one day after the Seahawks brought him in for a visit, the coach confirmed the tryout, dishing out an answer that opened many eyes and indicated that the franchise had more than just cursory interest in the player.
“It’s enough right now,” Macdonald said. “We had him in for a great visit, a great tryout. It’s a situation where there’s other things surrounding it as well, we’re aware of that. We’re working through the situation right now. I enjoyed meeting him and he enjoyed being here, we’ll see how it goes.”
Only two days later, as reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Seahawks and Arnold have a deal in place with the third-year cornerback expected to sign and join his new team in coming days. Despite being recently charged with eight felonies stemming from an incident in Florida back in February, including four counts of kidnapping and four counts of robbery, as general manager John Schneider hinted on the second episode of Hard Knocks, the expectation within the building is that the former Alabama standout will be able to play in the preseason.
Camp Takeaways: Seahawks Keeping Options Open at Cornerback, Including Interest in Terrion Arnold
Now entering the third week of training camp, as competitions continue to heat up in the secondary, Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald isn’t interested in naming a third cornerback just yet.
And with the preseason opener against the Dallas Cowboys approaching just five days away, there may or may not be a newcomer jumping into that mix in the near future.
Speaking with reporters after Monday’s 14th padded camp practice, Macdonald didn’t shoot down Seattle’s reported interest in ex-Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold, confirming the Seahawks had him in the facility for a tryout on Sunday. The former first round pick faces eight felony charges in Florida stemming from a kidnapping and robbery incident in February, but that hasn’t stopped the organization from doing their due diligence checking up on a talented player.
“We had him in for a great visit, a great tryout,” Macdonald said. “It’s a situation where there’s some other things surrounding it as well, but we’re working through the situation right now. It was a really great visit and I really enjoyed meeting him and I think he enjoyed being here, so we’ll see where it goes.”
Precursory Interest or Not, Seahawks Should Just Say No to Terrion Arnold
Under the leadership of general manager John Schneider and coach Mike Macdonald, the Seattle Seahawks have employed the philosophy of “chasing edges,” always looking for new ways to find advantages compared to the rest of the league in everything from practice field prep to film study to exploring free agent possibilities to improve the roster.
That mindset has been instrumental to the franchise’s rapid re-ascent to NFC powerhouse, culminating in a Super Bowl LX victory over the Patriots in February to bring the Lombardi Trophy back to the Virginia Mason Athletic Center. At this point, nobody should question Schneider or Macdonald when they contemplate ways to continue improving and evolving with the goal of staying a step ahead of the rest of the league.
But there’s always a line in the sand that shouldn’t be crossed. And the Seahawks may now be flirting too much with crossing that very line.
According to the player’s agent Nicole Lynn, who testified at a hearing for her client on Friday morning, free agent cornerback Terrion Arnold has received interest from four teams about potentially signing him as he faces felony charges in Tampa, Florida. Among the four teams she cited, the Seahawks apparently have inquired about the former first round pick, along with the Texans, Colts, and the Jets, with Houston reportedly bringing him in for a physical on Friday.
An additional report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter indicated Arnold will visit with two more teams next week, though specifics on which teams have not come to light. It remains to be seen whether or not Seattle will be one of those two teams that brings him into the building.
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