Seahawks Latest Practice Squad Signings Could Signal Offensive Changes Coming

In the midst of an unexpected early season swoon, the Seattle Seahawks haven't come close to clicking on all cylinders offensively.

Turnovers have been the biggest problem for the 'Hawks, as Sam Darnold has thrown seven interceptions in the past four games and running backs/receivers have lost five fumbles in the run game. Unexpectedly, the offensive line has also taken a step back, including allowing 10 total sacks in the previous two losses to the 49ers and Broncos.

But beyond those issues, new offensive coordinator Brian Fleury has made some unexpected schematic and personnel pivots in recent games that cast questions about Seattle's offensive identity. Most notably, though the team still ranks seventh in 21 personnel groupings with multiple backs on the field, that percentage has dipped substantially in recent weeks with far fewer fullback sightings.

Replacing injured starter Robbie Ouzts, who will miss the whole season with a neck issue, Brady Russell played 48 offensive snaps in the Seahawks first two games. But since then, his snaps have diminished rapidly, including logging just two offensive snaps against the Broncos in Week 6.

This isn't to say that Russell doesn't still have value for Seattle. He remains one of the best special teams players on the roster and with Elijah Arroyo expected to go on injured reserve with a shoulder injury, he suddenly may be pressed into rotational duty as a tight end, his natural position.

Multi-back groupings have long been a staple of the Shanahan style offense, and Fleury has expressed interest in utilizing fullbacks since his arrival as Klint Kubiak's replacement back in February. However, he clearly hasn't been thrilled with the options at his disposal on that front, evidenced by just eight snaps with a fullback on the field in the past two games and a much higher emphasis on shotgun snaps than under center.

Keeping that in mind, Seattle's two signings on Monday offer a bit more intrigue than typical start of the week practice squad shuffling. The team brought in not one, but two potential fullback alternatives, adding Jackson Acker and Josiah Deguara to the mix to give them a look this week.

Of the two players, Deguara offers the most experience, most recently playing in one game for the Eagles earlier this season. The former third round pick out of Cincinnati has played in 78 games with 12 starts over his seven-year NFL career, catching 53 passes for 471 yards and three touchdowns.

At 6-2, 238 pounds, Deguara possesses a build more fitting for playing fullback or H-back rather than tight end, his listed position. Originally starting off his career in Green Bay, he has logged a fair amount of snaps out of the backfield over the years, including a career-high 78 fullback snaps in 2022 and most recently 12 of them in limited action with the Cardinals last season.

Like Russell, Deguara would present more of a utility-style fullback than a traditional plowing blocker, boasting quality hands as a check down option out of the backfield and enough athleticism to run more than just routes into the flats. Physically, it's worth questioning if he would be much more effective than Russell as a lead blocker.

On the other hand, the 6-1, 247-pound Acker looks much more the part of a prototypical fullback with a thick, barrel-like chest and powerful lower body. Seeing the field quite a bit at Wisconsin, he racked up over 120 snaps as a fullback for the Badgers last season, and before that point, he previously played tailback with 326 rushing yards and two touchdowns in 2023.

Additionally, Acker demonstrated reliable hands out of the backfield against Big Ten competition, finishing his collegiate career with 37 catches on 42 targets with three touchdowns and no drops. A plus-athlete for his size, he ran a 4.68 40-yard dash at his pro day workout in the spring, showcasing excellent traits to go with his physicality and versatile skill set.

What Acker doesn't have to this point, however, is NFL experience. He played in a single preseason game with the Bills in August before being released and has not been on a roster since, so he's untested on that front and may need developmental time before he can play in a regular season game.

From that standpoint, at least in the short term, Deguara seems most likely to get a nod to play for the Seahawks if Fleury wants to shake things up at fullback with hopes of deploying more two-back personnel groupings. He has been a quality special teams player throughout his NFL career as well, producing 14 tackles on kick and punt coverage along with being a capable blocker on kick returns.

Potential-wise, Acker clearly has the higher ceiling with a fun combination of size and playmaking tools, and he excelled on special teams as well at Wisconsin. It remains to be seen how long he will be kept on the constantly changing "ready" squad, but he could be a player that has a chance to crack the lineup at some point down the line if he impresses on the practice field.

Either way, signing two fullbacks at once looks to be more than just a typical Monday practice squad news dump for Seattle. While he's a man of few words much of the time, Fleury's actions speak loudly with the limited use of a fullback in recent games, and the team clearly wants to see if better alternatives can be found to run the offense in the way he envisions.