Seahawks sign Chris Matthews, former CFL Rookie of the Year

Matthews celebrating a touchdown, courtesy of thestar.com

The Seahawks signed former CFL wide receiver Chris Matthews to a 2014 future contract on Tuesday.

While Matthews name isn’t a big one, he could be a big steal for Seattle.

At 6-foot-5, 225 pounds he is the largest wideout on the Seahawks roster and while he isn’t incredibly fast, he has good hands and is tough to bring down.

In 2012, Matthews was named the CFL Rookie of the Year after catching 81 passes for 1,192 yards and seven touchdowns as a member of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Last season was a tough one, however. Matthews battled multiple injuries and ended up only catching 14 passes for 138 yards and one touchdown while missing 13 games.

The Matthews signing is another indication that the Seahawks are planning on parting ways with veteran Sidney Rice. Letting Rice go would free up more than $7 million in salary cap space.

Signing Matthews also means that the focus of the Seahawks  in the upcoming NFL draft might turn in slight favor towards an offensive lineman.

Many have predicted that the Seahawks need improvement at the wideout and line positions, but signing Matthews may give Seattle more incentive to draft a guard or tackle with the No. 32 pick.

Matthews could be an impact player as a big red-zone target for Russell Wilson next season. He will have to prove himself this summer, however, and has his work cut out for him in competition with some tough receivers already in Seattle.

The Seahawks currently have Percy Harvin, Golden Tate, Doug Baldwin, Jermaine Kearse, Ricardo Lockette and Bryan Walters on their active roster.