Will Chris Matthews Cinderella Story continue?

Why haven’t the Seattle Seahawks added a veteran presence at the wide receiver position? Yes, the Seahawks added a weapon at the start of free agency when they traded for tight end Jimmy Graham, but they still need an outside receiver.

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Richardson’s attributes include a vertical presence, which can stretch the field, pure speed, which can take the lid off a defense, and has spectacular hands, he can go up and take it away from a defender. But, durability was a question mark before Seattle drafted him and still is.

He tore his ACL in 2012 while at Colorado then again last year against the Carolina Panthers in the Divisional Round ending his rookie campaign. The previous injury may force Richardson to miss the beginning of the 2015 season and to be placed on the physically unable to perform list.

Here’s a look at the Seahawks receivers depth without Paul Richardson.

[table id=37 /]

So, why not the urgency to require an outside threat in free agency? Maybe Pete Carroll, John Schneider and Darrell Bevell believe in this group and don’t think it’s as much of a necessity as others think it is. However, I do believe they will draft a receiver or two with the 11 picks that they possess in 2015.

What if they believe they have a Cinderella Story in Chris Matthews? Matthews went undrafted in 2011 and signed with the Cleveland Browns to start off his NFL career, but then was later released during the final cuts. In 2012 through 2013 he went on to play for the CFL, after his stint in the CFL his football career was on the decline where he became a security guard for Foot Locker.

In 2014, Matthews received a phone call every undrafted player hopes for. That year Matthews signed with the Seattle Seahawks to a future contract then was cut after the preseason but only to be signed to their practice squad a day later.

Matthews was hardly on the field during the 2014 regular season where he only appeared in three regular season games, in which he was a non factor. If you bring his name up, almost all fan bases could tell you that they have never heard of the name, Chris Matthews. A conversation probably went something like this, “Chris Matthews? Who? The politician analyst?”

All jokes aside, Matthews made sure you would remember his name in a big way one way or another. During the 2014 NFC Championship game against the Green Bay Packers, he recovered the biggest onside kick in Seahawks history that led to a go ahead score late in the game.

They went on and won in overtime to take them to the Super Bowl for the second consecutive year. Matthews hadn’t caught a pass in a NFL game up to this point in his career, but the Super Bowl would change that and become a moment to define his name. He went on to catch 4 passes for 109 yards and a touchdown. He had one big catch that went for 44 yards.

Feb 1, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Chris Matthews (13) catches a touchdown against New England Patriots cornerback Logan Ryan (26) during the second quarter in Super Bowl XLIX at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

So what does this mean for Chris Matthews? If what we saw on the biggest stage in the NFL is real, he has a great opportunity on such a thin roster in terms of his position.

I’ve spent this last week watching a lot of his tape throughout his collegiate career and there’s a lot to be satisfied with. Matthews is a 6’5″ 218 pound wide-out that has a great combination of size and athleticism. He has extensive speed and uses his body well enough to shield defenders from the ball to make a catch. His leaping ability allows him to be another red zone target for Russell Wilson, along side Jimmy Graham.

From his route running (which he could improve on) I saw a receiver who can, at times, create separation, can make defenders miss, and can be an effective run blocker, which is huge for the Seahawks running game. I could be jumping the gun here, but the Seahawks could have something special with Matthews.

Will the Cinderella Story continue with Chris Matthews or will the Seahawks be striking out at midnight with yet another wide receiver? Only the story will tell.

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