Seahawks sign a pair of intriguing CFL prospects

The Seattle Seahawks sign a pair of intriguing CFL prospects to help bolster their depth at two key offensive skill positons.

The Seahawks are once again looking to the north in their never-ending attempts to mine every corner of the world for undiscovered, or at least as-yet-unrealized talent, signing WR Jeff Fuller and RB Cameron Marshall to contracts.

Both names may be somewhat familiar, as both had some high-profile success in college, and both would appear to fit the mold of specific qualities the Seahawks are looking for at positions of need:

Jeff Fuller, WR, Calgary Stampeders (Texas A&M)

Fuller was a fairly high profile player at Texas A&M, as he was Ryan Tannehill’s favorite target his final two seasons. A four year starter, he had a monster junior year, amassing 72 catches for 1.066 yards and 12 TD’s, and considered skipping his final season and turning pro. He ended up staying in school, and as a senior he caught 70 passes for 828 yards and 6 scores. His value to the Seahawks would be as that big-bodied, tall receiver they have tried to desperately to add to their arsenal. They thought fellow Canadian import Chris Matthews was the answer, but Matthews never developed the route-running skills to succeed and there were questions about his practice habits.

More from Seattle Seahawks News

• 4 prospects Seahawks could reach for at No. 20 in 2023 NFL Draft
• Seattle Seahawks Mock Draft: Post-first wave of free agency 
• Seahawks podcast: A review of the first week of free agency
• 4 experiments the Seattle Seahawks could cut short in 2023
• 3 pros and cons of Seattle Seahawks drafting Anthony Richardson

Fuller’s decision to return for his senior year backfired, as a late-season foot injury limited his ability to test well for scouts. He ran in the high 4.6 second range in his pro day 40 yard dashes, and ultimately went undrafted. He was signed by Miami but never made the team.

Fuller, however, has a personal best 40 time of 4.43 to go along with 32″ vertical jump. He measures 6’4″ and over 220 pounds. He’s a strong, muscular, physical receiver somewhat in the Anquan Boldin mold, although he had an issue with drops at times in college. But his overall skill set makes him an intriguing candidate to make a run at a roster spot. The Seahawks have reportedly scouted “every big WR in the draft” this year as they search for a taller target to pair with Tyler Lockett and Doug Baldwin.

Check out Fuller making a sweet one-handed grab of a Tannehill pass against Baylor.

And here’s a longer highlight package from his time at Texas A&M. Watch him go up and over a CB to haul in a TD at the :30 mark, and then at :39 he flat out beats his man off the line for an easy long score.

Fuller certainly possesses an intriguing set of skills. It’ll be fun to watch how he does in mini-camp and OTA’s. He continued to battle injuries while in Calgary, so the question of whether he can stay healthy may be a key factor in his bid for a roster spot.

Cameron Marshall, RB, Winnipeg Blue Bombers (Arizona State)

Marshall’s name may ring a bell for local UW Husky fans as he was a productive player for the Sun Devils, rushing for over 2,700 yards in his college career. He was particularly impressive as a junior in 2011, amassing over 1,000 yards while scoring 18 TD’s. In Winnipeg last season he ran for 614 yards.

He fits the physical mold the Seahawks look for in their running backs, to a tee.

Watching his highlights, he has the ability to cut and go when he sees the hole, changing direction without sacrificing much speed. In the second level, he’s shifty enough to make tacklers miss, but also has good enough balance to break tackles. Where Marshall may really bring the most value to the Hawks is in his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. He caught 64 passes for 558 yards at Arizona State, and with the Blue Bombers last year grabbed 32 balls for 378 yards, averaging 11.8 yards per catch while scoring twice.

Watch at the :49 mark how easily he hauls in a flare pass and then shifts into hear and takes it down the sideline for a big gain while at ASU.

Then his CFL highlights start out with a bang as he takes a simple delay route over the middle and takes it in for the score. Then watch at the :29 mark as he takes an inside handoff and shows off his entire tool belt, changing direction, breaking tackles, and then pulling away from defenders to score.

Marshall has the look of a guy who can challenge for a third down role in Seattle with soon-to-be 35 year old veteran Fred Jackson not likely to return.

Next: Full first round mock draft - Seattle selects....

Offensive skill position players haven’t transitioned well to the NFL in recent years. We saw that here first hand with the failed Matthews experiential, and much-hyped WR Duron Carter (son of Chris) was an utter flameout with the Colts in 2015 after somewhat of a bidding war for his services. The 6’5″ Carter was released again by Indianapolis January 16th and is now a free agent. The Seahawks must see more in Fuller that they like. Marshall may have a better chance the make the final 53 man roster, but both players are young, talented, and worth keeping an eye on.