Seahawks clearly stole Jacob Hollister from the Patriots
By Geoff Shull
Career with the Seahawks
Over the preseason, players and coaches alike were raving about Hollister’s ability to get yards after the catch. He showed great instincts and a willingness to be the lead blocker. However, before the train could get fully going on the Hollister express, he succumbed to a series of injuries bringing the momentum for a roster spot to a screeching halt.
Hollister failed to make the opening day roster and was waived, instead sticking with Will Dissly, and Nick Vannett while knowing Ed Dickson would be coming back around mid-season from the IR. Seattle was fortunate enough that Hollister made it through waivers and landed on their practice squad.
Through the beginning stages of the season, Will Dissly was showing the world he could be the next big thing for tight ends. He played with great route running, sure hands and a nastiness that let him shut down opposing defensive ends 1 on 1 in the blocking game. The tight end spot was locked up for years to come and depth was no longer a priority as Dissly was playing the majority of the snaps.
The Steelers meanwhile, had a hole on their roster due to injuries and made a generous offer for the reserve tight end Nick Vannett offering a 2020 5th round pick. Again, with Ed Dickson just a couple weeks away and Will Dissly showing he can be the work horse in the position. This seemed like a good move to get future draft capital for a backup player who would be a free agent at years end.
Unfortunately, just two weeks later Will Dissly went down with a non-contact injury that put him on the sidelines for the year. This left the Seahawks with not a single tight end on the active roster. Seattle decided to make two moves: first, sign Luke Willson from free agency and two, bring up Jacob Hollister from the practice squad. During the first couple weeks it was the Luke Willson show. It brought with it everything I remember about the guy, the swagger, the catching ability and the lack of blocking that lead to sacks.