The Seahawks have a recent history of having undrafted free agents make a big impact on the success of the team. What 3 UDFAs might impact 2020?
Why do I have a picture of former Seahawks receiver Doug Baldwin at the lead photo in this piece? Because Baldwin joined Seattle as an undrafted free agent (UDFA) and turned out to be arguably the second best receiver in Seahawks history. During the coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider era which began in 2010, Seattle has had an incredible amount of UDFAs make big impacts on Seattle’s success.
Beyond Baldwin, players like Michael Bennett (not originally signed by Seattle but still an undrafted free agent) and Jermaine Kearse helped Seattle win a Super Bowl and get to another in the 2010s. Defensive tackle Poona Ford was signed as an UDFA in 2018 and he could be a starter in 2020. One of Seattle’s UDFAs signed for the 2020 season could have an important role this coming season and beyond.
In fact, the way Seattle’s cap space is, with little money to sign any top-end talent at this point, relying on a breakthrough from one of the UDFAs is almost a must. But that isn’t a bad thing. Schneider and Carroll might do a better job of judging UDFA talent than first round talent, oddly enough.
Seattle has signed 18 undrafted free agents for 2020. Few will probably make the final roster and several might end up on the practice squad. But which three have the best chance of being Seahawks this coming season? Maybe these guys.
Eli Mencer, edge rusher
Eli Mencer does not even have a sports-reference.com page. That doesn’t mean Mencer is a bad player, it means he played at a smaller college where he didn’t garner national attention. But Mencer has talent. The question is whether that talent will translate to an NFL level.
In his senior year at the University of Albany, the 6’1″ and 230 pound Mencer had 14.5 sacks and 24 tackles for loss as well as 5 forced fumbles. Maybe these numbers were made at a level that wasn’t the SEC, for instance, but guess who else had the same numbers? Few. Overall combined? None.
Mencer is a bit small for the NFL level but he also has what Pete Carroll loves. That is he has heart and drive and a chip on his shoulder. Remember players like Richard Sherman and Baldwin and Chris Carson? Those were little-known players who didn’t accomplish much, right?
Wrong. All those guys became important members of the Seahawks and Mencer could too. Maybe Mencer would never break records at the NFL combine, but a willingness to be great overcomes all most of the time. Mencer wants to be great and given the chance, he could be for the Seahawks.
Aaron Fuller, slot receiver
The Seahawks have some top-end talent at receiver. But Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf are ideally wideouts who do just that, line up out wide. Seattle needs a good slot receiver as a third option for Russell Wilson. Aaron Fuller could be just that.
The Seahawks like University of Washington guys and have had success with them. Will Dissly is the best tight end Seattle has, for instance, if he can stay healthy. Seattle signed Phillip Dorsett this offseason as a good option in the slot, but Fuller could be better than Dorsett. Fuller has the quickness to get open quickly and catch 30 to 40 passes a season and be a quick release for Wilson.
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Fuller also gives the Seahawks an option instead of Lockett to return punts. The last two years at Washington. Fuller returned 22 punts each but averaged 11.4 yards a return, including a touchdown in 2019. Lockett has become far too valuable as a receiver to keep returning kicks and punts, even if he is great at doing so.
The way the NFL has changed its rules with kick returns, returners have less of an opportunity to actually make a difference. Punt returners rarely get a chance as it is. But saving Lockett from potentially getting injured on meaningless returns is important and Fuller could fill Lockett’s role.
Anthony Jones, running back
There is Chris Carson and then a lot of question marks for the Seahawks at running back in 2020. Rashaad Penny might be good but is likely to start the season on the PUP list. This means the Seahawks have to find a good second option for Carson, especially early in the season. Anthony Jones could find himself in the rotation to spell Carson.
Jones has decent size for a Seahawks running back at 5’11” and 220 pounds. He isn’t amazingly fast but he did start off as a receiver in college so he has some quickness. Seattle likes guys who can do one cut and go; This is Jones. Combined in college he had 418 carries, 187 of them coming as a senior. In 2019, he had 990 total yards and 11 touchdowns.
But Jones has had to overcome quite a bit to try to even get a chance to play for the Seahawks. In 2018, Jones was shot in his back and the bullet came out through his eye. Jones was on a feeding tube for two weeks. Pete Carroll likes players who have a story to tell as he thinks it makes them more motivated players.
With a lack of depth behind Carson to start the season, Seattle is in search of running backs. Jones has decent size and versatility and might just find himself as a third or fourth back with the Seahawks.