Dakoda Shepley might be the Seahawks next good Canadian

Ever since Pete Carroll came to the Seahawks Canadian players, and former CFL players, have been able to make a positive impact. Dakoda Shepley might be the next one to do so, Plus, Shepley has entertainment value beyond the football field. Heck, maybe even Ryan Reynolds will come to a Seattle game this season.

Shepley actually had a small role in Deadpool 2 and also acted in a Hallmark Channel film. But let his side gig as an actor fool you. Shepley is a decent football player who is still developing. And he is still trying to learn how to perfect his new position: Center.

Shepley played in three games with the San Francisco 49ers last year as the 49ers were decimated with injuries. Shepley was signed to the 49ers practice squad originally after the CFL season had been canceled due to COVID-19 reasons. CFL players were free to sign with NFL teams due to their own teams not being able to play.

The 49ers released Shepley this year, however, when teams had to be cut to the active 53-man rosters. Seattle was happy to scoop him up.

Seahawks might need Dakoda Shepley to be a long-term center

Shepley was a guard in the CFL and finished second in Rookie of the Year voting in 2019 with the Saskatchewan Rough Riders. This though Shepley was still learning how to play along the offensive line. Shepley is a smart player who works on his craft so improving quickly is not surprising.

Now Shepley has a decent chance of being on the Seahawks for a while at center.  The Seahawks might start Ethan Pocic or Kyle Fuller at the position but neither feels like a true long-term answer. While Shepley still struggles with snaps at times, he shows good movement with his feet. He is 6’5″ but weighs about 315 pounds so he isn’t as heavy as most other offensive linemen.

This is OK, though, because centers need to be able to pivot pretty quickly, especially in Shane Waldron’s system that has more space between offensive linemen to allow for more zone blocking schemes. Shepley’s quickness should only help his cause to make the roster at center.

If Shepley does stick around and ends up playing and playing well, Shepley will join other players who are Canadian or played in Canada who have helped the Seahawks be successful. Others include punter Jon Ryan and tight end Luke Willson and CFLers Chris Matthews and Brandon Browner.