The Seattle Seahawks moved on from one of the team’s rookie receivers amid roster moves. Seattle signed undrafted tight end Mitch Van Vooren, and to make room for the former St. Nobert College product the team released Nate McCollum.
The undrafted wideout spent his first three collegiate seasons with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets before his final two years playing for the North Carolina Tar Heels. McCollum’s best season came in 2022 when the receiver posted 60 receptions for 655 yards and three touchdowns.
Given Seattle’s depth at receiver, McCollum faced an uphill battle to make the final roster. Van Vooren will also be fighting to make the 53-man roster as the Seahawks depth chart at tight end appears to be solid.
The news comes weeks after the Seahawks signed McCollum as an undrafted free agent on May 20, 2025. Prior to joining Seattle, McCollum participated in the New York Giants rookie minicamp.
The Seahawks Completely Retooled the Wide Receiver Position This NFL Offseason
As for Seattle’s remaining receivers, the unit will look a lot different in 2025. The Seahawks traded DK Metcalf to the Pittsburgh Steelers as the star playmaker was pushing for a fresh start.
Days earlier, Seattle also released fan favorite Tyler Lockett in a cap savings move. The Seahawks went on to sign veteran wideout Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
Seattle selected a pair of receivers in Tory Horton and Ricky White III on the third day of the 2025 NFL draft. One of the biggest moves of the Seahawks offseason was the team signing former Los Angeles Rams star Cooper Kupp.
Sam Darnold on Cooper Kupp: ‘Being Able to Get Those Reps With Him Has Been Amazing’
Not only do the Seahawks have a new star receiver, but the team also hit the reset button at quarterback. New Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold is already loving his connection with Kupp.
“Coop’s amazing. The way he moves is very unique,” Darnold said on “The Rich Eisen Show,” per Seattle Sports. “Being able to get a ton of reps with him and just see how he gets in and out of routes, like I said, is different.
“But that’s what makes him such a great player is just the way he can make certain routes look the same and he ends up in a completely different spot. It’s very unique. So being able to get those reps with him has been amazing.”
Seahawks WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling Was One of the Standouts During OTA Practices
All 90 of the Seahawks players attended voluntary OTAs, per The News Tribune’s Gregg Bell, a rare feat in today’s league where veterans often skip these practices. One player who is already standing out is Valdes-Scantling. Former NFL wideout Michael Bumpus praised the veteran receiver for the first impression he made during OTA practices.
MVS has that third gear. 🏎️💨
“He just looks smooth,” the analyst noted during a June 5, 2025, edition of Seattle Sports’ “Bump and Stacy.” “… And again, the caveat is the (defensive backs) cannot really contest the football when it’s in the air.
“There’s no contact (allowed during OTAs). But there were some obvious plays where he’s just wide-open. Watching the way that he moves, getting in and out of his breaks, the security with him catching the football – he just looks really good. He looked better than I expected. I don’t really know what I expected out of MVS, but he stood out.”
