With Uchenna Nwosu and Artie Burns currently nursing injuries that could put their status for Week 1 in jeopardy, the Seattle Seahawks added outside linebacker and cornerback depth on the practice squad on Thursday.
As announced on the Seahawks website, the team has signed third-year edge rusher Tyreke Smith and second-year cornerback Josh Jobe to the practice squad. In an additional move, the team released second-year tackle Raiqwon O'Neal, keeping one spot open to sign an additional player.
Originally drafted by the Seahawks in the fifth round out of Ohio State in 2022, Smith missed his entire rookie season due to hip injury. Returning healthy for the 2023 season, he played in all three preseason games and recorded three pressures and a sack, eventually being waived during final cutdowns and re-signing to the practice squad.
In December, the Cardinals signed Smith off of the practice squad to their active roster and he dressed in a pair of games, including playing against the Seahawks in Week 18. He participated in training camp and the preseason with Arizona before being released earlier this week.
With Nwosu nursing a sprained knee suffered in Seattle's preseason finale, general manager John Schneider has been proactive adding insurance to the outside linebacker group. Earlier this week, he dealt a future sixth-round pick to Jacksonville for veteran Trevis Gipson, and now Smith will come back to the Pacific Northwest as another quality depth option on the practice squad.
As for Jobe, the former Alabama standout signed with the Eagles after going undrafted in 2022, suiting up for 28 games with a trio of starts over the past two seasons. The 5-11, 190-pound defender mostly played on the perimeter as a boundary cornerback and struggled mightily in coverage last season, allowing three touchdowns on only 29 targets without any interceptions as quarterbacks posted a 113.0 rating against him.
Returning to a secondary with an influx of young talent in Philadelphia, including first-round pick Quinyon Mitchell, Jobe became expendable after playing in all three preseason games as the team waived him on Monday.
Though Jobe hasn't played much in the slot in the NFL and primarily played outside at Alabama as well, Seattle might take a look at him inside due to depth concerns at the position. Burns injured his toe in the preseason finale and per Schneider on Wednesday, he aggravated the injury in practice, putting his status up in the air for Week 1 and leaving only converted safety Coby Bryant on the roster with past experience in the slot behind starter Devon Witherspoon.
The decision to release O'Neal could be a precursor to adding a quarterback to the practice squad, as the Seahawks could bring back veteran PJ Walker or look at bringing in a free agent such as former Browns quarterback Tyler Huntley or former Cardinals quarterback Desmond Ridder.
