Seahawks add depth to receiver and return sport with Laviska Shenault Jr. – The Seattle Instances

After the NFL handed a brand new kickoff format on the league conferences final week in Orlando, Seahawks president of soccer operations John Schneider stated the workforce would have a look at including some returners.
That could be why it was introduced that they signed free-agent receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. His agent, David Canter, reported the signing on social media and the Seahawks formally introduced it Tuesday afternoon.
Shenault, who performed collegiately at Colorado, was a second-round choose of Jacksonville in 2020 at No. 42 general.
After taking part in two seasons there, he spent the final two seasons in Carolina.
He has 158 receptions for 1,551 yards and 6 touchdowns in 51 NFL video games but additionally dealt with some kickoff-return duties with the Panthers the final two seasons — six for 197 yards in 2023 and three for 82 in 2022. He additionally has been used often as a ball provider, with 50 rushes for 252 yards and one TD.
That background means the Seahawks may view him as a contender as a depth receiver and a kickoff returner, doubtlessly competing with — if not working alongside — 2021 second-round choose Dee Eskridge as they attempt to navigate easy methods to finest make the most of the NFL’s new kickoff guidelines.
Shenault reportedly signed a one-year veteran minimal contract that’s absolutely assured, in accordance with NFL author Aaron Wilson.
“I believe Seattle is an effective spot as a result of that is going to be a hard-nosed workforce,” Shenault told the workforce’s web site. “I play with some aggression and I believe that’s huge.”
The brand new kickoff format, accredited on a one-year path foundation for the 2024 season, permits for 2 returners inside a goal zone from the 20-yard-line to the purpose line. Defenders might be stationed on the opposing 40 — with blockers lined up on the 35 — and can’t transfer till the kick is acquired. The thought is that the brand new format will result in a rise in returns, and consequently, a renewed emphasis on the worth of returners.
On the day the brand new format was accredited, Schneider stated he was already on the cellphone with the brokers of some free brokers who could possibly be potential returners.
“It is going to be vital to have returners that may hit it up in there fairly dang fast as a result of it’s going to be a bang-bang play,” Schneider stated final week throughout his weekly look on Seattle Sports activities 710.
Even with the re-signing of Eskridge to a brand new one-year contract that changed the ultimate 12 months of his four-year rookie deal, the Seahawks have been going to wish so as to add some returners after seeing DeeJay Dallas signal as a free agent with Arizona.
Dallas has 17 kickoff returns for 428 yards in his profession. Final season Eskridge had eight kickoff returns for 224 yards together with a 66-yarder in opposition to the 49ers — the longest of the season for the Seahawks — earlier than struggling a rib damage and being positioned on injured reserve.
In Shenault, the Seahawks may be merely taking a low-risk flyer on a participant who entered the league because the ninth receiver taken within the 2020 draft after a three-year profession at Colorado by which he completed eighth at school historical past in receptions with 149 and eleventh in receiving yards with 1,943.
Shenault, listed at 6-foot-1, 220 kilos, set a profession excessive with 63 receptions for 619 yards with the Jaguars in 2021 in his second 12 months within the NFL.
He was traded earlier than the 2022 season to Carolina for a 2023 seventh-round choose and a 2024 sixth-rounder and have become a free agent following the 2023 season by which he performed simply eight video games due to an ankle damage, ending with 10 receptions for 60 yards.
Shenault turns into the ninth receiver on the Seahawks’ roster, becoming a member of Eskridge, Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Dareke Younger, Jake Bobo, Easop Winston Jr. and Cody White. 
The Seahawks will start their voluntary offseason program on Monday, the primary time the workforce will collect as an entire beneath new coach Mike Macdonald, who changed Pete Carroll on Jan. 31.
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