As Devon Witherspoon’s high-stakes contract looms, Seattle bolsters its secondary depth by signing former Eagles standout Brandon Johnson to compete amidst a wave of early training camp injuries.
The Seattle Seahawks have signed a cornerback.
No, not that one.
The No. 1 training camp storyline for the defending Super Bowl champions is all about Devin Witherspoon, the cornerback who might be on the verge of becoming the highest-paid player at his position in NFL history.
But filling in the positional news blank for now?
Seattle is adding another body to the cornerback group with the recent signing of former Philadelphia Eagles second-year man Brandon Johnson.
Johnson has local ties in the sense that he played at both Duke but then at Oregon.
He was an undrafted rookie last offseason, signed by the Eagles. He is slightly undersized at 5-10, 180 pounds, but he was productive as a Duck.
During his college days, 50 games played as a safety, Johnson totaled 173 tackles, eight sacks, 16 pass breakups and three interceptions.
In the NFL?
He spent most of last season on the Eagles’ practice squad, though he did get a jersey on three occasions and even started one game.
Maybe it's wise to project him as a special-teams helper, though right now at camp, the Seahawks could use some bodies in the secondary.
Three players are going to be on the Seahawks’ PUP list as the vets ready to start training camp. Second-year star slot cornerback Nick Emmanwori, second-year cornerback Tyrone Broden and rookie defensive tackle Deven Eastern might not stay on PUP for long ...
But their absence does provide Johnson and others with a chance to compete with the likes of Noah Igbinoghene and Nehemiah Prichett.
To make the room for Johnson, Seattle cut a backup tight end, and the deep backup Harrison Brant is now gone.
Five tight ends remain on the roster, led of course by potential breakout candidate AJ Barner.
