Seahawks Sign $57.90 Million WR Star Player Due To…
The Seahawks signed receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. Tuesday.
Shenault, 25, played college football at the University of Colorado and was a second-round draft pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2020. In his first two seasons, Shenault posted back-to-back 600+ receiving yard seasons, five touchdowns and 121 receptions.
In 2022, Shenault was traded to the Panthers, where he’s been since. Shenault helped add variety to the Panthers offense, where he was used in a hybrid position, either at receiver or running back.
“I think Seattle is a good spot because this is going to be a hard-nosed team,” Shenault said. “I play with some aggression and I think that’s big.”
Over his career, he’s played in 51 games. Last season, he played in just eight games, after suffering an ankle injury and being placed on injured reserve in November.
And in Shenault, Seahawks fans can expect to get a “Dog, hard worker, a hungry, evolved Viska.”
Shenault also has experience as a kick-returner – the Panthers used him at this position in all eight games he played in last season.
“I take pride in it,” Shenault said of being able to play multiple roles. “Because there’s not that many players that can do so many things and be so effective and I like to do what’s asked of me. Whatever I can do to help the team get a W, that’s a W for me.”
Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported on Tuesday that the Seahawks are signing wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. in free agency. Shenault, 25, now joins his third career NFL team (after Jacksonville and Carolina).
A second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft (No. 42 overall), Shenault entered the league with high expectations thanks to his athleticism and his ball skills at 6-foot-1. But Shenault has failed to meet those expectations so far with only 1,551 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns through his first four seasons combined. It doesn’t help either that Shenault was drafted several picks ahead of future Pro Bowlers like Antoine Winfield Jr., Jaylon Johnson, Trevon Diggs, and [gulp] Jalen Hurts.
Last season with the Panthers, Shenault was limited to ten catches for 60 yards and zero touchdowns in eight games (missing much of the year with an ankle injury). The lowlights have seemingly been more frequent than the highlights for Shenault to this point. But he will now try his luck in Seattle, possibly in a kick returner role as well (which Shenault began to do during his time in Carolina).
READ MORE:
Seahawks Interested In Laken Tomlinson, Cody Whitehair
The Seahawks lost four-year guard starter Damien Lewis in free agency, seeing him sign a lucrative deal with the Panthers. Seattle has also not re-signed their primary 2023 right guard, Phil Haynes. Some guard work is on tap for Mike Macdonald‘s team.
A guard addition should be expected soon. The Seahawks are interested in Tomlinson, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, who adds they have also discussed bringing in Cody Whitehair for a visit.
Ex-Rams O-lineman Tremayne Anchrum signed with the Seahawks last month, but Macdonald made it clear (via ESPN’s Brady Henderson) the team was not done with its guard shopping. Tomlinson and Whitehair offer considerable experience, though neither is coming off an especially good season. The Bears benched Whitehair last year, and Tomlinson did not show his 49ers form often with the Jets. New York released its two-year guard starter
One thing Tomlinson certainly offers is durability; over the past six seasons, the veteran blocker has missed all of one start. Tomlinson turned 32 this offseason and graded 58th and 53rd among guards, per Pro Football Focus, during his two Jets seasons. But he excelled with the 49ers, giving them guard stability for five seasons. Tomlinson earned a San Francisco extension, and his 49ers work commanded a three-year, $40MM deal from the Jets in 2022.
Whitehair, 31, spent eight seasons with the Bears. While he became an expected cap casualty this offseason, the veteran has extensive experience at guard and center. Chicago’s attempt to move Whitehair back to center — to accommodate UFA addition Nate Davis — did not pan out, but Whitehair still saw considerable time at left guard (666 snaps) last season due to injuries. Overall, the 2016 second-round pick has made 118 starts; Tomlinson, a former Lions first-rounder, exited the 2023 season with 138.
This year’s free agency class included a deep guard crop. Lewis was among those who did very well on the market. The Panthers gave Lewis a four-year, $53MM deal with $26.2MM guaranteed at signing. While the top guards are long gone, a host of veterans are still available. In addition to Whitehair and Tomlinson, the likes of Dalton Risner, Andrus Peat, Greg Van Roten and Mark Glowinski are unsigned. Anchrum signed for just $1.2MM and just $100K guaranteed, potentially putting the Seahawks in search of two new starting guards.