Seahawks add QB Mannion to practice squad, re-sign Coleman

By Bob Condotta / The Seattle Times

RENTON — The Seattle Seahawks made a flurry of roster moves Wednesday on the day after setting their initial 53-man roster, including re-signing cornerback Justin Coleman, who had been released Tuesday as part of some roster shuffling, and signing veteran quarterback Sean Mannion to the practice squad.

Coleman was released since as a vested veteran he did not have to go through waivers, which allowed the Seahawks to carry two players to the point where they could then be put on injured reserve without having to sit out the season — cornerback John Reid and defensive end L.J. Collier. Had either been placed on IR before the roster was set at 53 they would have had to sit out the year.

Now, each can return after four games.

Coleman, general manager John Schneider said, “did us a solid” in agreeing to be released and then re-signing a day later.

Coleman was back on the practice field Wednesday and presumably again atop the depth chart at the nickel cornerback spot. Coleman was signed in March and is expected to be the starting nickel, though rookie Coby Bryant has also been playing there in the preseason.

Coleman became the seventh cornerback on the roster, which included Isaiah Dunn, who was claimed off waivers from the Jets earlier in the day. But only five are currently healthy, with Sidney Jones IV (concussion) and Artie Burns (groin) each nursing injuries. Dunn, who played at Oregon State, played in 12 games for the Jets last season.

To replace Collier, the Seahawks added defensive end Darryl Johnson off waivers from the Carolina Panthers. Johnson is a veteran of 34 NFL games, 31 with the Buffalo Bills, who made him a seventh-round pick in 2019.

Collier, the team’s first-round pick in 2019, suffered an elbow injury in the team’s mock game on Aug. 6 and did not see action in the regular season.

To make room to add Coleman, Dunn and Johnson Seattle also waived rookie linebacker Joshua Onujiogu, who had been one of the surprise players to make the 53-man roster on Tuesday as an undrafted free agent out of Division III Framingham (Ma.) State. Seattle hopes to get him back on the practice squad.

Seahawks sign Mannion to practice squad

Among the players Seattle signed to fill out its 16-man practice squad was Mannion, a move that also meant Seattle had decided to move on on from former UW and Lake Stevens standout Jacob Eason, who was the No. 3 QB in camp but was waived on Tuesday. It was reported later Wednesday that Eason will sign with Carolina’s practice squad.

Schneider confirmed the signing and noted Mannion’s familiarity with the offense after being in camp with Seattle last year as well as spending two years with the Rams when offensive coordinator Shane Waldron was an assistant there.

“It was really tough,” Schneider said. “Jake did a great job with us. It’s just our situation right now. …. Sean is probably going to end up being a head coach in this league at some point. He’s just another coach in the room for Geno and Drew.”

The 30-year-old Mannion was with the Seahawks in camp a year ago and led the team in passing in the preseason going 33-for-49 for 228 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions but was released at the cutdown to 53 and then re-signed with the Vikings, for whom he had played in 2019 and 2020.

Mannion has three career NFL starts including one a year ago when he went 22-for-36 for 189 yards and a touchdown in a 37-10 loss to the Packers.

Seattle claimed Eason off waivers from the Colts last October in the wake of Russell Wilson’s injury, and he stayed on the 53-man roster all season but did not appear in any games.

Eason played in two preseason games this year going 19-for-39 for 148 yards with no touchdowns and an interception.

Eason was as fourth-round pick of the Colts in 2020 and played in one game for Indy in 2021, going 2-5 for 25 yards and an interception before being waived by the Colts on Oct. 19 and claimed by Seattle the next day.

Seahawks sign 12 to practice squad

The Seahawks announced the signing of 12 other players to the practice squad Wednesday. They are: WR J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, T Greg Eiland, WR Cade Johnson, LB Vi Jones, TE Tyler Mabry, WR Bo Melton, CB Quandre Mosely, LB Tanner Muse, S Scott Nelson, T Liam Ryan, RB Darwin Thompson and LB Aaron Donkor.

Mosely visited the Seahawks on Tuesday. The rest were with the team during training camp.

Because Seattle gets an exemption for Donkor as an international player the Seahawks can have 17 players overall on their practice squad.

Schneider mentioned that the Seahawks had signed two other players from the outside to join the practice squad — offensive lineman Jalen McKenzie, who played at USC and was just waived by the Titans; and cornerback Xavier Crawford, a veteran of 21 games in three NFL seasons, including 12 last year with the Bears who was recently released by the Jaguars.