RENTON — Edgerrin James reached a major milestone on Sunday. Two days later the veteran running back was out of work.
James, who became the 10th leading rusher in NFL history Sunday, was released by the Seahawks Tuesday, one of several moves made by the team this week. In addition to releasing James, the Seahawks also parted ways with safety C.J. Wallace, who has been out with a hamstring injury, and on Monday they released cornerback Travis Fisher.
Seattle has added three players from its practice squad to fill those roster spots. Cornerback Roy Lewis was signed Monday, and receiver Mike Hass and safety Jamar Adams were added to the roster Tuesday.
James, who was signed in August after the team released T.J. Duckett, rushed for just 125 yards on 46 carries for an average of 2.7 yards per carry while serving as a backup to Julius Jones this season. James, 31, moved past Marcus Allen into 10th place on the all-time NFL rushing list in the Seahawks loss in Dallas, and now has 12,246 career yards.
The moves come in the wake of Seahawks coach Jim Mora saying change could come if players’ attitudes aren’t right.
“I think adversity turns weak people into victims,” Mora said Monday. “They look for an exit. They look for a way out. They look to point the finger at somebody else. They don’t accept responsibility. That’s what I think adversity reveals in weak people. It turns them into victims: ‘Why me?’ I’m not saying that I see that, because I don’t. But if I do, there are doors out of here.”
These moves don’t necessarily mean Mora saw problems in the players released, however.
James hasn’t been effective this season, but he has also been known throughout his career as a positive locker-room presence. Releasing him makes room for a player like Hass to help out on special teams, something James didn’t do. That could be important this week with Ben Obomanu, a regular on special teams, ailing with an oblique injury. Wallace was no doubt let go to make room for a healthy body, again to bolster special teams depth.
The release of James could mean a role in the Seahawks offense for Louis Rankin, who was signed to the practice squad in late September from Oakland’s practice squad. Rankin, a second-year player who was undrafted out of the University of Washington, has impressed Seahawks coaches with his speed and elusiveness. Seattle added Rankin to the active roster last week despite not having plans to play him against Dallas, most likely to prevent another team from signing him.
To fill the practice squad spots vacated by Hass, Adams and Lewis, the Seahawks signed running back Devin Moore, cornerback Trae Williams and cornerback DeAngelo Willingham. Moore, an undrafted rookie from Wyoming, was on Seattle’s practice squad until he was released to make room for Rankin’s signing. Williams, Jacksonville’s fifth-round draft pick in 2008, spent last season on Philadelphia’s practice squad. Willingham is an undrafted rookie who played at Tennessee.
Herald Writer John Boyle: jboyle@heraldnet.com. For more Seahawks coverage, check out the Seahawks blog at heraldnet.com/seahawksblog
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