Seahawks Linked to Speedy Free-Agent Receiver: Report

Getty Pete Carroll's Seahawks say they are happy with new quarterback Drew Lock.

As the Seattle Seahawks finalize their roster, the team may have an opportunity to add a familiar face. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported the Jaguars are releasing wide receiver Phillip Dorsett.

The wideout was with the Seahawks during the 2020 season but never played a snap for the team as he battled a foot injury. According to ESPN’s Brady Henderson, the Seahawks had an interest in re-signing Dorsett this offseason before he chose to join Urban Meyer in Jacksonville.

“The Seahawks wanted to re-sign Dorsett earlier this offseason — based on Pete Carroll’s comments — after he spent all of last year on their IR with a foot injury,” Henderson tweeted.

The Seahawks Indicated the Team Had an Interest in Bringing Back Dorsett for 2021

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll was open about the team’s plan to bring back Dorsett, but things clearly changed as the offseason unfolded. After the Seahawks season ended, Carroll noted the team planned to “start all over again” with Dorsett in 2021.

“I talked to Phillip yesterday,” Carroll said in January, per USA Today. “We’re just like throwing this season out. It didn’t work out for him, and bring him back and let’s start all over again with all the same high hopes. …He’s got great speed, he’s really bright, he’s really talented. We love the kid. He just didn’t get to go.”

The Seahawks already face difficult roster decisions at wide receiver with a cluster of young players battling to make the team behind DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and D’Wayne Eskridge. Sports Illustrated’s Corbin Smith also sees the Seahawks as a potential landing spot for a reunion with Dorsett.

“Something to monitor – Seahawks wanted Dorsett back,” Smith explained on Twitter. “Currently only six receivers on roster if Cade Johnson made it. …I haven’t heard whether or not Cade Johnson made the team. But source indicated only one UDFA made it and per @RobRang, it’s Jake Curhan. Seattle may only go with five receivers or look for one on free agent market. As I mentioned, Phillip Dorsett is now available again.”

Former Seahawks OC Darrell Bevell Played a Key Role in the Jaguars Signing Dorsett

During training camp, Meyer credited former Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell for the addition of Dorsett. Bevell was not with the Seahawks when the team had Dorsett on the roster, but he had a high opinion of the speedy receiver. Dorsett ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash at the 2015 NFL Combine.

“That was the same with Phillip Dorsett. Darrell [Bevell] had a lot to do with that,” Meyer noted in August, per Sports Illustrated. “I don’t know Darell that well but he has earned my respect because everything he has said about Marvin — right on. Everything he said about Phillip Dorsett, he was very involved in those two and [Wide Receivers Coach] Sanjay [Lal], I think Sanjay helped a little.”

Cade Johnson and Penny Hart are two names to watch as the team finalizes their 53-man roster. The Seahawks lost John Ursua to a season-ending ACL injury during the team’s first preseason matchup.