As NFL training camp approaches the two-week mark, the Seattle Seahawks were one of the few teams who had not placed a player on the COVID-19 list. The streak ended as wide receiver John Ursua was on the daily list compiled by the NFL on Sunday, August 9.
“WR John Ursua first #Seahawks player added to reserve/COVID-19 list in training camp, on day 13,” The News Tribune’s Gregg Bell reported on Twitter. “Officially it means he either tested positive or has been on close contact with someone who has. Out indefinitely, until he has multiple, consecutive negative tests.”
The list does not specify if Ursua specifically tested positive for the virus, or if he came in close contact with someone who has COVID-19. We have seen players from other NFL teams only spend a short time on the list before being cleared.
Ursua Is Expected to Compete This Season for Snaps in the Slot
Former #HawaiiFB receiver John Ursua’s first catch of the season was a HUGE one! 😱
Ursua saw some playing time for the Seahawks as a rookie late last season. He is a player to watch if he is able to take a step forward in 2020. So far, Phillip Dorsett was the only key addition to the wide receiver group this offseason, and Ursua was slated to have an opportunity to impress during training camp prior to the recent news. Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll noted in January that he expects Ursua to be a “factor” once he grasps the NFL game.
“He’s such a natural athlete,” Carroll noted, per Sports Illustrated. “He’s got magnificent body control and quickness. He’s got excellent quickness, the kind you get in and out of your breaks and change direction stuff that the best guys have. He’s got a terrific catching range. He scored more touchdowns than anybody in college football his last year. You can see why. As soon as it all clicks and he’s in, he’s going to be a factor.”
Ursua Was One of the Top Receivers in College Football
Ursua was a standout receiver at Hawaii and one of the best college football receivers during the 2018 season. The receiver notched 89 receptions for 1,343 yards and 16 touchdowns during his junior season.
Ursua was selected by the Seahawks in the seventh round of the 2019 NFL draft with the No. 236 pick. The receiver saw limited opportunities as part of a deep position group playing in three games in 2019 and only notching one reception for 11 yards.
The good news is that Ursua was able to make the Seahawks roster and crack the rotation late despite being a seventh-round pick. The Seahawks traded back into the 2019 draft just to select Ursua.
“Besides the player, who we all really liked as a competitive slot receiver, when you’re in the seventh round, you have to look at where guys have visited, and who’s had private workouts with them, and who’s spent the most amount of time with them,” Seahawks general manager John Schneider explained after the draft, per Seahawks.com.
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Seahawks Place Wide Receiver on COVID-19 List