Getty Head coach Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks made a roster move on December 21.
The Seattle Seahawks have made a few different moves at running back over the past week. That theme continued on December 21.
The Seahawks announced they signed defensive tackle Daviyon Nixon to the active roster on Wednesday. To make room for Nixon on the 53-man roster, Seattle waived running back Tony Jones Jr.
The Seahawks have waived RB Tony Jones and signed DT Daviyon Nixon.
The Carolina Panthers drafted Nixon in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL draft. He has recorded 15 combined tackles in 14 career NFL games.
Releasing Jones is the third running back transaction the Seahawks have performed since December 15. Seattle released Wayne Gallman just prior to the matchup with the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday Night Football.
The Seahawks then re-signed Gallman to the team’s practice squad on December 17.
Seahawks Sign Nixon to Add Depth Line Depth
Seattle needed Jones and Gallman on the active roster in early December because of multiple injuries at running back. But while that position has grown more healthy in recent weeks, the Seahawks are now thin along the defensive line.
Nose tackle Al Woods didn’t play in Week 15 because of an Achillies ailment. His replacement, Bryan Mone, suffered an ACL injury on December 15, and the Seahawks placed him on injured reserve.
With those two injuries, Seattle may need to count on major snaps from Nixon in a key road matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs during Week 16. Against the Chiefs, the Seahawks are trying to end a run of losing four of the last five games. They are also hoping to avoid falling below the .500 mark for the first time since Week 5.
In addition to 15 combined tackles, Nixon has recorded 2 quarterback hits and 0.5 sacks in his NFL career.
In a perfect world, Nixon will help the Seahawks improve against the run, but that’s a tough ask for the 2021 fifth-round pick when the Seattle run defense has struggled for a majority of the season.
The Seahawks enter Week 16 ranked second-to-last in rushing yards allowed. Over the last five games, Seattle has yielded an average of 201.6 rushing yards per contest.
Seahawks Part With Jones After Getting Healthy at RB
Gallman became expendable for the Seahawks with running backs Kenneth Walker III and DeeJay Dallas returning. The same was the case for Jones.
The Seahawks claimed Jones off waivers on October 10. He dressed for four games in Seattle, appearing on the field for at least 1 offensive snap in two of them.
In those games, Jones recorded 16 yards on 8 rushing attempts. He also posted 3 receptions for 18 yards.
Jones played for Seattle the most on offense in Week 13 when he lined up for 23 offensive snaps against the Los Angeles Rams. In that contest, he recorded 32 yards from scrimmage on 9 touches.
Then in Week 14 versus the Panthers, Jones gained 2 yards on 2 touches.
Jones had also played on special teams for the Seahawks this season. In the four games where he dressed, he lined up for 20% of the team’s special teams snaps.
At the beginning of the season, Jones played in two games for the New Orleans Saints before the Seahawks claimed him off waivers. He recorded 4 touches in those two games.
In his three-year career, Jones has posted 179 rushing yards while averaging 2.7 yards per carry. He has also registered 10 catches for 59 yards.