Getty Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll.
With OTAs underway and training camp approaching, Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider is hard at work tweaking the team’s 90-man roster. Finding depth at safety has been a focus, and there’s a former NFC West rival who could be a good fit as a backup at the position.
As the team continues to host workouts and make signings at safety, Ty Dane Gonzalez from SI.com suggested a handful of names that the Seahawks could make a move for. One of those players mentioned was former San Francisco 49ers safety Jaquiski Tartt.
“The 30-year old defensive back, who’s unfortunately become most recognized for dropping an interception during the final stages of the 2022 NFC championship game, remains without a new team after two-plus months of free agency,” Gonzales said. “Injuries have plagued Tartt from time to time, but he’s started for the majority of his seven years in the NFL and also has special teams experience.”
Jaquiski Tartt’s NFL Career
Recency bias will have NFL fans remembering Tartt for the lowest moment of his career, when he dropped a potential game-clinching interception a game away from the Super Bowl against the Los Angeles Rams. However, the 30-year-old has been a solid contributor throughout his time in the league.
Tartt was selected with the 46th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft by the 49ers. Coming out of a smaller school in Samford, Tartt impressed in the pre-draft process thanks to his impressive size at 6’1″ and 221 pounds.
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The former 49ers safety has had a productive seven-year career. He’s played in 80 games over that span, picking up 367 combined tackles, 21 tackles for loss, four sacks, four interceptions, and two forced fumbles.
Jaquiski Tartt just RIPPED this from Metcalf 🤭
(via @NFL)
Advanced metrics show that Tartt is a solid starter, even if he hasn’t been the flashiest player over his career. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) has never given Tartt a grade out of 100 below 57.0 in a season, but he’s also never had a season graded higher than 78.6.
Seahawks Have Been Busy at Safety Position
Even if the Seahawks don’t make a run at Tartt, recent activity suggests that Schneider isn’t done looking for depth at the position.
Veteran safety Domantae Kazee visited the Seahawks back in April prior to the 2022 NFL Draft, but the 28-year-old eventually signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers instead. Former Cincinnati Bengals and Minnesota Vikings DB George Iloka also worked out with the team, but was worked out as a coverage linebacker instead.
The workout with Iloka happened after the team had already re-signed depth secondary help in Ryan Neal and Marquise Blair. Safety Josh Jones was also brought back after a strong showing in the team’s regular season finale.
While none of these players are guaranteed a roster spot, it does highlight Schneider’s commitment to continuing to find depth in the defensive secondary. Gonzalez mentioned a few other names the Seahawks could take a look at, including Tashaun Gipson, Andrew Sendejo, and Jahleel Addae.
However, considering his reliability and experience as a starter, Tartt would make a lot of sense as a depth piece for the Seahawks.