Getty The Bucs signed cornerback Pierre Desir.
The Seattle Seahawks are adding more competition to the mix at secondary as the team has agreed to terms with cornerback Pierre Desir. The one-year deal was announced by Desir’s agency EnterSports Management.
Desir started eight games for the Jets last season before being released in November and was picked up weeks later by the Ravens. The corner is best known for his three seasons (2017 to 2019) as a starter with the Colts. Desir also had a brief stint on the Seahawks practice squad in 2016, per ESPN’s Brady Henderson.
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Desir Played with the Legion of Boom
Pierre Desir’s toe drag INT 😲
(via @NFL)
The Athletic’s Connor Hughes reported the Seahawks expressed an interest in signing Desir after he was released by the Colts last March. Desir never took the field for the Seahawks but learned from arguably the greatest secondary group in franchise history.
“While Desir never played a down for the Seahawks, he shared a defensive meeting room with all-pros Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor,” Hughes detailed in March 2020. “He started picking their brains and asking how they found and sustained success. Off these discussions, Desir changed the way he prepared with an increased focus on the mental aspect of things, instead of relying solely on athleticism. He adjusted his nutrition, too, eventually deciding to go vegan during the season.”
The Seahawks Lost Griffin & Dunbar in Free Agency
Pierre Desir just stole the pass 😳 @pierre_desir
Desir posted three interceptions, eight pass deflections and 49 tackles in his nine appearances with the Jets in 2020. The corner is the latest addition to a new-look Seahawks secondary heading into next season.
Seattle lost Shaquil Griffin and Quinton Dunbar in free agency, both players entered last season as the team’s top two starting corners. As of now, Desir will compete with Ahkello Witherspoon, Tre Flowers, Linden Stephens, DJ Reed and Jayson Stanley to be one of the team’s starting corners for 2021. Sports Illustrated’s Corbin Smith sees Desir as a bit of a reclamation project for Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll.
“He definitely has not played well the past two seasons, though his interception production has gone up,” Smith tweeted. “He’s given up a lot of big plays downfield. Maybe Carroll and staff can remedy that issue with technical coaching.”
After receiving his opportunity following injuries, Reed was a revelation for the Seahawks secondary last season. Reed enters 2021 as one of the favorites to start at corner for the Seahawks, but there will be plenty of competition at both positions. It would be a surprise if the Seahawks did not look to add even more corners in both the draft and free agency. Perhaps Desir’s return to Seattle can help resurrect his career.
“It was different when I got cut in Seattle,” Desir told The Athletic in March 2020. “I knew I played well in the preseason. So my mindset was that someone was going to pick me up. I had confidence in myself going in. So when I got to Indy, I wasn’t worried or down not starting. I had been in that position before. I was confident in my skill and stayed ready for whenever I got a chance to go out and play.”
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Seahawks Sign Former Colts Starting Cornerback: Report