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The Seattle Seahawks are adding to an already deep running back group by signing former Washington Huskies standout Wayne Taulapapa. Seattle also announced the release of cornerback Montrae Braswell to make room for Taulapapa as well as signing No. 5 pick Devon Witherspoon to his rookie deal ending a brief holdout.
After spending his first four seasons at Virginia, Taulapapa transferred to Washington where he had the best season of his career in 2022. Taulapapa posted 140 carries for 887 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns while averaging 6.3 yards per rush. The former Huskies back added 24 receptions for 225 yards and 1 touchdown through the air.
Taulapapa already has some familiarity with the Seahawks system as the undrafted running back participated in the team’s rookie minicamp this offseason. The running back faces an uphill battle to make the final roster given the team’s depth at running back group led by Ken Walker III and Zach Charbonnet.
New Seattle Seahawks RB Wayne Taulapapa Was a Standout High School Player in Hawaii
SB Nation provided an overview of Taulapapa’s playing style and what fans can expect from the rookie. Taulapapa’s impressive resume dates back to being a standout player at Punahou High School in Honolulu, Hawaii.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to have followed Taulapapa’s career since HS where he was one of the most prolific rushers in Hawaii high school history,” SB Nation’s UW Dawg Pound detailed on April 21. “From his first HS snap, you could see the talent, but more impressively, you could see he understood the position. His vision, his balance, his physicality, and his disciplined and patient running style made him a ruthlessly efficient workhorse running back.”
Seattle Seahawks Rumors: Is DeeJay Dallas on the Roster Bubble?
There is a fierce competition going on at running back with limited available roster spots. Walker and Charbonnet are locks to make the final roster, but the picture gets cloudier after the two young backs.
DeeJay Dallas is a name to watch heading into the final season of a four-year, $3.7 million contract. Former Georgia standout Kenny McIntosh could challenge Dallas’ spot on the depth chart. USA Today’s Tim Weaver believes that Dallas is not a lock to make the 53-man roster.
“Dallas is probably the safest name on this list,” Weaver wrote on July 10. “However, fans shouldn’t assume that he can’t be part of the roster cutdowns at the end of August.
“Zach Charbonnet’s draft status makes him the clear No. 2 running back under Ken Walker, so Dallas has to compete for the RB3 role with rookie Kenny McIntosh – who’s bigger and a year and a half younger to boot.”
Pete Carroll on Declining Running Back Contracts: ‘It’s Kind of Allowed That That’s the Money Level That It Goes to’
Few NFL head coaches value running backs quite like Pete Carroll, who reflected on the declining financial value at the position. Carroll admitted that the current NFL structure has put running backs in a bind.
“You guys know how much I value running backs and how important I think it is to the game to have guys that you can count on at that spot,” Carroll told reporters on July 26. “But, I can’t say anything about the level of the money and all that. But they’re just expressing their frustration about it and it’s kinda ‘what happens, happens,’ you know? It’s kind of allowed that that’s the money level that it goes to [for running backs].”
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