Seahawks Sign Ex-49ers WR, an Ex-Jags Starter & Make Move With Speedy LB

Seahawks Rumors

Getty Pete Carroll's Seahawks say they are happy with new quarterback Drew Lock.

The Seattle Seahawks are stealing from their NFC West rival San Francisco 49ers as the team announced they signed former Niners wide receiver Matt Cole. The wideout will start out his tenure in Seattle on the team’s practice squad in one of several roster moves the Seahawks made ahead of Week 15.

The Seahawks have also signed linebacker Tanner Muse to the team’s 53-man roster from the practice squad and added safety Josh Jones to take the defender’s place on the unit. Aside from the 49ers, Cole has also had short stints with the Dolphins, Jets, Giants and Panthers.

“The Seahawks signed receiver Matt Cole to their practice squad Tuesday, adding a player who was a special teams standout in college,” Seahawks.com’s John Boyle detailed on December 14. “Cole, who went undrafted out of Division II McKendree, was the Great Lakes Valley Conference Special Teams Player of the Year. In addition to being a standout returner in college, Cole recorded 18 special teams tackles in both his junior and senior seasons. As a receiver Cole had 43 catches for 939 yards and 12 touchdowns as a senior.”

Here is a look at some of Cole’s college highlights.

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Shanahan on Reed Joining the Seahawks: ‘D.J. Made Us Sick to Lose’

Seahawks fans may remember that the team signed cornerback D.J. Reed away from the 49ers in 2020. Reed is now a starting cornerback for the Seahawks and someone the Niners admittedly regret losing.

“D.J. made us sick to lose,” 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan noted in December 2020, per NBC Sports Bay Area. “…We had an unprecedented number of guys at that time who were on PUP [Physically Unable to Perform list]. We couldn’t have more with the roster rules and how many we had to have down. We didn’t know if he was going to be able to come back during the year from it. There were a lot of decisions that went into it.

“We were hoping we wouldn’t lose him. Obviously, Seattle took him, and they got a great player because of it. He’s a guy I really like a lot, as a person and a player. That’s something I wish we could have had back.”

Time will tell if Cole will turn out to be another player the 49ers regret losing. The Niners waived Cole in May and practice squad players traditionally face an uphill battle to make an immediate impact.


Jones Was the Jaguars Starting Strong Safety in 2020

Jones started 13 games for the Jaguars at strong safety in 2020, and Jacksonville placed the safety on Injured Reserve in August. The Jaguars released Jones in November and was later signed by the Colts before being cut once again on December 4.

Jones gives the Seahawks additional depth at safety after Jamal Adams had season-ending shoulder surgery. The veteran safety notched a career-high 83 tackles, an interception and a pass deflection for the Jaguars in 2020.

Jones played in six games for the Colts this season before being released. The defender was a highly-touted prospect coming out of North Carolina State and was selected by the Packers in the second round of the 2017 NFL draft with the No. 61 pick.


Muse Ran 4.41 Seconds in the 40-Yard Dash

Muse is a name for Seahawks fans to watch after being elevated to the active roster. The Seahawks signed Muse in September after he was released by the Raiders. Muse is less than two years removed from being a third-round selection in the 2020 NFL draft.

After a standout career at Clemson, Muse’s pro career has yet to take off, but the linebacker has some freaky athletic traits that give him a chance to succeed. Muse ran a 4.41-second time in the 40-yard dash and a 34.5″ vertical jump at the NFL combine.