Getty Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider
As the Seattle Seahawks go through their offseason workouts and continue to tinker with their 90-man roster, general manager John Schneider could make an interesting signing out of one of the spring football leagues.
Alex Ballantine with Bleacher Report gave a list of seven free agents who would be good fits for different NFL franchises before training camp. While veterans like Kwon Alexander, Will Fuller V, and Landon Collins were mentioned, the Seahawks were linked to a breakout star out of the USFL with Philadelphia Stars cornerback Channing Stribling.
“The 6’1″ Stribling would do well in a system that plays a lot of zone and allows him to keep things in front of him,” Ballantine said. “According to Sports Info Solutions, the Seahawks played zone coverage at the second-highest rate in the league (66 percent). Stribling is 27, so he isn’t a young building block, but he’s young enough to play a role for a few years if he works out.”
Channing Stribling Has Become a USFL Star
It has been a long road to success at the professional level for Stribling, but the USFL has given him a chance to showcase his talents and give him a chance at finding his way onto another NFL roster.
Stribling was a cornerback prospect with good size coming out of Michigan in 2017. He finished his final two college seasons with 15 passes defended, six interceptions and a defensive touchdown, but went undrafted before signing on with the Cleveland Browns as a UDFA.
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The former Wolverines cornerback bounced around the league for two years, signing on with five different practice squad and offseason rosters but never sticking around with a team.
The 27-year-old found work in different spring leagues starting in 2019, playing in the AAF, CFL, and XFL to keep his professional career alive. He was selected by the Philadelphia Stars in the eighth round of the new USFL’s inaugural 2022 draft, and has thrived with his new team.
In seven games with the Stars, Stribling has already racked up 11 pass deflections and seven interceptions with an impressive 121 return yards off of those picks. The veteran cornerback is hoping that those ball skills will give him an opportunity to sign on with an NFL team for the upcoming season.
Seattle Has Some Exciting Young Talent at Corner
Even if the Seahawks don’t have a ton of depth at the cornerback position, they do have a pair of exciting rookies who could develop into key contributors.
Former Cincinnati cornerback Coby Bryant is expected to have a big impact, and was considered one of the biggest steals of the draft. The fourth-round pick was a two-time first-team All-AAC player and the 2021 Jim Thorpe Award winner for the nation’s top defensive back.
Tariq Woolen out of UTSA hasn’t been playing cornerback for very long, but his athleticism makes him a fascinating project. The fifth-round pick turned heads at the NFL Scouting Combine, coming in listed at 6’4″ and 205 pounds while posting a blazing 40-yard dash time of 4.26 seconds.
The Seahawks don’t have much depth outside of the rookies, however, so a playmaking veteran cornerback like Stribling could be an interesting option.