Seahawks protect Shaquem Griffin on practice squad, create second opening on active roster
The Seahawks now have two open spots on their roster.
They won’t have two open spots when they play Sunday at the Miami Dolphins.
Yes, they are shopping. And they are ensuring Shaquem Griffin stays with them.
The NFL’s official transactions for Tuesday showed Seattle protected Griffin on its practice squad, to keep other teams from signing the popular linebacker and edge rusher. That became more of a possibility after his impressive season debut last weekend, 17 snaps as an edge rusher and quarterback spy at the end of the Seahawks’ victory over Dallas.
Monday, coach Pete Carroll said Griffin will be on the Seahawks’ roster for the Dolphins game, because of how he played breaking up passes and pressuring Dak Prescott at the end of Seattle’s win over the Cowboys.
“Yeah,” Carroll said. “He’s earned it.”
To get him on the roster again this week, Seattle will either have to sign Griffin to one of its now two open roster spots or call him up as a new exemption from the practice squad.
The second vacancy on the 53-man active roster arrived Tuesday when the team waived edge-rushing linebacker D’Andre Walker, whom they signed a few weeks ago.
New NFL rules for this unprecedented COVID-19 allow teams to call up as additions above the 53-man roster limit one or two players from the practice squad for each game. That’s what had Griffin and safety Ryan Neal up from the practice squad and in the game making big plays at the end of the Dallas game Sunday.
The new league roster rules also state the same player cannot be called up from the practice squad to the active roster as game-day additions above the 53-man limit more than two times in a season.
Griffin could be replacing the man who took his roster place at the end of the preseason.
Rookie first-round draft choice Jordyn Brooks sprained his knee in his first career start, against Dallas. Brooks, an outside linebacker like Griffin, could be going on injured reserve this week. Carroll has said Brooks has “a first-degree strain, “ relatively minor compared to what it could have been. He could be back in three weeks, the new minimum time players must spend on injured reserve.
Walker, 23, got one chance after signing just before the opening game. Literally, one chance. He played a single snap near the end of the win over Dallas.
The Seahawks scouted him a couple years ago out of the University of Georgia, before he played in the NFL for the Tennessee Titans. Carroll said early this month Walker had “edge-rush ability.” He didn’t show that to Seattle’s coaches in his brief time with the team.
Griffin apparently will get the chance to show more of that Sunday at Miami.
The Seahawks’ other roster move Tuesday, a players’ day off from practicing, was waiving reserve linebacker Emmanuel Ellerbee. He was on injured reserve, so that move does not affect the active roster.
This story was originally published September 29, 2020 at 3:02 PM.
