Seahawks put top rookie D’Wayne Eskridge, Travis Homer on PUP list to begin training camp
The Seahawks’ top rookie draft pick is going to be delayed starting his first NFL training camp.
Prior to the start of the first practice of the preseason Wednesday, Seattle put rookie wide receiver D’Wayne Eskridge on the physically-unable-to-perform list. Running back Travis Homer also is on the NFL’s PUP list to begin camp.
The Seahawks put free-agent guard Pier-Olivier Lestage from the University of Montreal on the non-football injury list.
The speedy Eskridge was the team’s second-round selection in April from Western Michigan. He will eventually get the chance to compete for the third wide-receiver spot on the roster, behind leaders Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf.
Last month, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said Eskridge had “a big toe issue that’s bothering him. ...We’re just making sure he doesn’t overdo it early.”
Eskridge is 5 feet 9, 190 pounds. He’s a former track runner who’s run the 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds.
Carroll loves that speed—and Eskridge’s physicality for his size.
“He’s got a uniqueness to him in that regard that hopefully we can use in many ways,” Carroll said when the Seahawks drafted him.
Eskridge was still catching passes from Russell Wilson while mostly standing still during minicamp this offseason. Per NFL PUP rules, he cannot be on the field participating in any way during training-camp practices, until the team takes him off the list.
Players on the PUP and NFI lists to begin training camp can come off them at any time during the preseason. Only players on those lists to begin camp can be on them to begin the regular season in September, and thus be roster exempt though eligible to return during the season.
Homer was out for much of Seattle’s offseason workouts with an injured calf.
Lestage, a guard who can also play center, signed with the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent this spring while recovering from a sports hernia. He had surgery for it this offseason.
“He made a really good impression in his start here with us,” Carroll said, “so we felt like we had a pretty good feel for him, so we went ahead and got the surgery done.”
This story was originally published July 28, 2021 at 1:15 PM.
