Mike Macdonald’s search for a dependable third cornerback has taken another turn, and this time the Seahawks finally have the rookie they wanted in the mix.
Julian Neal, the third-round pick out of Arkansas and Fresno State, was back in full pads Wednesday and took part in all the work reporters were allowed to watch. It marked the most Neal has practiced all month after a leg injury wiped out nearly all of his training camp.
That makes his status for Friday night’s preseason finale at Kansas City uncertain. The Seahawks visit the Chiefs at 5 p.m. on KING-5 television, and Neal still has a lot of ground to make up after missing so much time.
Seattle’s need at corner has been obvious for weeks. Macdonald wants a third option to pair with starters Devon Witherspoon and Josh Jobe in five- and six-defensive-back looks, the same kind of heavy usage that defined the Seahawks last season when they leaned on those packages about two-thirds of the time and finished with the league’s fewest points allowed.
Neal was the player the Seahawks had in mind for that role when they drafted him this spring. Instead, his injury opened the door to other moves.
One of those was the agreement to sign Terrion Arnold, the former first-round pick from Detroit who is facing eight felony charges in Florida tied to an alleged kidnapping and burglary. Arnold, 23, is the same age as Neal, and Seattle’s plan is to bring him aboard after Friday’s preseason game and before Sunday’s deadline to trim rosters from 90 to 53.
Macdonald and general manager John Schneider originally thought Arnold would be able to play in the preseason after their internal review of the situation. Now they expect commissioner Roger Goodell to place him on the exempt list once he signs. That would keep Arnold out of practices and games, though he could still attend meetings, be in the locker room and use the training room without counting against the roster.
Neal’s absence also helped push Seattle toward Trevon Diggs. The former Dallas Cowboys All-Pro signed a one-year deal last week, then got on the field Friday for his first practice. He did position work before removing his shoulder pads and watching the Seahawks’ scrimmage against the Tennessee Titans during the joint practice in Nashville.
Diggs has been ramping up quickly this week in the portions of practice open to reporters. He hasn’t worked in pads since January, when he played two games for Green Bay, and the Packers released him in mid-January. The seventh-year veteran turns 28 next month.
For now, if Seattle had to line up today, the competition would come down to unproven 2024 fifth-round pick Nehemiah Pritchett and veteran Noah Igbinoghene. Pritchett opened camp as the third corner with the starters, working outside while Witherspoon slid inside to nickel. But his tackling drew concern, and Macdonald shifted to Igbinoghene later in camp.
That search led the Seahawks to keep looking for more help. Neal’s return gives them the player they had been waiting for all along.
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