The Seahawks shuffled the bottom of their roster Wednesday, and the move may open the door a little wider for Velus Jones Jr. to see real work against the Broncos.
Seattle signed Jones from the practice squad and released wide receiver Irv Charles, then brought Charles back to the practice squad. It was the latest turn in a brief roster swap that began a day earlier, when the team activated Charles from injured reserve, cut Jones, and re-signed him to the practice squad. Now the two have effectively traded spots again, with Jones back on the 53-man roster.
So far, Jones has barely touched the offense. He has appeared in four games and logged only two offensive snaps, but he has still been a regular part of the game-day mix because of special teams. He has played 61 special teams snaps, which accounts for 49% of Seattle’s total in that phase.
This week’s backfield situation gives him a case for more than just special teams duty. Zach Charbonnet is not returning this week, and Jadarian Price remains on injured reserve. That leaves Emanuel Wilson, George Holani and Jones as the running back group available to Seattle right now.
The problem is that the backs ahead of Jones have not exactly locked things down. Holani and Wilson have combined for four fumbles, and two of those mistakes turned into turnovers. With that kind of ball security trouble, the Seahawks could use a different look.
If Seattle is going to keep Jones on the roster and not bring in another back, there is a simple logic to using him. He is there, the depth chart is thin, and the current options have not been clean enough. Jones may not be the first name you’d expect to solve the issue, but he is the third rusher for a reason.
The timing matters, too. The Seahawks still have to deal with Denver on Thursday night, and a loss would leave San Francisco with an even larger cushion in the NFC West. That’s not a place Seattle wants to be if it slips further behind.
Charbonnet is expected to be back in Week 7, but the Seahawks have to get through this one first. Until then, Jones offers something the backfield could use: speed, a little open-field juice, and kick return experience he has already shown this season.
At this point, there is not much to lose. Offensive coordinator Brian Fleury can hand Jones a few carries, see what he can do, and hope it gives Seattle a spark.
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