SEATTLE _ One thing the Seahawks sorely lacked last season _ despite multiple attempts to find it _ was a consistent third receiving threat behind the dynamic duo of Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf.
Seattle hopes it may have solved that problem with its move Tuesday to add veteran Phillip Dorsett, who played last season with the Patriots and has been in the league since 2015, when he was the 29th overall pick of the Colts.
ESPN's Josina Anderson reported Dorsett has agreed to a one-year contract with the Seahawks and a source later confirmed the news to The Seattle Times. Other details of his contract were not immediately known. Dorsett made $2.6 million last year with the Patriots when he had 29 receptions for 397 yards and five touchdowns.
The 5-foot-10, 192-pounder had a career-high 33 receptions with the Colts in 2016.
The addition of Dorsett appears to solidify the Seattle receiving corps heading into the April draft. The draft is regarded as exceptionally strong and deep in receivers and some wondered if the Seahawks would even bother to add a veteran in free agency after having earlier brought back David Moore and Malik Turner, who were restricted and exclusive rights free agents.
But it was also known that Seattle views it a priority to add some playmakers for Russell Wilson, and the team had an obvious need for another receiver to complement the 1-2 punch of Lockett and Metcalf after last year's struggles to find much consistency behind those two.
Moore, Turner, Jaron Brown and Josh Gordon all had games in which they were essentially the third receiver, but none could really take hold of the position.
Gordon was added in October and held the spot for a while before being suspended indefinitely by the NFL in December for violating the league's substances of abuse policy. Gordon is a free agent, remains indefinitely suspended and cannot sign while he is under suspension. It's unclear when his suspension might be lifted. It was earlier reported by ESPN that his suspension falls under rules of the previous collective bargaining agreement and not under the one approved earlier this month, which is more lenient.
Brown began last season as the number three receiver, playing 59% or more of the snaps in six of the first seven games. But after making 14 receptions for 205 yards in that span he was relegated to a deeper reserve role and Moore _ whose start to the season was delayed after he suffered a shoulder injury in the preseason _ spent a few games working as the third receiver. Brown is now a free agent and not expected back.
Moore then gave way to Gordon, who turned in a few big plays but made just seven catches in five games before he was suspended. Turner then essentially became the number three receiver, playing 58% of the snaps in the divisional playoff loss to Green Bay. But he also had a critical drop late in that game.
The upshot was no other receiver beside Lockett (82 for 1,057 yards) and Metcalf (58-900) had more than 17 receptions last year (Moore, for 301 yards).
So now the Seahawks will give Dorsett a shot while also seeing if he can fulfill the potential that compelled the Colts to take him in the first round.
Dorsett hasn't lived up to that billing and the Colts did not pick up his fifth-year option in 2018 and then let him become a free agent last year.
But he still has one appetizing attribute _ speed. He ran a 4.33 40 at the 2015 NFL combine and had times of 4.27 and 4.29 at his pro day at Miami.
The Patriots, though, apparently didn't make much of a move to keep him after his playing time slid late in the year _ after playing 62% or more of the snaps in seven of the first 10 games he didn't play more than 48 in any of the last five, including a playoff loss to Tennessee in which he had one catch for six yards.
After seeing his playing time decrease, Dorsett said recently that he would approach free agency with more of an open mind that he had a year ago, when he said he had his eyes set on the Patriots from the start.
"The way the roles changed in New England in the middle of the season out of nowhere ... it took me off the field," Dorsett said. "So at the end of the day, I have to be smart about it and make the best decision."
Adding Dorsett gives Seattle eight receivers on its current roster, the others being Lockett, Moore, Metcalf, John Ursua, Cody Thompson and Penny Hart.
Dorsett becomes the sixth offensive veteran free agent by Seattle since last month, the others being tight end Greg Olsen and four linemen _ guard/center B.J. Finney, tackles Cedric Ogbuehi and Brandon Shell and guard Chance Warmack.
Seattle is likely still to sign a backup quarterback before the draft, as well as add a running back or two.
