The Seattle Seahawks added a whopping 17 undrafted free agents to the active roster this offseason, which in addition to their eight draft picks gives them 25 new rookies to evaluate before the season begins in September.
25 new rookies and a handful of new free agent additions is a daunting task for coach Pete Carroll and company, and will make it hard for this team to evaluate some of the other talent they haven’t gotten much of a chance to look at.
One player who fits in that category is safety Ryan Neal. Neal was originally signed by the Seahawks in September of last year. He spent most of the season on the practice squad but was activated for the final three weeks of the season, recording one tackle on special teams against the Cardinals.
After inking his exclusive rights free agent tender back in April, Neal will compete with a host of other defensive backs for a spot on Seattle’s roster in 2020.
Neal is a free safety by nature, but his potential contribution to the Seahawks will almost certainly be on the special teams – much like Neiko Thorpe and Akeem King in the past few years.
With Thorpe back in the picture, it is likely Neal will once again begin the season on the practice squad – but do not be surprised to see him activated throughout the season whenever the team needs help making plays on the special teams.
