Seahawks 90-Man Roster Primer: John Ursua

Formerly starring at Hawaii, Ursua hasn't been able to get his NFL career off the ground in his first two years in Seattle. Potentially facing his last chance to impress, will the third time be the charm for the ex-Biletnikoff Award finalist?

Aryanna Prasad | Jun 11, 2021

With the calendar flipping to June and offseason programs in full swing across the country, NFL training camps will begin around the league in less than two months. To celebrate the new incoming season, we will be breaking down the Seahawks' 90-man roster over the next several weeks, exploring best and worst case scenarios and what to expect from each player entering the 2021 campaign.

John Ursua, Wide Receiver

Height/Weight: 5-foot-9, 182 pounds

2020 Stats: N/A

Looking back at Ursua's 2018 season with Hawaii, he led the nation in receiving touchdowns and was named a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, which explains why Seattle traded back into the seventh round to select him. It seems he has enough talent to translate to making it in the NFL, but he has only appeared in three games and made catch for 11 yards. He's a talented receiver who hasn't had the opportunity to fully develop and demonstrate his talents in part because he struggled to learn the playbook and didn't provide enough value on special teams to bolster his case for a roster spot. As a result, he was cut last September in favor of Penny Hart and spent the whole year on the practice squad, failing to dress for a single regular season game. Now, he will face added competition coming from the arrival of second-round pick D'Wayne Eskridge and a host of undrafted receivers.

Best Case Scenario: Demonstrating quick footwork, an ability to jump off the line and win his matchup, and the awareness to make a critical catches on third down, Ursua turns in a strong preseason to make the 53-man roster and battles for snaps at the slot behind Eskridge and Tyler Lockett in the regular season. Likely earning the No. 4 or No. 5 receiver role, he surprises with double-digit receptions to get his career back on track.

Worst Case Scenario: Continuing to struggle with more talent around him, Ursua falls out of Seattle's sphere of influence entirely, getting cut from the team after two preseason games and falling to waivers without a claim in sight. While the practice squad remains a possibility, at 27 years of age, there's a strong possibility the team would move on from him.

What to Expect in 2021: Seattle has kept Ursua around for a reason due to his receiving talent from the slot, but he hasn't been able to live up to his potential. If he's unable to graduate from being a practice squad-caliber player this summer, he may find his future with another NFL team. His experience may offer an advantage in a rather young wide receiver room, so if Ursua has the new playbook down, he presents a viable threat to wideouts competing for fourth and fifth receiver slots. If he can contribute on special teams in some capacity, it will improve his odds of making the team and finally allow him a chance to show the world what he can do in regular season action.

Previous Seahawks 90-Man Roster Primers

Published Jun 11, 2021

ARYANNA PRASAD