Source: Seahawks Claim S Johnathan Abram Off Waivers

After a brief spell in Green Bay, Johnathan Abram will have a chance to jumpstart his career with the Seattle Seahawks, who need reinforcements at safety due to numerous injuries at the position.
In this story:

For the second time in less than a month, Jonathan Abram has a new home after being claimed off waivers by the Seahawks.

An NFL source tells AllSeahawks / SI that Seattle was awarded Abram off waivers following Green Bay's decision to cut the former first-round pick on Tuesday. Appearing in two games for the Packers, he primarily played special teams and only played one defensive snap before the organization decided to move on.

Formerly starring at Mississippi State, Abram broke into the league as the 27th overall pick for the Raiders in the 2019 NFL Draft. The 6-foot, 205-pound safety played in only one game as a rookie before suffering a season-ending torn rotator cuff, but he returned to health producing 86 tackles and two interceptions in 2020. Last season, he set a career-high with 116 tackles while adding a pick and four pass breakups in 14 starts to help his team make the playoffs.

Entering the final year of his rookie contract after Las Vegas opted not to pick up his fifth-year option, Abram lost his starting job after six games and had already started to see his snaps diminish earlier in the season. Following a 27-20 loss to the Jaguars, the Raiders unceremoniously released him and the Packers promptly were awarded his rights off the waiver wire.

During four NFL seasons, Abram has never developed into the player the Raiders hoped he would after a decorated college career. In particular, he has struggled mightily in coverage, allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 76 percent of their passes against him for 1,073 yards and 11 touchdowns compared to just three interceptions. Missed tackles have also been a major problem, as Pro Football Focus charged him with 42 of them for a poor 15.3 percent career missed tackle rate.

Despite his obvious struggles, however, Abram excelled in the SEC as a hard-hitting box safety, generating 5.0 sacks and 14 tackles for loss in his two seasons with the Bulldogs. While coach Pete Carroll told reporters on Monday that the Seahawks scheme is "demanding for the position," his strengths should fit the strong safety position quite well and if he can learn quickly, injuries have opened the door for him to see playing time on defense.

Ryan Neal, who has performed at a Pro Bowl level since replacing a benched Josh Jones earlier this season in Jamal Adams' former stead, suffered elbow and shoulder injuries in Sunday's loss to Las Vegas. Though Carroll thinks he has a decent chance to be able to play against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 13, he will miss practice time this week and given Jones' ongoing struggles and limited depth behind him, Abram could be fast-tracked as an experienced insurance policy for Seattle if needed. ... and there is little doubt some run-stopping help is needed.

At worst, as he did with the Packers, Abram brings a wealth of special teams experience and could immediately help the Seahawks in the third phase of the game while being available to contribute in a pinch on defense.

Hey, 12s! Get your Seahawks Tickets from SI Tickets ... HERE!

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Seahawks? Click Here to subscribe to AllSeahawks.com's Newsletter.

Follow All Seahawks.com on Twitter and Facebook

Make sure to subscribe to our daily podcast @lockedonseahawks today! Click here To Listen.

Want even more Seattle Seahawks news? Check out the SI.com team page here.


Published
Corbin K. Smith
CORBIN K. SMITH

Graduating from Manchester College in 2012, Smith began his professional career as a high school Economics teacher in Indianapolis and launched his own NFL website covering the Seahawks as a hobby. After teaching and coaching high school football for five years, he transitioned to a full-time sports reporter in 2017, writing for USA Today's Seahawks Wire while continuing to produce the Legion of 12 podcast. He joined the Arena Group in August 2018 and also currently hosts the daily Locked On Seahawks podcast with Rob Rang and Nick Lee. Away from his coverage of the Seahawks and the NFL, Smith dabbles in standup comedy, is a heavy metal enthusiast and previously performed as lead vocalist for a metal band, and enjoys distance running and weight lifting. A habitual commuter, he resides with his wife Natalia in Colorado and spends extensive time reporting from his second residence in the Pacific Northwest.