'Hungry, Evolved' Laviska Shenault Ready to Make Impact With Seahawks

Possessing the size and skills that should cater well to the NFL's new kickoff rules, Laviska Shenault hopes to reaffirm his worth as he aims to jumpstart his career with the Seattle Seahawks.

Oct 1, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. / Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Ready to hit the reset button after an injury-shortened season with the Carolina Panthers, receiver Laviska Shenault went into free agency looking for a new team that matched his violent playing style and sought a versatile chess piece on offense and special teams.

After making rounds and speaking with several teams over the past three-plus weeks as he searched for a new home, Shenault believes he found the perfect match. The former Colorado star signed a one-year deal to join the Seahawks on Tuesday and can't wait to get started in the next phase of his career.

"I think Seattle is a good spot because this is going to be a hard-nosed team," Shenault said via Seahawks.com. "I play with some aggression and I think that's big."

Based on Shenault's comments, the Seahawks sold the veteran on his fit with a team that will be characterized by physicality and toughness under new coach Mike Macdonald. At the same time, the player had to sell his own talents to the front office and coaching staff, and he clearly did so with the two sides striking a deal in quick order.

Drafted by the Jaguars in 2020 after a standout college career in Boulder, Shenault enjoyed a strong rookie season despite the team's lack of talent at quarterback. Along with catching 58 passes for 600 yards, he tied for the team lead with five receiving touchdowns and added 91 yards on the ground as a dual-threat weapon in then-coordinator Jay Gruden's offense.

A bruising presence at 6-2, 220 pounds, Shenault turned into a running back with the ball in his hands, generating half of his receiving yardage after the catch while finishing 22nd among qualified receivers in yards after the catch per reception and 16th in missed tackles forced (16).

Averaging north of six yards after the catch per reception in 2021, Laviska Shenault has consistently done damage with the ball in his hands. / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

In his second season in Jacksonville, with No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence taking over under center, Shenault uncharacteristically struggled with a case of stone hands, finishing first in drop rate (13.7 percent) and third in overall drops. Still, he tallied 409 yards after the catch, ranked seventh in yards after the catch per reception, and finished fourth in missed tackles forced (20), remaining a force with the ball in his hands.

With a new coaching staff taking over in 2022, the Jaguars dealt Shenault to the Panthers for a pair of late round picks, providing him an opportunity for a fresh start. Despite being in a somewhat limited role on offense, he caught 84 percent of his targets with just one drop and continued to be a wrecking ball after the catch, forcing 15 missed tackles on just 27 receptions and averaging 12.4 yards after the catch per reception. He also toted the rock nine times for 65 yards and a touchdown as a running back/jet sweep specialist.

Last season, Shenault was limited to just eight games due to an ankle injury, posting career-lows in receptions and receiving yards. But while he had a diminished role on offense for Carolina when healthy, he ran 12 times for 55 yards with four missed tackles forced and shined in limited opportunities as a kick returner, averaging 27 yards per return.

As he begins the next stage of his career in the Pacific Northwest, a "hungry, evolved" Shenault looks forward to the opportunity to compete in Seattle as a receiver, gadget running back, kick returner, or wherever his new team thinks he can make positive contributions.

"I take pride in it," Shenault said of his positional multiplicity. "Because there's not that many players that can do so many things and be so effective and I like to do what's asked of me. Whatever I can do to help the team get a W, that's a W for me."

On offense, Shenault will have his work cut out for him carving out a significant role with the Seahawks due to the talent already on the roster at running back and receiver. In the backfield, Ken Walker III and Zach Charbonnet will form a strong one-two punch with Kenny McIntosh ready for his opportunity as a third down back. On the outside, the dynamic trio of DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba set franchise records for combined receptions and yardage a year ago and Jake Bobo, Dareke Young, and Dee Eskridge will also be vying for snaps.

But while Shenault may find it difficult to see much action on offense in a crowded stable of backs and wideouts, his skill set could make him a dangerous weapon in the return game for Seattle, particularly with the NFL's new kickoff rules that were approved last month in an effort to increase the number of returns.

Under the revised rules, kickoff teams will line up on the opposing 40-yard line five yards apart from nine blockers on the return team, preventing either side from reaching full speed at the point of contact. The NFL will require two returners at the five-yard line, and given the short distance between these returners and their blockers and oncoming tacklers, the play will now function more like a running play than a traditional kick return with more open field from the past.

With the rules slanted towards persuading teams to kick the ball into the "landing zone" between the goal line and the 20-yard line, return numbers will undoubtedly spike. Given his propensity for breaking tackles after the catch - he has averaged 0.3 missed tackles per touch since entering the league - and previous running back background, Shenault offers similar talent to All-Pro returner Cordarelle Patterson and should be perfectly suited for the new kickoff method.

Likely playing in 2024 on a veteran minimum salary, the 25-year old Shenault will have his sights set on restoring some of his value after a down season. If he's able to provide a jolt on special teams as the Seahawks hope he can, his arrival has a chance to pay major dividends and any production on offense will be a welcomed cherry on top.