Punt returner/wide receiver Bryan Walters, a former three-sport star at Juanita High School in Kirkland, became the fifth unrestricted free agent to leave the Seahawks when he signed Friday with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Walters, who played collegiately at Cornell, caught six passes for 57 yards last season while playing in a career-high 13 games. He returned 27 punts for a 7.7-yards-per-return average.
“There are a lot of good players here,” Walters said after arriving in Jacksonville, where he will work under head coach Gus Bradley, a former Seahawks assistant. “It’s just a matter of picking somewhere you’re comfortable, and I think it’s going to be a good fit. I feel like I haven’t even touched what I can do in this league. The opportunity is the big thing for me. I feel like that’s all I need, is to get to a place where I can play. That’s why I’m excited to be here.”
Walters played the 2013 and 2014 seasons in Seattle, starting one game at wide receiver. He caught nine passes for 84 yards. Walters handled 27 punts, but returned only four last season. He called 23 times for fair catches. He had a long return of 21 yards.
The Seahawks did not tender an offer to Walters after the Super Bowl, making him an unrestricted free agent.
SEAHAWKS FREE AGENT TRACKER
Unrestricted Free Agents
| Date | Player | Action | Skinny |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/8 | TE Anthony McCoy | Re-signed | One year; injured last 2 seasons |
| 3/10 | CB Byron Maxwell | Signed-Phil | 6 years, $63 million: ($10.3 average) |
| 3/10 | LG James Carpenter | Signed-NYJ | 4 years, $20 million |
| 3/10 | LB Malcolm Smith | Signed-Oak | 2 years, $7 million |
| 3/12 | DE O’Brien Schofield | Signed-Atl | 9 QB hits, 2 sacks for ’14 Hawks |
| 3/13 | PR Bryan Walters | Signed-Jax | Primary punt returner in ’14 |
Restricted Free Agents
| Date | Player | Action | Skinny |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/6 | DE Greg Scruggs | Re-signed | Injured reserve last 2 years (knee) |
| 3/9 | LB Mike Morgan | Re-signed | Played in 53 games since 2011 |
| 3/9 | WR Ricardo Lockette | Re-signed | 11 catches, 2 TDs in ’14 |
| 3/9 | CB DeShawn Shead | Re-signed | Played in 16 games with 1 start in ’14 |
Extensions / Restructures / Cuts
| Date | Player | Action | Skinny |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/6 | RB Marshawn Lynch | Extend. | 3 years, $31 million; $12 million in 2015 |
| 3/6 | TE Zach Miller | Cut | Played 3 games in ’14; had severe ankle injury |
| 3/6 | DT Jesse Williams | Cut | IR most of last 2 years with knee injuries |
| 3/6 | OT Garrett Scott | Cut | Waived due to a non-football heart condition |
Remaining Unrestricted Free Agents
| Player | Pos. | Age | Current Avg. | Skinny |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin Williams | DT | 34 | $2,100,000 | Candidate for 1-year deal |
| Jeron Johnson | S | 26 | $1,500,000 | 15 games in ’14, 1 start |
| Demarcus Dobbs | DE | 27 | $1,431,000 | 4 games in 2014, no starts |
| Tarvaris Jackson | QB | 31 | $1,250,000 | Played in one game in 2014 |
| Heath Farwell | ILB | 33 | $1,125,000 | Retiring to coach |
| Clint Gresham | LS | 28 | $827,500 | Played in all 16 games |
| Landon Cohen | DT | 28 | $730,000 | Played in one playoff game |
| Will Tukuafu | FB | 31 | $645,000 | Made 2 starts in 2014 |
| Tony Moeaki | TE | 27 | $645,000 | 6 games, 2 starts in ’14 |
| Lemuel Jeanpierre | C | 27 | $645,000 | Played in 15 games in ’14 |
| D’Anthony Smith | DT | 26 | $570,000 | Practice-squad player |
Remaining Restricted Free Agents
| Player | Pos. | Age | Current Avg. | Skinny |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stephen Shilling | G | 26 | $645,000 | Went on IR Nov. 10 (knee) |
| David Gilreath | WR | 26 | $495,000 | Didn’t play in 2014 |
| Jermaine Kearse | WR | 25 | $480,000 | Winning TD in NFC Champ. |
Free Agents Signed
| Date | Player | Pos. | From | Skinny |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3/9 | Will Blackmon | CB | Jacksonville | 12 starts for the Jaguars last 2 years |
| 3/9 | Cary Williams | CB | Philadelphia | Deal is 3 years, $18 million |
Trades
| Date | Player | Pos. | From | Skinny |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3/10 | Jimmy Graham | TE | New Orleans | Cost: C Max Unger, No. 1 pick |
2 Comments
Another Super Bowl alum gone.
Good luck, Bryan, and thanks for your contributions here. I suspect Mr. Walters will do well no matter what he does for a living…even though there appears to be mostly athletes in it these days, it’s no mean feat to get into the Sphinx Head Society at Cornell.