The Seahawks on Saturday promoted running back Terrence Magee to their 53-man active roster. The move adds depth at running back with Thomas Rawls listed as doubtful to play against the 49ers Sunday.
The Seahawks on Saturday signed running back Terrence Magee to the 53-man roster for Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers.
Magee was added to the practice squad earlier this week with the Seahawks needing some depth at running back with Thomas Rawls and C.J. Prosise each nursing injuries.
Rawls is listed as doubtful to play against the 49ers after not practicing all week due to a shin injury suffered in last Sunday’s 9-3 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. That means Christine Michael will start at tailback against San Francisco.
Prosise has also been dealing with a broken bone in his wrist. However, he practiced this week and coach Pete Carroll sounded optimistic on Friday that Prosise will be able to play — he did not play last week against the Rams after suffering the injury in the first game against Miami.
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The addition of Magee gives Seattle five tailbacks on its roster — Michael, Rawls, Prosise, Magee and rookie fifth-round pick Alex Collins.
Magee, who attended LSU, spent last season on the roster of the Baltimore Ravens after entering the league as an undrafted free agent and had five yards on two carries in four games.
The 5-9, 215-pound Magee also spent some time at receiver for LSU and is said to be adept at blocking out of the backfield so he could also potentially help fill the third-down back role that Prosise has been ticketed for.
Magee, who was in training camp with the Rams but waived before the season and then later released from the team’s practice squad, fills a roster opening created when the Seahawks released veteran fullback Will Tukuafu early in the week. The release of Tukuafu leaves the Seahawks without a fullback. However, coach Pete Carroll hinted at the team potentially having other options on the roster to fill that role when he met the media on Friday.
Magee had a 73-yard run for the Rams during the preseason against Denver.
The Seahawks kept four tailbacks on their initial 53-man roster — Michael, Rawls, Collins and Prosise — deciding to waive Troymaine Pope, who was one of the stars of the preseason. The Seahawks undoubtedly would have been interested in re-signing Pope to the practice squad. But he was claimed by the New York Jets. Pope has yet to play for the Jets, having been inactive for the first two games.
Carroll said Friday the Seahawks hoped to take more looks at Rawls in walk-through and warmups Saturday and Sunday and didn’t rule out that he could still be active for the 49ers’ game.
“We’re still hoping that he’s going to be able to come out of the chute running (Saturday) and Sunday,” Carroll said of Rawls, who was kicked in the shin in the second quarter against the Rams. “It’s not a dangerous injury or anything like that, it’s problematic for him at this time. We’re just going to be open-minded and still make the decision to see what we’re going to do. We are prepared to go without him if he can’t go, but we’d love to see him if he can get there.”