BRADY HENDERSON

Seahawks add veteran Braylon Edwards to WR mix

Jul 31, 2012, 11:31 AM | Updated: 12:18 pm

By Brady Henderson

The Seahawks lost experience and size at wide receiver when they released Mike Williams earlier this month.

They got it back on Tuesday when they signed Braylon Edwards, a move general manager John Schneider confirmed when he joined “Brock and Salk.”

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Braylon Edwards was slowed by knee and shoulder injuries in 2011, catching 15 passes in nine games for the 49ers. (AP)

Edwards, 29, becomes the second veteran receiver added by the Seahawks in a week, joining 31-year-old Antonio Bryant. Edwards, the third overall pick in 2005, has a Pro Bowl and a 1,000-yard season under his belt, but he’s coming off a knee injury that limited him in 2011.

Edwards, listed at 6-foot-3 and 214 pounds, worked out for the Seahawks last week but Seattle signed Bryant instead. Their additions give the Seahawks plenty of insurance for Sidney Rice, who is still not cleared for contact as he is coming off surgery on both shoulders.

It also gives them two receivers who are trying to revive their careers in Seattle, much like Williams did in 2010. Bryant hasn’t played since 2009.

“With the release of Mike Williams – who’s a bigger, stronger receiver – we felt like there might be a little bit of a gap there, and [we were thinking], ‘Let’s give this guy a shot and bring him in,'” Schneider said.

“This isn’t like a reclamation center or anything, but these are guys that are talented players that we’ll take a look at. During training camp you have an opportunity to have kind of extended tryouts, and these guys both deserve it and the club deserves it.”

According to Eric Williams of The Tacoma News Tribune, Edwards is practicing with the Seahawks Tuesday, wearing No. 17 and working at split end.

Last season, Edwards was slowed by knee and shoulder injuries and caught 15 passes in nine games for the 49ers, who released him in December. Two seasons ago with the Jets, he caught 53 passes for 904 yards, seven touchdowns and a career-best 17.1 yards-per-catch average. In 2007, he made the Pro Bowl after catching 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns with the Browns.

Edwards posted this on his Twitter account Tuesday morning: “Happy to announce that I’ve been signed to the Seattle Seahawks. It’s been a challenging yr but He doesn’t give me more than I can handle…”

According to Williams, the Seahawks also signed tight end Cooper Helfet to the 90-man roster and cut wide receiver Cameron Kenney and kicker Carson Wiggs.

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