Seahawks add WR Penny Hart to roster, waive 2019 pick John Ursua

Though NFL rosters were trimmed down to 53 players on Saturday, the Seahawks have made another move, adding wide receiver Penny Hart to the active roster from the practice squad while waiving fellow receiver John Ursua, a 2019 seventh-round pick.

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Hart, 24, was an undrafted rookie last season who initially signed with the Indianapolis Colts after playing college ball at Georgia State. He was named First-Team All-Sun Belt twice and finished his college career with 203 catches, 2,090 yards and 19 receiving touchdowns. Hart also has experience on the return game, returning 15 kicks for 299 yards and nine punts for 158 yards and a touchdown during his senior season.

After being waived by the Colts in September, the 5-foot-8, 180-pound Hart signed with the Seahawks’ practice squad in October, where he stayed the rest of the year.

Hart takes the place of Ursua, who the Seahawks selected in the seventh round in 2019. In order to secure Ursua, the Seahawks traded a 2020 sixth-round pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars to get back in the draft. Ursua joined Seattle after a stellar 2018 season at Hawaii, where he caught 89 passes for 1,343 yards and 16 touchdowns. Ursua also rushed for one score.

Ursua, who like Hart is shorter at 5-9 and 182 pounds, was inactive for most of the year despite remaining on the team’s 53-man roster, appearing in just three games. He recorded only one catch, which was for 11 yards on a fourth-and-10 in Week 17 that nearly set up a game-winning touchdown over the San Francisco 49ers that would have given the Seahawks the NFC West crown. You can watch that play here at the 11:24 mark.

Ursua, who had been dealing with a hamstring injury during training camp this year, has always been seen as a slot receiver while Hart can play more on the outside. No. 1 receiver Tyler Lockett is expected to get most of the snaps in the slot in 2020 and presumed No. 3 receiver Phillip Dorsett is expected to line up on the outside opposite No. 2 receiver DK Metcalf. Dorsett has been battling a foot injury throughout camp, so if he can’t play in Week 1, Hart is a more suitable replacement for him than Ursua.

Ursua will now hit waivers, where any of the NFL’s 32 teams can claim him. If he clears waivers, Ursua could remain with the Seahawks on the team’s practice squad.

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