Bumpus: How Seahawks should address WR with David Moore leaving

The Seahawks had one of the best wide receiver duos in the NFL last season with DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, but David Moore had a solid campaign as the team’s No. 3 receiver as well. Now, the Seahawks will have to replace Moore as he signed a two-year deal with the Carolina Panthers, a move that was made official Thursday afternoon.

Related: Hawks’ WR depth takes a hit as Moore signs with Panthers

Seattle did go out and reportedly sign former Los Angeles Rams tight end Gerald Everett, who has familiarity with new Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. Waldron was Everett’s position coach in 2017 and was the Los Angeles’ Rams passing game coordinator the last three seasons. Everett presumably slots in as the Seahawks’ No. 1 tight end above Will Dissly and Colby Parkinson.

But as far as receivers go, what does the depth chart look like after Metcalf and Lockett? Who better to break that down than former NFL receiver Michael Bumpus? He shared his thoughts on Friday’s edition of Blue 42 on 710 ESPN Seattle’s Danny and Gallant.

“You have Freddie Swain at that third receiver spot right now,” Bumpus said of the Seahawks’ 2020 sixth-round draft pick. “Last year during camp you heard (head coach Pete Carroll) talking about (how Swain) knows every single position, you can count on him and you kind of saw towards the end of the year he started getting (more) involved with the offense.”

Swain had a solid rookie season as far as late-round picks go, catching 13 passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns. He was also a fixture on Seattle’s special teams.

Bumpus likes what Swain brings to the Seahawks’ offense, but he thinks Seattle needs to add more depth at wide receiver.

“Like I mentioned a week or two ago, Josh Reynolds is still out there,” he said. “And he’s probably going to want somewhere around $2 or $3 million a year.”

Reynolds, like Everett, played for the Rams from 2017 to 2020 and has familiarity with Waldron. He had a good season last year in Los Angeles, catching 52 passes for 618 yards and two touchdowns.

But Bumpus isn’t sure if the Seahawks can afford to spend on a receiver as they have other positions of need to fill this offseason. If Seattle doesn’t want to sign a free-agent receiver to compete with Swain for the No. 3 spot, Bumpus has his eyes set on a draft prospect he would like the Seahawks to select next month.

“If you do (target a receiver) in the draft, a name I want to throw out there that no one is really talking about, D’Wayne Eskridge, a receiver out of Western Michigan. This dude can play,” Bumpus said.

Eskridge accumulated 121 catches for 2,244 yards and 15 touchdowns during his college career at Western Michigan. A smaller receiver at 5-foot-9 and roughly 190 pounds, Eskridge is a big-play threat, as evidenced by his 33 catches for 768 yards and eight touchdowns in six games in 2020. That equates to over 23 yards per reception.

“He goes to a smaller school, I believe he’s like the 15th-ranked receiver (in the draft),” Bumpus said. “If they can find a way to get D’Wayne Eskridge, I think that will help the situation. But you need to bring in another receiver.”

Bumpus believes Swain is both “smart enough and good enough” to enter training camp as the No. 3 receiver on the Seahawks’ depth chart, but, as Carroll loves to say, “It’s all about competition.”

“You’ve got to bring someone in to push (Swain),” Bumpus said. “And if you draft D’Wayne Eskridge of Western Michigan, watch out for that kid.”

Listen to Bumpus’ thoughts on Seattle’s receivers and more at this link or in the player below.

Follow Brandon Gustafson on Twitter.

Hawks Q&A: What Witherspoon and Everett signings mean for Seattle

Follow @TheBGustafson