Seahawks activate TE Ed Dickson, waive CB Jamar Taylor

The Seahawks had to make a move if they were going to bolster their tight end depth, and they did that Wednesday morning by activating veteran tight end Ed Dickson.

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To make room for Dickson on the team’s 53-man roster, the team waived veteran cornerback Jamar Taylor.

Prior to activating Dickson, Jacob Hollister was the only healthy tight end on the roster because Luke Willson is dealing with a hamstring injury that head coach Pete Carroll has described as “legit.” Willson is expected to miss a few weeks while he recovers, and Will Dissly, who was Seattle’s starting tight end to start the year and one of the team’s leading receivers, tore his Achilles tendon in Week 6 and is out for the season.

Dickson started the season on injured reserve, and the Seahawks had to activate him Wednesday, otherwise he could not return this season. He also missed the first six games of 2018 while recovering from a non-football injury. He appeared in 10 games and caught 12 passes for 143 yards and three touchdowns in 2018, his first in Seattle.

Taylor started the offseason with Seattle but was cut before the season. He was re-signed after Week 1, and while the Seahawks have not played a lot of nickel defense this year with five defense backs on the field, Taylor has been the go-to nickel cornerback when they have gone with that personnel.

Taylor’s play was criticized during the Seahawks’ Week 10 win against the San Francisco 49ers. He was beat multiple times in coverage, especially in the first half, and had a holding penalty that caused cornerback Shaquill Griffin’s first quarter interception to be called off.

The move to release Taylor likely opens the door for rookie Ugo Amadi to play the nickel position. Amadi was drafted in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft after a stellar career at Oregon where he played mostly safety. He has been a special teams standout for Seattle, playing the third most special teams snaps on the team.

710 ESPN Seattle’s Brock Huard has said he’d like to see Amadi get more playing time going forward on defense.

“I still think Ugo Amadi over some point this year … I think we’re going to hear his name called,” Huard said.

It looks like Huard will get his wish.

Earlier this week, Carroll praised Amadi when talking to reporters.

“He’s doing really well,” Carroll said. “He has been a playmaker on special teams throughout. His opportunities will continue to come about because he has been so consistent in everything he is doing. He hasn’t done anything that isn’t good. His effort is great, his playmaking, his decision-making, the savvy, the situations that he’s been in, he’s just been really good. So I’m anxious for him to contribute more.”

Carroll told reporters that the nickel corner position was one position that was going to be evaluated as far as playing time going forward.

The Seahawks made another move on Wednesday, adding linebacker Pita Taumoepenu to the team’s practice squad. Taumoepenu, a 2017 sixth-round pick by the 49ers, has appeared in six games, recording three tackles. He spent the offseason with the Arizona Cardinals but was waived/injured during roster cuts, then later waived from injured reserve in September.

Taumoepenu’s signing fills the practice squad spot vacancy created when safety Adrian Colbert was signed to the Dolphins 53-man roster.

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