What addition of WR J.J. Arcega-Whiteside means for Seahawks
Aug 16, 2022, 12:33 PM
J.J. Arcega-Whiteside runs with the ball prior to a 2021 preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
(Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
The Seahawks made a bit of a surprising move on Monday, shipping 2019 fourth-round defensive back Ugo Amadi to the Philadelphia Eagles for wide receiver/tight end J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, who was a second-round pick in 2019.
Seahawks trade DB Ugo Amadi for WR JJ Arcega-Whiteside
Arcega-Whiteside, 25, may have been a high-round pick in 2019, but he has yet to live up to that status, recording only 16 catches for 290 yards and one touchdown in 40 games for the Eagles. Arcega-Whiteside was also one of a handful of receivers taken in the 2019 NFL Draft before the Seahawks selected DK Metcalf at 64th overall, and Metcalf has grown into a star and is now one of the highest-paid receivers in the NFL.
So what does the addition of Arcega-Whiteside mean for the Seahawks’ roster? Former NFL receiver Michael Bumpus broke it down during Bump and Stacy on Seattle Sports 710 AM Tuesday morning.
He first pointed to Seahawks receiver Cody Thompson getting hurt in Saturday’s preseason game and placed on injured reserve on Monday.
“Unfortunately, this is the NFL. This is how the business goes. One guy gets hurt – Cody Thompson – you bring in another guy, and it just so happened that they were trying to shop Ugo Amadi. Boom, you make a trade there, you’re bringing a guy in,” he said.
So what will Arcega-Whiteside’s Seahawks career look like to start?
“Initially his job is going to be to run with the threes (third-string) and make sure the ones get rest when they need it,” Bumpus said.
That being said, Bumpus thinks there’s an outside chance the 2019 second-rounder can make the final roster.
“He could still possibly make this ballclub if he does some crazy stuff. If he outplays (rookie) Dareke Young, if he outplays (rookie) Bo Melton, if he outplays Dee Eskridge – who we haven’t seen – and Freddie Swain,” Bumpus said of Seattle’s receiver depth. “If he does some crazy stuff, there’s a possibility he makes the 53-man roster.”
For right now, though, Bumpus sees this as a depth move even if Arcega-Whiteside is a big name given his high draft status.
“This guy was drafted in front of DK Metcalf but hasn’t had the career that (Metcalf) has had – only 16 catches in his career. So we can’t expect him to come here and be a completely different player,” Bumpus said. “Now we’ve seen guys make moves across the league, get to a spot and resurrect their career. That’s a possibility for J.J. right now. But I just don’t think that’s going to happen. I think there are a lot of guys in front of him who have been here before who have the upper hand. But anything is possible. I’m all for a feel-good story. And if J.J. were to just hit a switch and change the course of his career, I would not be mad at it.”
Bumpus: Cross, Lucas, Seahawks’ OL impressed in preseason opener
