Perhaps no other Seahawks player is under more pressure to improve this year than wide receiver Dee Eskridge. The arrival of Jaxon Smith-Njigba will unquestionably bounce Eskridge from the WR3 conversation. However, Eskridge still has a chance to carve out a different role for himself in this offense going into his third season in the league. He has a lot of work to do, though, as head coach Pete Carroll told the media last month.
While fans have mostly soured on Eskridge, he still has supporters within the locker room. For one, starting quarterback Geno Smith believes he can still make an impact. According to Mike Dugar at the Athletic, Smith and Eskridge work out together in Florida during the offseason and Smith says he sees growth from him.
“I really see the growth in his mindset… He wants it. He’s always wanted it and always had that ability, but I think he’s obviously had some setbacks, and I can see just in his mental makeup he’s ready to take that next step. It’s my job to help. That’s why I want to be there with him. He’s working his butt off. He’s super explosive out here on the field; he’s one of the most explosive guys I’ve ever seen. If we can get him where I think he’ll be, it’ll help us out a lot.”
Growth is good, but all the development in the world won’t matter if Eskridge can’t stay on the field consistently. He’s missed seven games due to various injuries each of his first two seasons and a bunch of offseason work.
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