Dee Eskridge suspended 6 games!

Seahawks' decision to draft Jaxon Smith-Njigba looks even better now

The NFL is suspending Seahawks receiver D’Wayne Eskridge for the first six games of the 2023 season for “violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy” per Ian Rapoport. There has not been a whisper of Eskridge being in danger of a suspension until now, but on the same day that the league officially suspended Saints running back Alvin Kamara for conduct related to a fight, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell gives a punishment twice as long for Eskridge.

The news of Eskridge’s suspension makes Seattle’s decision to draft Jaxon Smith-Njigba look even better than it already did. Not that anyone was counting on Eskridge to be a super valuable member of the Seahawks in 2023—not meant to be a criticism, just a fact that comes with being unavailable for most of your first two seasons in the NFL—but now Seattle doesn’t have to worry about losing a potential starter for the first six games of the year.

The suspension and timing is reminiscent of Jarran Reed’s surprising suspension in 2019. Reed has not only bounced back, he’s come back to the Seahawks, so there’s always hope. But for Eskridge, time is running out and patience is thinner than cold broth.

Update Link to statement:

https://twitter.com/MikeGarafolo/status/1687564264721018880?s=20

I wrote about D’Wayne Eskridge’s history for an origin story in May. So I’ll let that article do most of the talking on why the Seahawks drafted him in 2021 and why he’s been such a disappointment as a second round pick with 17 career catches.

Eskridge has been noted as a “standout” all offseason and in training camp, with Geno Smith posting videos of the two working out together to develop chemistory. (I was going to write “more chemistry” but that would require having some to begin with.) Eskridge’s suspension is great news for players like Cade Johnson or one of the undrafted free agent rookies because Seattle will need receiver depth at final cuts. It could also narrow the competition at the returner spots.

I would assume Eskridge still participates in the Seahawks mock game scrimmage on Friday night. Make sure you are subscribed to Seaside Joe to not miss the updates from tonight’s mock game and all future episodes of this newsletter: