RENTON, Wash. (AP) The Seahawks added veteran linebacker Erik Walden on Friday and terminated the contract of defensive end Marcus Smith.
Smith spent 2017 with Seattle and re-signed with the team this offseason on a one-year deal. However, the former Philadelphia Eagles first-round pick had missed the last few days of practice due to a personal matter and the Seahawks released him so he could tend to those issues.
”Really, there were some personal reasons that came into it,” head coach Pete Carroll said. ”He has been a great kid in the program and all, and all things considered, that’s as far as I’m going with it. It was the right thing to do, and he understood and he agreed with it.”
Smith spent all of last season at defensive end for Seattle, but has been used as a strong-side linebacker in training camp.
Walden, 32, is a 10-year veteran who spent last season with the Tennessee Titans and the previous four years with the Indianapolis Colts. He had a career-high 11 sacks in 2016 before serving in a mostly rotational role last year with the Titans.
The team also signed running back Justin Stockton and waived cornerback Elijah Battle.
Stockton adds depth at running back as Rashaad Penny recovers from surgery to repair a broken finger and Gerald Holmes sits out due to a concussion.
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