Seahawks sign D'Anthony Bell to practice

The Seattle Seahawks added safety depth to their practice squad on September 5, signing D’Anthony Bell and releasing outside linebacker Marvin Jones Jr. to make room, according to the team’s transactions log and a roster-moves report. Seattle made the move four days before its Wednesday season opener against the New England Patriots. The same stretch also brought a clearer look at the club’s health, with safety Ty Okada listed as out of practice because of a hamstring injury on the official Week 1 report. Tight end AJ Barner and guard Anthony Bradford were full participants, while safety Nick Emmanwori, receiver Tory Horton and lineman Josh Jones remained limited. ### Why did Seattle bring Bell back now? September 5 was the date Seattle brought Bell back, less than a week after final cutdowns, in a move the team said added veteran depth at safety ahead of the opener. Bell had been in Seattle’s orbit during the preseason before the Seahawks trimmed the roster. The official team report said Jones was released from the practice squad in the corresponding move. (seahawks.com) The Seahawks’ own roster-moves page described the transaction as a depth addition at a position group that was already drawing attention because of injuries. That context became more relevant when Okada appeared on the Week 1 injury report as a non-participant. ### Which injury designation stood out most on Monday? Ty Okada was listed as DNP on Monday with a hamstring injury on Seattle’s official injury report. (seahawks.com) He was the only Seahawks player on the report who did not practice. Seattle’s report did not assign a game status on that listing, leaving his availability for the opener unresolved. Nick Emmanwori, Tory Horton and Josh Jones were each listed as limited participants. (seahawks.com) The report identified Emmanwori’s injury as an ankle issue, Horton’s as a hamstring injury and Jones’ as a knee injury. None of the three carried a game designation on the listing that was available Tuesday. ### Who moved in the right direction at practice? AJ Barner was listed as a full participant with an oblique injury, and Anthony Bradford was shown moving from limited participation to full participation with a knee issue. (seahawks.com) Julian Neal and Emanuel Wilson were also full participants on the same report. Monday’s report showed Barner as full on both days listed, while Bradford’s line moved from limited to full. (seahawks.com) For a team still sorting availability before Week 1, those were the clearest signs of progress on the report. ### How does the practice-squad move connect to the injury picture? Safety is the position most directly tied to both updates. Bell’s return gives Seattle another practice-squad option at safety, and Okada’s hamstring injury left the team with a fresh question in that room. (seahawks.com) The Seahawks’ official article on Bell’s signing said the move was made to provide extra depth before the Patriots game. Seattle’s transactions page and injury report do not say Bell will be elevated for the opener. Under NFL rules, practice-squad players can be elevated for games, but the Seahawks had not announced such a move in the materials reviewed here. That leaves Bell’s immediate role open heading into the week’s final availability decisions. ### What comes next before the opener? Wednesday is the date of Seattle’s season opener against New England, and the team’s next key public checkpoint is its final game-status injury report before kickoff. (seahawks.com) That report will determine whether Okada, Emmanwori, Horton or Jones carry designations such as questionable or out. The Seahawks’ official news page said the opener is against the Patriots, and its injury-report page is where the club posts updated participation and game-status listings. (seahawks.com) Any elevation from the practice squad, including Bell, would also appear on the team’s transactions page. (seahawks.com 1) (seahawks.com 2)