Cornerback DeShawn Shead found a new home on the first day of free agency, signing with the Detroit Lions on Wednesday.
Shead, who came into the league in 2012 as an undrafted rookie out of Portland State, had spent his entire career with the Seahawks, making an impressive rise from the practice squad to making the roster primarily as a special teams contributor to, in 2016, becoming a full-time starter at right cornerback.
Unfortunately for Shead, his first year as a starter ended with a torn ACL in a playoff loss to Atlanta, an injury that caused him to miss all but the final two games of the 2017 season. And because Shead spent most of last year on the Physically Unable to Perform list, the one-year deal he signed last offseason tolled, but the Seahawks released him earlier this week to allow him to test free agency, as both sides were expecting to be the case when he signed the deal last year.
With Shead gone and with Richard Sherman signing with the 49ers last week, the Seahawks currently have four cornerbacks on their roster: 2016 draft picks Shaquill Griffin and Mike Tyson, special teams ace Neiko Thorpe, and nickel corner Justin Coleman, on whom the Seahawks exercised a second-round restricted free agent tender for 2018. Byron Maxwell, who took over the starting job at left cornerback when Sherman was hurt last season, became an unrestricted free agent with the start of the new league year, though Seahawks coach Pete Carroll expressed a desire to bring him back following the end of the season.
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Take a look back at some of the best photos from defensive back DeShawn Shead's six NFL seasons with the Seattle Seahawks.
