Seattle Seahawks Sign Lavasier Tuinei

Lavasier Tuinei was among the many undrafted Oregon Ducks after the 2012 NFL Draft. The only Oregon Ducks to be drafted in the 2012 NFL Draft were LaMichael James, Mark Asper, Josh Kaddu, and David Paulson. Even though his name was not called on draft day, Lavasier Tuinei will be playing in the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks.  I will break down how Lavasier Tuinei will fit in with the Seattle Seahawks and how I feel about this signing.

One of the big needs for the Seattle Seahawks entering the 2012 NFL Draft was the wide receiver position. The Seattle Seahawks have eight wide receivers on their roster, but the wide receiver position was still a big need. The reason for this is because the Seattle Seahawks have quantity and not quality. Just because an NFL team has a lot of wide receivers, it does not mean that the wide receivers are of quality. Tuinei could be the fourth or fifth wide receiver on the roster if he works hard from day one. The biggest strength that Lavasier Tuinei brings to the Seattle Seahawks is his ability to make catches over the middle of the field. While at Oregon, he thrived in the short-area game by using his frame to box out defenders and make the catch. Tuinei is also very agressive in the run game and can produce very well on special teams.

The biggest weakness Lavasier Tuinei will need to work on in the NFL is his ability to get downfield and run routes to free him up downfield. Even though Lavasier Tuinei is tall and physical, he’s slow off the line of scrimmage. While at Oregon, Tuinei worked out of the slot in order to avoid contact on the line of scrimmage. Tuinei will need to work on this aspect of his game because in the NFL many wide receivers need to possess the ability to get downfield and make plays downfield.

When looking at the Seattle Seahawks roster, this seems to be a smart signing. They need more quality wide receivers and, with very little work, Lavasier Tuinei could be a nice addition to the roster. I feel as if the Seattle Seahawks will use Tuinei in certain situatuions on offense and special teams. On the offensive side of the football, I feel the Seattle Seahwaks will use Tuinei when they need a slot receiver to go over the middle and make a catch. They could also use Tuinei on run plays because of his aggressiveness. Lavasier Tuinei is a nice addition and will help the Seattle Seahawks in the short-area game this season.

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