The Seattle Seahawks need bodies at the quarterback spot, and they need them fast. With training camp on the horizon and only Charlie Whitehurst under contact, Seattle needed to place an emphasis on the quarterback position when signing undrafted free agents, and did so by snatching two available arms to at least get some work in during camp. Josh Portis, a journeyman college quarterback and cousin of Clinton Portis, and Nebraska quarterback Zac Lee each reportedly agreed to terms with the Seahawks, bringing the number of quarterbacks on the roster to three.
Portis is an intriguing prospect, and a name floated early on by Field Gulls' Danny Kelly. He's an athletic prospect, but needs some serious polish at the NFL level. From the scouting report at Field Gulls:
"Portis is clearly a developmental prospect, but he has the size, arm strength and mobility to warrant a strong look. He can buy time with his feet, but prefers to pass the ball despite possessing excellent straight-line speed. Portis has a similar skill set to Minnesota Vikings 2010 rookie QB/WR Joe Webb, and could make a team look similarly smart if given an opportunity."
And a video of Portis in action.
Zac Lee is the second player from Nebraska to choose the Seahawks during the undrafted free agent signing period, joining safety Rickey Thenarse. Lee lost his job to Taylor Martinez this past season, but stayed involved in more of a mentoring and leadership role. At this point, it seems Lee is little more than an arm in camp to give the Seahawks enough warm bodies to throw routes.
We'll be tracking what the Seahawks do during the undrafted free agent hunting season in this StoryStream. Over at Field Gulls, Danny Kelly will be publishing an impressive array of posts on undrafted free agents, so keep an eye out for those.