Three days after the Seattle Seahawks released him, running back Alex Collins signed to the Baltimore Ravens practice squad Tuesday, the team announced.
Seattle selected Collins with the No. 171 overall pick in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL draft after he enjoyed a standout career at Arkansas.
Despite the Seahawks' multiple injuries at running back last season, he played sparingly to the tune of 31 carries for 125 yards and one touchdown, as well as 11 receptions for 84 yards.
Even with Thomas Rawls and C.J. Prosise's injuries, as well as Christine Michael's release, Seattle didn't allow Collins to carry the ball more than seven times in a game as a rookie.
He entered the league with a great deal of potential after topping 1,000 rushing yards in each of his three seasons at Arkansas.
As a junior in 2015, Collins rushed for 1,577 yards and 20 touchdowns.
The Seahawks addressed their backfield during the offseason, and Collins entered training camp without a guaranteed roster spot.
In addition to Rawls and Prosise's return, Seattle signed former Green Bay Packers running back Eddie Lacy and selected Chris Carson in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL draft out of Oklahoma State.
With Carson's strong performance during the preseason, Collins became expendable before finally being waived as part of the final roster cutdown Saturday.
Opportunities were likely to be few and far between for Collins in 2017 even if he made Seattle's roster, so a trade was likely needed to kick-start his young career.
Collins won't initially have much responsibility with the Ravens, but if he can find the form he displayed throughout his time at Arkansas, he stands to provide solid backfield depth.
The Ravens are starting the regular season with Terrance West, Danny Woodhead and Javorius Allen as their top running backs. They had the fifth-fewest rushing yards in the NFL last season with 1,463. Adding a young player with talent to the mix at least gives head coach John Harbaugh another option.
Because Collins was signed less than one week before the regular season begins, he will need time to learn the offense. If he impresses during his time on the practice squad, look for him to get a shot on the 53-man roster at some point this season.
Read more Baltimore Ravens news on BleacherReport.com
from Bleacher Report - Baltimore Ravens http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2730951-alex-collins-signed-to-ravens-practice-squad-after-release-by-seahawks
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