Two days after making his Seattle Seahawks debut, running back Myles Gaskin was waived as one of several roster moves announced by the team Tuesday.
The moves foreshadow that more might come as the Seahawks will soon have decisions to make about players who are returning off injured reserve.
Along with waiving Gaskin, a former UW standout, the Seahawks signed outside linebacker Ja’Markis Weston, an undrafted rookie out of Florida who appeared in three games earlier this season with the Jets, to the practice squad while receiver Brenden Rice and center Doug Kramer were released from the practice squad.
That leaves two spots open on the 17-man practice squad, one of which may be ticketed for Gaskin, assuming he clears waivers and is free to return.
Gaskin was added to the 53-man roster on Saturday and saw his first action as a Seahawk in Sunday’s 26-0 win over the Vikings, with five snaps on the punt-return team and three on offense on the final series of the game, with three carries for six yards.
Gaskin played against the Vikings as the third running back behind Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet. Last week, the Seahawks signed veteran Cam Akers in the wake of an injury to George Holani, who was placed on IR with a hamstring issue. Akers was not active against the Vikings after not practicing until Wednesday. But Akers is likely ticketed for the third running-back role moving forward as he gets more acclimated with the offense.
The Seahawks did not announce who will fill the open spot on the 53-man roster created by the waiving of Gaskin and they could be leaving it open to see how the week plays out.
They have four players who are eligible to come off IR — safety Julian Love, defensive lineman Jarran Reed, receiver Dareke Young and tight end Eric Saubert.
Coach Mike Macdonald said Monday no decisions had been made yet on whether any will return to practice this week. But once any of them do, that opens a 21-day window where they can practice before having to go on the 53-man roster or back on IR for good.
Rookie defensive lineman Rylie Mills also returned to practice last week off the physically unable to perform list and a similar decision will have to be made on him in two weeks.
Also, center Jalen Sundell is eligible to come off IR next week and receiver Tory Horton in two weeks.
Safety Quandre Diggs was signed to the practice squad last week and was elevated and played Sunday against the Vikings. He can be elevated only two more times before having to go on the 53-man roster to continue to play, or have to pass through waivers.
So the Seattle Seahawks will have some roster shuffling to manage over the next few weeks.
Weston, listed at 6-foot-2, 235 pounds, played 56 special teams snaps for the Jets before being waived by the team on Nov. 22.
Rice, the son of Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice, signed to Seattle’s practice squad on Nov. 18 but was not elevated to the active roster and did not play in any games.