Brady Henderson, ESPN 6y

New Seahawks receiver Marcus Johnson has 4.38 speed

The Seattle Seahawks would have done well just to get a draft pickĀ in exchange for Michael Bennett, who might have been released had the team not found a trade partner.

They also got a player, speedy wide receiver Marcus Johnson. The Seahawks acquired Johnson and a fifth-round pick from the Philadelphia Eagles for Bennett and a seventh-rounder, according to the trade terms reported Wednesday by ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The trade won't become official until the new league year begins on March 14. Both players also have to pass physicals, which Johnson was in town on Thursday to do.

Johnson is not a player who should be expected to make a significant impact on Seattle's offense in 2018, but it's easy to see why the Seahawks like his long-term potential. He's young (24 in August), inexpensive ($555,000 base salary for 2018) and controllable (he'll be an exclusive rights free agent next offseason).

And he's fast. Johnson, listed at 6-1 and 204 pounds, reportedly ran the 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds at his University of Texas pro day in 2016, the year he went undrafted into the NFL. For comparison, only two wide receivers ran faster 40 times at this year's scouting combine.

Ricardo Lockette comes to mind as a comparison for Johnson based on their physical profiles. Lockette became a special teams demon for Seattle and was an occasional big-play threat as a receiver before his career ended in 2015 because of a neck injury.

Johnson had five catches for 45 yards in 10 games for the Eagles last season.

ESPN Eagles reporter Tim McManus had this scouting report:

"Johnson had a very strong summer to earn his way onto the 53-man roster. He was part of the receiver rotation through about mid-November, playing 11 snaps per game on average. He had just two catches on five targets over that time, and was a regular inactive down the stretch as the team started dressing rookie Shelton Gibson instead. With the Eagles resting their starters to get ready for the playoffs, he played 66 percent of the snaps in the regular-season finale against the Cowboys and had three catches for 23 yards. Johnson has plenty of speed and the tools to be a deep threat, but wasn’t able to shake loose with regularity in his limited role with the Eagles. Just 23, there’s still plenty of room for development. The Seahawks are likely intrigued by his natural talent and hope he can take off with more time and coaching."

Johnson's acquisition is a sign the Seahawks are prepared to lose Paul Richardson, who was their No. 2 receiver lastĀ season but is an unrestricted free agent. Assuming Richardson will no longer be in the mix, Seattle's receiver corps looks like this: Doug Baldwin and Tyler Lockett as the No. 1 and 2, respectively, followed by, in no particular order: Amara Darboh, David Moore, Johnson, Tanner McEvoy and Cyril Grayson.

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