The Seahawks have an agreement with free agent cornerback Terrion Arnold. It is unclear when he will join the team. Coach Mike Macdonald told reporters Friday that “a timetable is being worked on” for his arrival. “We’re working on that and when is the best time for him to come in, but we have an agreement with him and we’ll see,” Macdonald said, via the HawkBlogger Twitter account. “But I really don’t know what, you know, how we’re going to do it.” Macdonald also explained the decision to reach a deal with Arnold, who faces eight felony charges in Florida that carry a possible sentence of life in prison. “I think it was an opportunity to bring in a player that we felt very strongly about during the draft process,” Macdonald said, “and we also understand that it’s a serious situation with a legal matter that, you know, there’s a process behind it, so we respect that. And that’s how we’ll operate as well, and just let that process play out and let the league decide, if and when, if his return to play is, then we’ll understand that’s on the line, but there’s also an opportunity to bring him in and give him the opportunity to earn a position here. And obviously, we got to know him throughout the process, and I also referenced the people who had been on his side throughout the process, and, you know, we respect those people. And you know, we’re not going to ignore those people who we really respect and who also have a strong opinion on it. So, putting all those things together, we felt it was a good opportunity for the team. Macdonald also explained the balance between player skills and the other issues. “When he walks into the building, we’re going to go about our business like we normally do, and try to be the best version of ourselves that we can be, and that includes him,” Macdonald said. “And that’s the message to our team every day. We want our players to come in and be the best version of themselves, and we believe that if you do that, the team will be better too. So [for] therion [it] It’ll be the same process with him when he gets here.” That last part is important. “When he gets here.” The process could still be short-circuited. It’s still fair to wonder if Arnold’s skills and abilities justify the public relations fallout, especially since the Lions decided to cut him. With a new owner who could be approved in just 12 days, the Seahawks are rolling the dice in multiple ways. Even if management led the move for incoming owner Vinod Khosla, every decision management makes current will contribute to Khosla and the rest of the ownership group’s assessment of the organization they will inherit. With no guarantee that Arnold will ever play for the Seahawks in a regular-season game, it’s a calculated risk that may have been influenced by the naturally inflated confidence that comes with winning a Super Bowl. And it’s the kind of decision that could become a factor if Khosla and company balance the pros and cons of making significant changes.
