The Seahawks made three moves Friday to bolster their roster for Saturday’s wild-card playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers, signing running back Tony Jones Jr. to the 53-man roster off the practice squad and elevating receiver Cade Johnson and linebacker Alexander Johnson from the practice squad.
Seattle waived defensive tackle Isaiah Mack off the 53-man roster to make room for Jones, who was added as depth with running back DeeJay Dallas listed as questionable with knee and quad injuries.
Dallas was listed as limited in practice Thursday but coach Pete Carroll indicated he’d be able to play.
“He worked really hard today and was a full go,” Carroll said Thursday.
Jones has played in four games earlier this year with 16 yards on eight carries and will serve as insurance if Dallas can’t go, behind Kenneth Walker III. Seattle also has Godwin Igwebuike at running back.
Cade Johnson, a second-year player out of South Dakota State, has played 55 snaps the past two games and served as essentially the third receiver for last Sunday’s win over the Rams. He had a career-high 29 snaps, making two catches for 21 yards. He figures to again work as the third receiver behind DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett with Marquise Goodwin and Dee Eskridge still out.
Alexander Johnson saw his first action as a Seahawk on Sunday, rotating in at weakside linebacker with Tanner Muse in the first game the team played without Jordyn Brooks. With Brooks out with a season-ending ACL injury, Cody Barton moved from the weakside to the middle, with Muse and Alexander Johnson on the weakside. Alexander Johnson figures to again serve in that role Saturday.
Seattle claimed Mack off waivers from the Ravens on Dec. 27, but he did not play in a game for Seattle.
The moves put Seattle’s roster at 55, meaning the Seahawks will have to declare seven as inactive.
Two likely candidates are guard Phil Haynes and cornerback Xavier Crawford, neither of whom practiced all week and were also declared as questionable for the game. Haynes suffered an ankle injury against the Jets and did not play against the Rams, and Crawford has been nursing a hamstring injury.