Seattle signs four players including Alex Barron

[The Q]

First reported today by Liz Matthews of 710ESPN Seahawks have signed CB Donny Lisowski, T Andrew Mitchell, T Alex Barron and TE Cooper Helfet.

Alex Barron you ask? Yes that Alex Barron. The former first round draft choice (19th pick 2005 draft) of the St. Louis Rams.

A former No. 19 overall pick in 2005 from Florida State, Barron started 74 of 76 games with St. Louis.

He spent the 2010 season with the Dallas Cowboys following a trade with one start in 11 games and was with the Saints last season before being placed on injured reserve with a knee injury and then later released.

Per the Seahawks press release.

The 6-foot-7, 320-pound Barron participated in the team’s rookie minicamp over the weekend on a tryout basis. He started 74 games in five seasons with the Rams after being the 19th pick overall in the 2005 NFL Draft. After being traded to Dallas in 2010, he made one start for the Cowboys. Barron signed with the Saints last year, but sat out the season after being placed on injured reserve in August with a knee problem and then released in October.

“This is real good, especially when you consider that I had to sit out all of last year on injured reserve,” Barron said today after participating in the team’s offseason program workout. “But I’m over that now and moving forward. I’m here to help the team the best way I can.”

The club also reached agreements with two other tryout players from the weekend minicamp – cornerback Donny Lisowski, who went to Seattle’s O’Dea High School and then Montana; and Cooper Helfet, a 6-3, 239-pound tight end from Duke. Also added was Andrew Mitchell, a 6-5, 308-pound tackle who signed with the Bengals after the 2010 draft. He suffered a knee injury in a preseason game that August and spent the season on IR. Mitchell also missed last season.

To clear spots on the 90-man roster, linebacker Adrian Moten, offensive lineman Brent Osborne, cornerback London Durham and tackle Jon Opperud were released. Moten played in two games last season after being signed off the practice squad, while Osborne spent the season on the practice squad. Durham and Opperud were signed as free agents last month after the draft.

Coach Pete Carroll was impressed with the 5-11, 185-pound Lisowski during the weekend minicamp.
“He was all over the place out here,” Carroll said on Sunday. “I had no (idea about him), other than he ran extremely fast when he showed up for a workout day. And then he went out there and made a bunch of plays. So I was really fired up about him.”