Seahawks sign George Farmer, waive Kona Schwenke

The Seahawks will sign former USC receiver George Farmer then convert him to defensive back, reports Gary Klein of the LA Times. Farmer is a former five-star recruit -- the #1 receiver in the nation out of high school and the #3 overall prospect -- that committed to the Trojans but never really panned out due to a number of factors, including injuries.

Farmer tore his ACL and MCL and missed the entire 2013 season, then caught 25 passes for 314 yards and 4 touchdowns in 2014 at USC. Farmer was a non-Combine-invite but after a strong pro day in which he reportedly ran the 40 in 4.35 seconds, he entered the Draft despite still having a year of eligibility. He went undrafted but was apparently pursued pretty hotly in rookie free agency, nabbing $55,000 in guaranteed money from the Cowboys (a $15,000 signing bonus plus $40,000 in salary). He was cut on Wednesday.

Seattle has a history of converting receivers into defensive backs and Farmer definitely profiles as a great candidate for it at 6'1 with 33-inch arms and a blazing 40 time. As Pete Carroll has said in the past, the team believes they can take great athletes and develop them into their system. Carroll said that first and foremost, when scouting potential cornerbacks, "One, we want fast guys, and long guys, that's what we're looking for. Then," added Carroll, "they've been indoctrinated into the system."

Farmer joins Douglas McNeill as a receiver-to-cornerback convert in this year's defensive secondary. The Seahawks waived Kona Schwenke with an injury designation. He suffered a knee injury in Friday's game.