Donovan Wilson chases a reunion in Seattle

Donovan Wilson spent 7 seasons as a Cowboy, clawed his way from a 6th-round pick into a full-time starter, and became one of the more physical safeties in the building. That run is officially over. Dallas used its No. 11 overall pick this year on Ohio State's Caleb Downs and handed Jalen Thompson a 3-year, $33 million deal, effectively pushing Wilson out the door after he played out the 3-year, $21 million contract he signed back in 2023.

That connection is the whole ballgame here. Durde spent 3 years in Dallas before Seattle hired him away, and he knows exactly what Wilson brings when he's right: a downhill hitter who started 75 career games and racked up 8 interceptions, 13 sacks and 9 forced fumbles along the way. That's not a resume you find on the street in late July.

Timing matters too. The Seahawks are dealing with uncertainty at safety after Nick Emmanwori landed on active/PUP following ankle surgery earlier this month, and Week 1 availability is a question mark. A vet who already knows Durde's defense from the inside is about as low-risk a fill-in option as it gets.

It's worth noting Wilson's last season in Dallas wasn't his best — he started all 15 games he played but graded out 88th among 98 eligible safeties per Pro Football Focus. That's likely a big part of why the Cowboys were fine letting him walk and investing draft capital and free-agent money at the position instead.

Still, a workout is just a workout — no signing has been reported yet. But if Wilson lands in Seattle, it's a tidy bit of business: a coach who already trusts him, a roster with a real need at the position, and a vet safety looking for one more shot to prove last year was the outlier and not the new normal.