With J.D. McKissic returning to practice this week a move was inevitable, and on Tuesday, it occurred. For the third time, the Seattle Seahawks have released running back Troymaine Pope from the roster. Pope, who had two previous stops in Seattle in 2016, captured the hearts of Seahawks fans with a promising 162-yard preseason as a UDFA.

Pope was brought back to Seattle during the first week of November, with Chris Carson missing practice time. Now that the backfield is healthy and McKissic has begun practicing, there was no longer a need for a running back on the practice squad.

In Pope’s place, the Seahawks have signed LSU product Malachi Dupre. A seventh round selection by the Packers in 2017, Dupre was released by Green Bay at the end of that preseason. He then spent the 2017 regular season between Buffalo’s practice squad and active roster. Dupre was released by the Bills at the end of the 2018 preseason, and landed on the Texans’ practice squad, until his release last week.

Though he is yet to stick on an active roster for long, Dupre is an intriguing combination of size and explosiveness. At 6-foot-2 and 196 pounds, he has the slender frame Seattle’s previously shown an affinity for. Dupre’s 39.5” vertical and 11’3” broad jump are in the 90th and 98th percentile among receivers. He’ll join Keenan Reynolds and Caleb Scott as receivers on the Seahawks’ practice squad.