C.J. Spiller thankful for opportunity with Seahawks

C.J. Spiller of the New Orleans Saints reacts during a game at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on September 1, 2016 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) C.J. Spiller of the New Orleans Saints reacts during a game at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on September 1, 2016 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) Photo: Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images Photo: Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images Image 1 of / 11 Caption Close C.J. Spiller thankful for opportunity with Seahawks 1 / 11 Back to Gallery

Running back C.J. Spiller knew there would be a landing spot for him after the New Orleans Saints cut him loose more than two weeks ago. The tricky thing for Spiller would be finding the right opportunity.

Spiller, 29, thinks he found the right fit after signing a one-year deal with Seattle on Wednesday after a free-agent tour that included visits to the New York Jets and Green Bay Packers following his release on Sept. 13. To make room for Spiller on the 53-man active roster, the Seahawks waived running back Terrance Magee.

On Thursday, Spiller, the ninth overall pick in the 2010 draft, told reporters the Seahawks' "family atmosphere" was one of the things that attracted him to Seattle.

"I knew I wasn't moving on. That's why I didn't put in my retirement papers," Spiller said during a press conference at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton. "So I knew that the opportunity would present itself again. But to me it was all about making the right opportunity -- not rushing anything, making sure that it would be a great fit, both as a player and as a person.

"That's one of the things that I explained to the coaches," he continued. "Of course football stuff is important, but if I walk away here and I didn't get better as a person or an individual, or as a man, then it's pointless."

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A recommendation from former teammate Fred Jackson didn't hurt the Seahawks' case, either.

Spiller and Jackson comprised the Buffalo Bills' two-headed backfield from 2010 to 2014, before Spiller signed with the Saints and Jackson ended his career with one season in Seattle. Spiller said he consulted with Jackson, who gave him "great feedback" about the organization and the city.

"He loved his time when he was up here," Spiller said of Jackson. "He thought that I'd do the same."

Spiller now becomes the third high-profile former Bills running back to join the Seahawks since 2010, following in the footsteps of "good friends" Jackson and Marshawn Lynch. It was Spiller's arrival in Buffalo in 2010 that made Lynch expendable enough to be traded to Seattle.

The former Clemson star rushed for 3,321 yards and 12 touchdowns with the Bills, while adding 158 receptions for 1,195 yards and six more scores. Spiller was also a return threat early in his career, with 1,914 return yards and two kickoff-return touchdowns.

But after signing a four-year, $18 million contract with $9 million guaranteed in March 2015, Spiller struggled in his only year in the Big Easy. His season was derailed after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery in the preseason and reportedly landing in Saints head coach Sean Payton's doghouse. He had just 33 touches in his final seven games with the team.

Spiller called his release a shock, but said he'd put it behind him.

"That's one of those things that you can't control," Spiller said. "You accept it, you move on and hopefully you get another opportunity. Lucky for me, the Seattle Seahawks are giving me the opportunity again."

Spiller could give the Seahawks a proven passing-down back while third-round pick C.J. Prosise recovers from a wrist injury he suffered in Seattle's Week 1 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Sept. 11. Prosise has been wearing a cast on the hand in practice and in games since suffering the injury, which (obviously) limits his ability as a ball carrier and pass catcher.

On Wednesday, head coach Pete Carroll indicated it would likely be several more weeks before Prosise was able to play without the cast or a brace.

"Those are six weeks processes, so likely he'll have to wear something to protect him all the way through those six weeks," Carroll said. "We're still a long ways away from that."

Spiller said Thursday he didn't know if he would play in Sunday's road contest versus the New York Jets, saying he wanted to be smart after not playing since the Saints' preseason finale on Sept. 1. He said he didn't envision a specific role in the Seahawks offense yet, but was looking forward to joining a Seattle team that embraced and enjoyed competition.

"I think your work speaks for itself," he said. "I can't sit up here and guarantee anything. I think I'd be foolish to do that. I can only go out there and work hard, compete at a high level and do everything that the coaches ask me to do.

"At the end of the day, it's still football," he continued. "Don't overthink it. Don't try to go out there and be Superman. I don't have to do that. I just go out there and be who I've always been."

Visit seattlepi.com for more Seattle Seahawks news. Contact sports reporter Stephen Cohen at stephencohen@seattlepi.com or @scohenPI.