Antonio Bryant Signs With The Seattle Seahawks

Former Pitt Panther Antonio Bryant signed with the Seattle Seahawks Thursday after sitting out the 2010 and 2011 seasons.

Antonio Bryant was a fantastic receiver in his prime, but can the 31 year old make an NFL roster?

Seattle's Pete Carroll was, uh, honest about the situation:

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said at the time that Bryant looked good but was out of football shape -- "He's not in very good shape, but he's very natural," Carroll told The Seattle Times at the time.

"He's got terrific instincts for catching the football and getting in and out of breaks. ... He's not there right now though. He's a ways away and he admits that he has not been working out in the kind of setting that he needs to be at his best, so we'll see what happens."

Not exactly a glowing endorsement, but in the words of Carroll, "we'll see what happens." Bryant had a spectacular 2008 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but was cut before the 2010 season by the Bengals in large part because of a knee injury. Without football experience for the past two seasons, his chance of making the team is likely poor. Bryant is the thirteenth receiver on the training camp roster, but is one of the few with real NFL experience.

For all of his issues over the years, Pitt fans should remember that Antonio Bryant was a huge part of bringing back from the dead. For that, the former Bilentnikoff winner has earned our respect and gratitude.

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