{"id":10706,"date":"2025-04-29T21:10:11","date_gmt":"2025-04-29T21:10:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/10706\/"},"modified":"2025-04-29T21:10:11","modified_gmt":"2025-04-29T21:10:11","slug":"robbie-ouzts-with-his-moustache-heads-for-a-new-position-with-seattle-seahawks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/10706\/","title":{"rendered":"Robbie Ouzts (with his moustache) heads for a new position with Seattle Seahawks"},"content":{"rendered":"

It turns out the Seattle Seahawks chose Alabama <\/a>tight end Robbie Ouzts in the fifth round of the NFL Draft on Saturday as part of a package deal \u2013 not with Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe, who joined Seattle in the third round<\/a> on Friday, but with Ouzts\u2019 moustache.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou come in here and compete for the job to be our starting fullback, OK?\u201d said Aaron Hineline<\/a>, the Seahawks\u2019 director of college scouting, when he called Ouzts to tell him he was being chosen. \u201cDon\u2019t shave the mustache. That just stays. That\u2019s part of the contract.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ouzts\u2019 moustache took a star turn in NFL Network\u2019s coverage of the NFL Scouting Combine, and during his introductory press conference, Ouzts was asked if he or Seahawks first-round pick Grey Zabel, a center from North Dakota State, had the best moustache.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll see in person,\u201d Ouzts said<\/a>. \u201c\u2026 We\u2019re rocking with it. Bringing it to Seattle.\u201d<\/p>\n

Also at the NFL Scouting Combine, Ouzts ran a 4.91-second 40-yard dash, covering the first 10 yards in 1.64 seconds, and measured 6-foot-3 and 274 pounds.<\/p>\n

So even though Ouzts recorded 16 receptions for 192 yards and three touchdowns in four seasons at Alabama, Seattle eagerly added him to its roster. But while the Seahawks want no changes for the moustache, they\u2019re changing Ouzts\u2019 position.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe added a 275-pound fullback that runs 19 miles an hour,\u201d Seattle general manager John Schneider said<\/a>. \u201cThat\u2019s pretty cool. It\u2019s a lot of — What does Pat (Ward of the Seahawks\u2019 Research and Development Department) say? — a lot momentum heading downhill.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ouzts said he hadn\u2019t played fullback since he was a sophomore, but he\u2019s done a lot blocking, which would be his primary duty in his new spot.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve played a lot of H-back, a lot of off-the-ball stuff, which correlates,\u201d Ouzts said<\/a>. \u201cBut in terms of traditional I-formation, I played a little bit freshman and sophomore year with coach (Bill) O\u2019Brien as offensive coordinator. I didn\u2019t really get too many reps these past two years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ouzts said not many teams were interested in him in the draft as a tight end or a fullback. Seattle used the 175th of the draft\u2019s 257 selections to acquire Ouzts. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere was only a handful of teams that were really interested in me to begin with just as kind of how I am as a player,\u201d Ouzts said<\/a>. \u201cBut it was about half and half in terms of fullback versus kind of a blocking tight end.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Seahawks have a fullback on their roster. Also a tight end in college, Brady Russell has had 49 offensive snaps and 542 special-teams plays in his two seasons for Seattle.<\/p>\n

But coach Mike Macdonald indicated the Seahawks plan to use a fullback more often in the 2025 season. <\/p>\n

Seattle used a fullback on only 1.1 percent <\/a>of its offensive snaps last season. But the Seahawks have a new offensive coordinator for 2025. As offensive coordinator for New Orleans last season, Klint Kubiak had a fullback on the field for 16 percent<\/a> of the Saints\u2019 snap, which ranked fourth in the NFL.<\/p>\n

\u201c(Ouzts) is going to compete with Brady,\u201d Macdonald said<\/a>. \u201c\u2026 There\u2019s options to be in different personnel groups, so all those guys are kind of competing for those roles and how we want it to come to life, so we got a lot of great players that kind of fit that tight end\/fullback mold, and special teams are going to be a big part of it, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ouzts said he had talked with Seahawks running back coach Kennedy Polamalu before the draft, so he knew what Seattle had in mind when it picked him.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s just really excited to get his hands on me and work with me, make this transition to the next step,\u201d Ouzts said<\/a>. \u201c\u2026 He was excited because they\u2019re making this transition to more of a physical football team. They want to run the ball, and he thinks my identity as a player correlates perfectly with how they want to be as an offense this next year, so he thinks the transition will be great for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Macdonald said the selections of Ouzts and seventh-round running back Damien Martinez were made with the intention of bringing a more physical ground game to Seattle. Martinez is a 217-pound ball-carrier from Miami (Fla.) who ran a 4.51-second 40 at the NFL Scouting Combine.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really excited to see our run game come to life,\u201d Macdonald said<\/a>. \u201cThese guys fit what we\u2019re trying to do how we want to do it. You got to move people, man, and you got to get downhill and play north and south, and that\u2019s what they\u2019re going to help us do. And so I can\u2019t wait for them to get here and just teach them all the stuff and let\u2019s get rocking and rolling. <\/p>\n

\u201cBut, yeah, they\u2019re going to be a big part of what we\u2019re doing and competing with the rest of the guys we\u2019ve got on our roster right now that we\u2019re really excited about, and it\u2019s going to be an awesome competition.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adding Ouzts and Milroe in the draft doubled the Alabama alumni on the Seahawks\u2019 roster. They join defensive lineman Jarran Reed and cornerback Josh Jobe. <\/p>\n

\u201cJalen Milroe is going to work his ass off,\u201d Ouzts said<\/a>. \u201cI mean, nobody works harder than that guy. Nobody gets there earlier. Nobody leaves later. And he\u2019s going to make the most of his opportunity, and I\u2019m thrilled to be with my boy, man. We\u2019re rolling in. We got chemistry already, and we\u2019re going to attack this thing, hit the ground running.\u201d <\/p>\n

FOR MORE OF AL.COM\u2019S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE<\/a><\/p>\n

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1<\/a>.<\/p>\n