Dickenson claimed by Seattle Seahawks
9/3/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dave Dickenson wasn't unemployed for long, and the former Grizzly quarterback is moving closer to Missoula after being claimed off waivers Monday afternoon by the Seattle Seahawks.
Dickenson, who was en-route to Seattle to meet with head coach Mike Holmgren and other Seattle coaches, could not be reached for comment Monday. But his agent, Ken Staninger, said the Great Falls native was excited to be in Seattle, and closer to Montana.
"He is relieved to be signed, but deep down, we knew something good was going to happen," Staninger said. "He said he was glad to be getting closer to Montana all the time."
To make room for Dickenson, the Seahawks waived Mark Rypien, whom the team signed when starting quarterback Trent Dilfer suffered a pre-season knee injury.
After spending a season with the San Diego Chargers, Dickenson was released by the club Saturday, putting him on the waiver list.
Players cleared waivers at 4 p.m. Eastern time Monday, allowing teams to then claim players to add to their roster. If multiple teams file a claim for a player, then the player is awarded to the team with the worst record during last season.
Because of that, the process was very tight-lipped, and while Staninger said he had talked to several teams before Monday, no team would say for sure if they were going to claim Dickenson.
"Mum was the word throughout Monday," Staninger said. "The claiming process is very confidential, so it was hard to say where Dave was going to end up."
Throughout the preseason Dickenson battled rookie Seth Burford, a seventh-round pick from Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo for the third-string quarterback position.
Dickenson's preseason numbers, 16 of 29 for 197 yards passing with two touchdowns and one interception, were statistically better than Burford's, who was 8 of 13 for 60 yards with no scores and one interception.
But Charger head coach Marty Schottenheimer decided to go with the younger Burford and his potential. Dickenson is 29 while Burford is 22.
"I think when you look at it you're dealing with the third quarterback. We think that Seth has a considerable upside," Schottenheimer said on the team's Web site.
San Diego's decision to cut Dickenson was a disappointment to him, Staninger said.
"He knows he is ready to play in the league and can play in the league," Staninger said. "He also knows he has not been given the chance to play in the NFL."
Dickenson, who was en-route to Seattle to meet with head coach Mike Holmgren and other Seattle coaches, could not be reached for comment Monday. But his agent, Ken Staninger, said the Great Falls native was excited to be in Seattle, and closer to Montana.
"He is relieved to be signed, but deep down, we knew something good was going to happen," Staninger said. "He said he was glad to be getting closer to Montana all the time."
To make room for Dickenson, the Seahawks waived Mark Rypien, whom the team signed when starting quarterback Trent Dilfer suffered a pre-season knee injury.
After spending a season with the San Diego Chargers, Dickenson was released by the club Saturday, putting him on the waiver list.
Players cleared waivers at 4 p.m. Eastern time Monday, allowing teams to then claim players to add to their roster. If multiple teams file a claim for a player, then the player is awarded to the team with the worst record during last season.
Because of that, the process was very tight-lipped, and while Staninger said he had talked to several teams before Monday, no team would say for sure if they were going to claim Dickenson.
"Mum was the word throughout Monday," Staninger said. "The claiming process is very confidential, so it was hard to say where Dave was going to end up."
Throughout the preseason Dickenson battled rookie Seth Burford, a seventh-round pick from Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo for the third-string quarterback position.
Dickenson's preseason numbers, 16 of 29 for 197 yards passing with two touchdowns and one interception, were statistically better than Burford's, who was 8 of 13 for 60 yards with no scores and one interception.
But Charger head coach Marty Schottenheimer decided to go with the younger Burford and his potential. Dickenson is 29 while Burford is 22.
"I think when you look at it you're dealing with the third quarterback. We think that Seth has a considerable upside," Schottenheimer said on the team's Web site.
San Diego's decision to cut Dickenson was a disappointment to him, Staninger said.
"He knows he is ready to play in the league and can play in the league," Staninger said. "He also knows he has not been given the chance to play in the NFL."
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