By Adam Jude
The Seattle Times
RENTON — Earl Thomas won’t be the only familiar defensive back returning to Seattle this weekend.
Former University of Washington cornerback Marcus Peters is scheduled to make his debut with the Baltimore Ravens against the Seahawks on Sunday — Peters’ second game at CenturyLink Field in 17 days.
Peters started for the Los Angeles Rams in the Seahawks’ thrilling Thursday-night victory on Oct. 3. He was beat in coverage on David Moore’s first touchdown reception of the season and he was the closest defender on DK Metcalf’s 40-yard TD reception (though to be fair, it appeared a safety was out of position on the play).
The Rams traded Peters to Baltimore earlier this week, and Peters practiced with the Ravens for the first time Thursday.
“To me, he’s one of the top corners in the league,” Baltimore coach John Harbaugh said. “He plays the way we play. … I think he fits in real well that way and gives us another weapon back there.”
Peters was dismissed by first-year UW coach Chris Petersen midway through the 2014 season after a series of confrontations with coaches. Kansas City selected Peters in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft, and since then Peters’ 24 interceptions are the more than anyone in the NFL.
But the mercurial cornerback has been traded twice in the past 20 months, first from Kansas City to Los Angeles, and now from L.A. to Baltimore.
“Marcus has historically been one of the best corners in the league,” Seahawks QB Russell Wilson said Thursday. “He’s got great hands. He can see everything. He recognizes things really well. It’s going to be tough, obviously, seeing him again. He’s a great player, and we’ve got to be ready to roll against him.”
Peters will be a free agent after this season.
A ‘huge’ trade for Rams
It’s likely the Seahawks were involved, at least on some level, over the past few weeks in the trade talks with Jacksonville about corner back Jalen Ramsey.
The Jaguars had said for weeks that Ramsey wasn’t available, but that changed earlier this week when the Rams — on the same day they traded Peters to Baltimore — acquired Ramsey for two first-round draft picks and a fourth-round pick.
“We’re in on everybody,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. “I can’t tell you any different. We know everything we can possibly know from our end of it.”
It’s a significant addition for a Rams team that has lost three in a row to fall to 3-3.
“It was a huge trade,” Carroll said. “That was a huge trade.”
Brown, Ansah among those sidelined Thursday
Left tackle Duane Brown sat out practice again Thursday with a biceps injury, and it’s appearing more and more likely that George Fant will start in his place for the second week in a row.
Defensive end Ziggy Ansah (ankle), safety Bradley McDougald (back) and safety Lano Hill (elbow) also sat out Thursday.
Guard D.J. Fluker, who missed the Cleveland game with a hamstring injury, was a limited participant Thursday, as was defensive lineman Quinton Jefferson.
K.J. Wright, Tyler Lockett and Chris Carson were “full” participants at Thursday’s practice.
