Decisions, decisions for the Seahawks across multiple positions.
One week from Wednesday, the 2024 NFL league year kicks off and so does the official start of free agency. I suppose the unofficial start is the legal tampering period on Monday, March 11, but you get the idea. There are not a lot of impending free agents for the Seattle Seahawks, but there are still key players whose futures are up in the air, and the Seahawks are obviously bound to sign some outside free agents.
I’m looking at the top questions concerning Seattle’s free agent period. These questions pertain only to impending free agents, so I am not going to include possible cap casualties like Jamal Adams or Quandre Diggs or Will Dissly or Bryan Mone.
1.) Will the Seahawks clean house at linebacker?
The top three backers on the depth chart are all unrestricted free agents. Jordyn Brooks is one of Seattle’s few free agents who could command top dollar on the FA market. Bobby Wagner was voted as an All-Pro selection again but he is going to be 34 years old by the time next season starts. Devin Bush had one start in Jordyn Brooks’ absence and it didn’t go very well.
If the Seahawks let all of them walk—there’s no reason to keep Bush, if we’re being honest—this is a position where Seattle has virtually no up-and-coming talent. Jon Rhattigan is a restricted free agent who pretty much never sees the field on defense. Drake Thomas will be fighting for a roster spot next season and he’s been rooted to special teams duties. By default, they’d have to invest heavily through the draft.
The top free agent linebacker is the Baltimore Ravens’ Patrick Queen, who’s been linked to Seattle through his ties to Mike Macdonald. I have serious question marks about his efficacy without Roquan Smith. It wasn’t too long ago that Queen was considered a disappointment, and he had to move to weakside linebacker alongside current Seahawks assistant Josh Bynes. He’s going to cost a pretty penny, potentially more than Brooks, and I don’t think there is a big gap in abilities between the two.
The rest of the free agent linebacker class consists of aging players like Lavonte David and Jordan Hicks, precipitously declining players like Devin White, and draft busts like Kenneth Murray. Anyone want Cody Barton back?
This is a position Seattle will have to restock in the draft, almost certainly on Day 2.
2.) Will ‘Big Cat’ be retained at a big cost?
The Seahawks gave up a lot for Leonard Williams. In lieu of taking on his salary, they gave up a second-round pick to the New York Giants for the veteran defensive lineman. The defense cratered soon after the trade, but it wasn’t because of ‘Big Cat.’ He was one of the most productive players on the team, providing the type of interior rush that Pete Carroll was looking for.
Now the fun part begins. Is Seattle going to let him walk after using a second-round pick for an expiring contract? Or will they pay up for a player who’s talented but about to hit his age 30 season? PFF projects a contract worth about $17 million/year with over $37 million guaranteed. His last contract was a 3-year, $63 million deal, so Williams wouldn’t be even in the top five at his position.
I have to think the Seahawks gave up that much with the intent of re-signing him. Back-load that contract to lower the 2024 cap hit and I believe Seattle gets the deal done. There’s still value in having established quality players instead of hoping your draft pick is just as good.
3.) How is the interior offensive line going to be addressed?
This will be answered in two parts. All of the Seahawks’ starting interior offensive line is set to hit free agency. Damien Lewis has been arguably the most consistent OL for the Seahawks since moving to left guard in 2021. Evan Brown was solid it unspectacular as a starting center. Phil Haynes was, once again, in and out of the lineup due to injury.
Unlike linebacker, the Seahawks actually have some prospects who could become starters in case they part ways with two of these players. If Haynes walks (which, frankly, should happen), then Anthony Bradford has an opportunity to replace him. He already got several games worth of starting experience as a rookie, but it’s abundantly clear that his pass blocking needs significant work to stick around. We always assume improvement from draft picks and usually in a linear progression, but it’s silly to bank on that. Olu Oluwatimi only had 129 snaps and one start in place of Brown, so he’s more of a question mark as a future starting center.
Lewis’ PFF projected contract is four years at an annual average of $9.5 million, which is top-10 money for a guard, and it seems like there will be an active market for left and right guards.
Brown’s PFF projected contract is three years, $13.5 million. The Seahawks have had three different starting centers in as many seasons, and arguably four given that nonsensical Ethan Pocic-Kyle Fuller rotation in 2021, so I’d just love some eventual stability at this position, but I’ll just settle for having an above-average center again.
4.) Is Drew a Lock to stay?
Technically speaking, we’re about a week out from the Seahawks having only one quarterback on the roster. More than anything else, it’s Lock’s future more so than Geno Smith’s that could give us a hint as to their draft plans. If Lock stays at, say, a one-year deal worth up to $2.75 million, the Seahawks could theoretically still draft a quarterback and have three on the depth chart or have that rookie compete with Lock. I don’t think Lock wants to be in competition with a rookie when he may have his eye on getting another starting job.
If the Seahawks move on from Lock, then it feels inevitable that they’re drafting a quarterback and likely before Day 3. The available free agent quarterbacks (which will soon include Russell Wilson) is um… well it’s not good, is it? Maybe the Gardner Minshew fans can have their dream of returning him to the state of Washington, but it seems more sensible to go for a rookie QB than any of those options.
5.) What’s going to happen to the tight ends?
Diane Taylor already covered this to some degree. Noah Fant and Colby Parkinson are both in their mid-20s, have shown some levels of at least decent productivity, and are going to be looked at heavily in free agency. How much do the Seahawks want to spend at the tight end position given the money they invested in Will Dissly, who’s an aforementioned cap casualty candidate? I believe Seattle keeps one of Fant or Parkinson, but not both. I lean towards Parkinson as a cheaper re-sign who could also develop into a better blocker.
This may just be a cursed position for the Seahawks, such that Jimmy Graham is clearly the most accomplished TE in franchise history in less than three seasons played. Jonnu Smith may be a free agent option after the Atlanta Falcons let him go. He’s still only 28 and had the best statistical season of his career on a team with Kyle Pitts ahead of him in the depth chart.
Honorable mention: To tender or not tender Darrell Taylor?
Because Darrell Taylor didn’t play in his rookie season, he only has three accrued seasons to his name and thus is a restricted free agent. Here’s the breakdown:
- Right-of-first-refusal tender ($2,985,000)
- First-round tender ($6,822,000)
- Second-round tender ($4,890,000)
If the Seahawks give Taylor the lowest tender, then they would not receive any draft pick compensation in return should another team sign Taylor to an offer sheet and the Seahawks choose not to match. A first-round tender means the Seahawks would get a first-round pick in return if they don’t match another team’s offer, likewise a second-round tender means a second-round pick.
Let’s be real: Taylor is not netting a first- or second-round pick. So that leaves Seattle with the possibility to bringing Taylor back on an inexpensive $2,985,000 “prove-it” deal of sorts. Otherwise, they could just not tender him at all and he’d be unrestricted.
It seems clear to me that the first refusal tender or not tendering him at all are the only viable options. Taylor has shown he can get after the quarterback, but he’s not consistent snap-to-snap with his pressure rate and he has a hard time defending the run. Maybe Mike Macdonald can unlock the best out of him, but I don’t see an overly strong argument to retain him.
What’s on your radar for Seahawks free agency? Let us know in the comments!
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