Seahawks should try to sign Sidney Rice to short-term deal

Sept. 9, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Sidney Rice (18) drops the ball after being tackled in by an Arizona Cardinal defender in the first quarter against Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Hilderbrand-USA TODAY Sports

Sidney Rice is looking for a team and the Seahawks are looking for a wide receiver.

Why not reunite the two?

Rice received medical clearance on Monday to resume football activities after having surgery to repair a torn ACL that he suffered in October.

Four teams are reportedly interested in signing the veteran — the Carolina Panthers, New York Giants, New Orleans Saints and the Seahawks.

Pro Football Talk reported that Rice could sign within the next few days.

It would make the most sense if that signing was with the Seahawks.

Rice was with the team the past three seasons, and while he wasn’t a flat-out superstar in Seattle (by any means), he still put up productive numbers when healthy.

He had his best season as a Seahawk in 2012, when he played in all 16 games and caught 50 passes for 748 yards and seven touchdowns. All of those were 2nd-best in his career, following his 2009 campaign with the Minnesota Vikings.

That year, he had 83 catches for 1,312 yards and eight touchdowns, by far career-highs. After that season, Rice was named to his only Pro Bowl.

Rice still has the capability to put up those numbers, if he can stay healthy.

If he signs in Seattle, he could be a No. 2 receiver, right in between Percy Harvin and Doug Baldwin. He knows how the offense works at this point and he could add a veteran presence in the locker room that the Seahawks could use on offense.

If Seattle signs him, they should do it at a relatively low cost, nothing like the five-year, $41 million deal the two sides agreed on three years ago.

Something like a one-year, $5 million contract sounds right. Maybe add some incentives in there that way there is no pressure for

Rice to live up to his contract and no worry about the Seahawks having invested too much money in him.

A contract like that would be very low risk, high reward for both sides, but it could go either way.

Rice could have a decent year and decide to stay in Seattle for a few more years after putting up productive, consistent numbers or he could get hurt next season and force Seattle to let him walk after his contract runs out.

It seems like the best match for both Rice and the Seahawks, and it is.

Hopefully the two sides will make it happen this week.