Seattle Seahawks should bring back cornerback Will Blackmon

Going through the list of recent roster cuts from around the NFL, one name jumped out. Former Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Will Blackmon is a guy that the Seattle Seahawks should bring in right away and add to the roster.

Will Blackmon was with the Seahawks in training camp before the 2013 season. He played very well in camp and throughout the preseason, but he was the victim of Seattle’s tremendous depth at the position. He ended up behind Richard Sherman, Byron Maxwell, Brandon Browner, Jeremy Lane and Walter Thurmond on the depth chart, and the Seahawks couldn’t afford to keep another cornerback on the roster.

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Blackmon then landed with Jacksonville and former Seattle defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. By Week 2 he was the starter and played very well for the rest of the season, even as the Jaguars worked to get younger players at the position more playing time.

He didn’t play quite as well in 2014 as he battled injuries that ultimately cost him the final eight games of the season. His absence allowed Jacksonville to further develop their young players, which is what lead to Blackmon’s release.

This is a match that simply makes too much sense. Blackmon knows the defensive scheme and coaches. He fit in well in the locker room. He was liked by new defensive coordinator Kris Richard when Richard was the defensive backs coach.

The Seahawks also have a major need at the position. Both Tharold Simon and Jeremy Lane look like long-shots to be recovered from recent surgeries in time for the start of the season. Plus, Byron Maxwell is expected to walk in free agency to a massive new contract with another team.

An added bonus here is that Blackmon was a good kick returner earlier in his career. The Seahawks are in need of a guy to can add a spark to their return game. Once one of the other guys comes back from injury and push Blackmon into a backup role, his ability to return kicks could be very valuable.

Since Blackmon is a vested veteran and his contract was terminated, he doesn’t have to wait until March 10th to sign with a team. He is available to sign right now, so the Seahawks can sign him right now if they can agree on contract terms.

It should also be noted that Blackmon shouldn’t cost much to sign. He’s 30 years old and has only a little over one season of starting experience. Two years and $2 million in total money should be enough to make this contract happen.

Picking up Blackmon now would take the pressure off Seattle to draft a cornerback in the first two rounds of the draft. It also wouldn’t stop them from doing so if the right player fell to the Seahawks.

While Blackmon isn’t the best player available at the position by any stretch of the imagination, he does offer perhaps the best combination of value and scheme fit of any of players on the market.