Seahawks offseason assessment: Specialists
By Keith Myers
The Seattle Seahawks have some of the best specialists in the NFL, but they could lose their punter to free agency.
Jon Ryan is a free agent, but the rest of the Seattle Seahawks’ specialists will all return for the 2016 season. The only thing the team needs to figure out on special teams is what they’re going to do at punter.
This is part six of our position-by-position look at the current state of the Seahawks 2016 roster. You can find the other positions covered so far below.
Rostered Players
| Player | Pos | Age | 2016 Salary Cap |
| Clint Gresham | LS | 29 | $860,000 |
| Steven Hauschka | PK | 30 | $3,525,000 |
| Tyler Lockett | KR | 23 | $776,687 |
Free Agents
| Player | Pos | Age | Type |
| Jon Ryan | P | 34 | UFA |
Analysis
Obviously, getting John Ryan back would be ideal. With the team a bit short on cap space, they may try and go with a younger and cheaper player. That would be a mistake in my opinion. Ryan has been one of the best in the NFL for the past few seasons.
Getting back two-thirds of the place-kicking team is definitely nice. Clint Gresham and Steven Hauschka are both extremely good at what they do. Ryan has been the holder on field goal attempts, which is another reason to want him back.
There will likely be other players at those positions in camp, but that is to help the coverage teams and returners get work and as insurance against injuries. The returning specialists won’t be in danger of losing their roster spot.
The kick/punt returner spot is similar. Tyler Lockett was an All-Pro as a rookie, and has the job solidly nailed down. Other players will get reps in training camp as a returner, but the only way they see the field in meaningful games at the spot is if Lockett gets hurt.
The Seahawks actually already have significant backups for Lockett on the roster. Both Kevin Smith and Doug Baldwin are capable return men. There is simply no reason for Seattle to waste resources looking for additional depth there.
Not listed here are the guys on the coverage teams. The Seahawks were inconsistent in punt coverage throughout the season. While much of that had to do with injuries, Seattle needs to improve their depth so they don’t have similar issues next season.