Rumors: Sifting through the Seahawks off-season in free agency so far.
After landing Barkevious Mingo, Ed Dickson, Jaron Brown and Maurice Alexander, I know everyone is really excited by these signings. Rumors are flying this time of year, but who else are the Seahawks rumored to be talking about, and is there anything to get excited about?
Mingo is a poor man’s Bruce Irvin, Dickson is a blocking tight end who isn’t terrible as a receiving threat. Jaron Brown hasn’t shown much yet, but he is a nice potential deep threat who is also a very good special teams player. Some teams were considering him as a No. 2 receiver. Alexander brings depth to our secondary in case of the Earl Thomas trade and is good on special teams as well.
None of these moves are overly exciting, but they are filling holes. With that being said, the Seahawks have been linked to several other players so far.
The rundown:
Seahawks have Terrelle Pryor visiting, and are reported to be interested in Markus Wheaton.
Terrelle Pryor
Terrelle Pryor spent a little time in Seattle in the past. With the Browns, Pryor became a break out name and a star earning a very nice payday from the Redskins. The Redskins experiment failed.
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So who is Pryor at this point, and why does he fit in Seattle?
The Seahawks offense as run by Russell Wilson has been based heavily on sandlot football. This is partly due to Russell being under siege because of a porous offensive line. Also, because Russell is a bit of a sandlot quarterback. Regardless of the offensive coordinator change, I don’t see the sandlot remaining. I think the saying is you can take the sandlot out of the offense, but you can’t take it out of the quarterback…or something like that.
Terrelle Pryor isn’t a great route runner but he is an excellent play maker when things break down. Turns out those guys do better in a sandlot style offense. In Cleveland, the quarterbacks were under duress on a regular basis and many of the big moments he delivered were on broken plays where his athleticism and run after the catch ability was showcased. In Washington, Kirk Cousins and the structured offense Gruden ran was not a fit.
Markus Wheaton
Wheaton is a deep threat, pure and simple. With the signing of Jaron Brown, I don’t see Wheaton having a spot on the Seahawks.
Seahawks are interested in Ndamukong Suh, Tom Johnson, Quinton Dial and I would also speculate the Seahawks would show interest in Johnathan Hankins.
Ndamukong Suh
Suh is clearly the biggest name on our list. He was way overpaid in Miami, but he was also pretty good. He was Pro Football Focus No. 4 interior defensive lineman last season. The Portland native would be a good fit, but he will also still be very expensive.
Tom Johnson
Johnson was a starter for the Vikings last year. That was a very good defense and he played very well. Johnson has always been known for his inside pass rush presence. This is the skill set he would bring to Seattle. At 34 years old, this would likely be a 1 year deal. If he isn’t a starter, he still brings a needed pass rush presence for the Seahawks rotation at defensive tackle. Chris Tomasson of Twincities.com, stated that Johnson was seeking a 1 year extension in the range of $4MM last season. For Seattle, that would be a deal worth doing for the skill he brings.
Quinton Dial
Dial is a 28-year-old defensive lineman who has experience playing on the outside in a 3-4 and the inside in a 4-3. He is a run stopper. That is the trait he would bring to Seattle. Dial would likely back up Jarran Reed and be the run stopping presence in the rotation. This is likely a very cheap signing if we bring him in. He made $1 over the veterans minimum last year for the Packers. Can’t imagine he would be able to demand much more.
Johnathan Hankins
Last off-season, Hankins was one of the hot names on the free agent market. One year later, he was released by the Colts even after playing pretty well. He graded as the No. 20 interior defensive lineman by Pro Football Focus. His grade is lowered because he doesn’t offer a ton as a pass rusher, but he is among the best in the league as a run stuffer. While he isn’t Ndamukong Suh, he is a good player and likely significantly cheaper. Hankins would be a starter in Seattle.
The Seahawks are working to re-sign Byron Maxwell.
Byron Maxwell
We all know what Maxwell is in the Seattle defense, and how he fits in Seattle. He didn’t fare so well in Philadelphia or Miami. If he is to go somewhere else, it would need to be a Seahawks style defense. After the release of Richard Sherman, it is important to keep a player like Byron Maxwell to have a veteran with all the young corners Seattle will have on the roster this year.
Silence on Luke Willson, is he still in our plans?
Little information has been bandied about regarding Luke Willson this off-season. After signing Ed Dickson, the Seahawks depth chart is currently Dickson, Nick Vannett and Tyrone Swoopes. Willson could slot back in as the 2nd tight end, but would he be willing to do so behind Dickson? Playing second fiddle to Jimmy Graham is entirely different from sitting behind Dickson. With Pete Carroll’s interest in becoming a running team again, Willson was a barely adequate blocker and doesn’t feel like a great fit anymore. Still, he is a good team-mate and a great fit in the locker room while also bringing needed speed at tight end. Do not count the Seahawks out until Willson signs.
DeMarco Murray is a target. Mike Davis and Thomas Rawls are looking elsewhere leaving a spot for a 2nd back to join Chris Carson.
DeMarco Murray
DeMarco is another notable name, and has been discussed how he fits in Seattle. Mike Davis is testing the waters, leaving a spot in the running tandem here in Seattle. Murray would not likely be the backup to Carson, at least not until Carson proves he is a better option. At the very least Murray brings good NFL experience, excellent hands and experience sharing the backfield with a young prospect like he did in Tennessee. For the right price, this could be a decent signing for the Seahawks.
DJ Fluker has visited Seattle.
DJ Fluker
Finally an offensive lineman! But why is the first lineman we bring in DJ Fluker? Fluker is a former first round pick, who has never lived up to his potential. He played for the Giants last season. Yes, the Giants and their terrible offensive line. Maybe the one place in the NFL who had a line worse than Seattle’s last season. We must like something about the Giants line though, we hired Mike Solari from the Giants and now I assume with his blessing, are looking at the former Giants guard. He brings tremendous size and run blocking talent, but has never been great as a pass blocker. I am not opposed to adding Fluker, but I hope there are better signings or players in the draft headed to Seattle.