Seahawks take smart risk and extend Tyler Lockett
By Lee Vowell
Seahawks receiver Tyler Lockett may have been injured early in his career but he will be productive in Seattle for years to come. Or so Seattle hopes.
Tyler Lockett has been a rare recent draftee of the Seahawks that has made the Pro Bowl (2015). He hasn’t made the NFL’s all-star game as a receiver, though; Just as a receiver. And that is an important note in his favor when Seattle decided to sign him to an extension.
Lockett has yet to become one of the top receivers in the league. He is great on certain routes, especially when using his speed. He has good hands. Lockett is a good receiver. But he isn’t Seattle’s best. Again, not yet. That is still Doug Baldwin.
But Lockett is, when healthy, one of the best – if not the best – kick returner in the game. And kick returners now add more value than they did prior to 2018. And the Seahawks know this. A recent NFL rule change for kick returns means a couple of things will happen: Either the ball is going to be downed in the end zone or some talented returner is going to get his team decent field position.
Lockett is going to get Seattle decent field position. And he will do it often. General manager John Schneider isn’t dumb. When Seattle chose to extend Lockett for three years, Lockett’s talent for returning kicks went into his thinking.
#Seahawks are extending WR Tyler Lockett: three years with a base value of $31.8 million, max value of $37.8 million and $20 million guaranteed, source says. Another deal the team wanted to get done before the season.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) August 29, 2018
Maybe some people think this deal is dumb or not reasonable (and by the way, if one is going to sarcastically argue in a tweet that Lockett is being overpaid, at least get the comparable player’s name spelled correctly- It’s Marquise Goodwin):
Tyler Lockett’s best season:
— Rob Lowder (@Rob_Lowder) August 29, 2018
51 catches, 664 yards, 6 TD - $10-12M annually
Marquise Godwin’s best season:
56 catches, 962 yards, 2 TD - $6M annually
The #49ers are getting some pretty incredible value in Goodwin. https://t.co/aXn7mY3Jxw
But Goodwin is a receiver only at this point. He is not a receiver and a return guy. Lockett is. And Lockett is good at being a receiver and great at being a return man. Plus, Lockett is effective on runs on hand-offs from Russell Wilson. Comparing Lockett to Goodwin is just not really applicable.
Next. Could the Seahawks be without K.J. Wright?. dark
And Lockett is still only 25 years old. Baldwin will turn 30 early in the 2018 season. Lockett could one day be the number-one receiver for Seattle. If he stays healthy. Yet, in reality, Lockett has missed just one regular season game in his career and some playoff games. He stays healthy. The Seahawks extending Lockett to a deal worth maybe $10-12 million a season with his versatility? That is a smart move.