Should Seahawks keep K.J. Wright or go for one of these free agents?

Seahawks could take a look at these two as well

Shaquil Barrett, 6’2″, 250 pounds, 26 years old at season’s start. Unlike Wright or Barr, Barrett has only started a fourth of his 61 games in the NFL. That can happen when you’re on the same team as Von Miller and Bradley Chubb. The bigger issue is he’s played the strong side in the Broncos 3-4 defense. I don’t think he’d fit the Seahawks system very well, not in Wright’s position. But he is a pretty good player and you’ll see his name pop up, so I included him here.

Jake Ryan, 6’2″, 240 pounds, 27 years old at season’s start. Ryan missed all of 2018 for the Packers with a knee injury. He was second in combined tackles in both 2016 and 2017, despite starting just 22 of the 32 games. However,we run into another problem. Ryan played at left inside linebacker if Green Bay’s 3-4 defense. I think he’d probably be more capable of switching to the weakside in Seattle’s 4-3 than Barrett, but it’s still an adjustment.

Most of the free agent linebackers – at least the ones that are any good – are middle linebackers like Jordan Hicks or C.J. Mosely. Either that or end-linebacker hybrids like Jadeveon Clowney and Dee Ford. Great players, but none of them play the role that K.J. Wright plays for the Seahawks.

If they can handle his contract, Seattle needs to keep K.J. Wright. There certainly isn’t anyone better on the free agent market. Except possibly Mychal Kendricks. As Lee Vowell wrote earlier this month, the situation with Kendricks’ sentencing really threw a wrench into the Seahawks plans. As it stands now, I think they’d be wise to re-sign the tackling machine that is K.J. Wright.