This is how the Seahawks should approach the offseason
By Geoff Shull
A few young players the Seahawks will likely be tempted to break the bank for
Dante Fowler would be an ideal fit for Seattle. He has the speed that Seattle has sorely been lacking since Cliff Avril was forced into retirement due to injury. Fowler ran a 4.6 40-yard dash with a 7.4 second 3 cone drill. To put it into perspective, Clowney ran a 4.53 40-yard dash and had a 7.27 3-cone drill, very comparable profiles. The difference is that Fowlers uses his speed to beat around the edge whereas Clowney prefers to cut inside and win with finesse.
Fowler is a name that is very familiar to the organization, he was traded to the Rams in the middle of the 2018 season. It took a little time for him to get a feel for the defensive scheme for the new team, but once he did he clicked. Over the 2019 season, he amassed 11.5 sacks and a pressure rate of 11.6%. This is Fowlers first season with double-digit sacks and is just now entering his prime at 25 years old, he will look to cash in on his recent success.
Proposed deal: 4-year, $72 million with a first-year cap hit of $8 million.
Yannick Ngakoue is a player I have read many Seahawks fans tying to the organization. Ngakoue is a top tier pass rusher who has posted 8 sacks or better in all 4 years in the NFL. His career average for sacks is 9.5 with an average pressure percentage of 11.3%. Last offseason the Jaguars reportedly offered him a deal worth $19 million a year and he turned them down. He will likely seek Frank Clark/ Jadeveon Clowney money, making him the most expensive (and least likely) for Seattle to sign.
He actually had a down year this year posting the worst statistics since his rookie season. Its hard for me to imagine paying two edge rushers top 5 salaries for their position. If Clowney fails to be resigned, this could be an option. Otherwise, he will likely be to expensive to palate.
Proposed deal: 5-year, $102 million with a first-year cap hit of $10 million.
Fowler would be the most seamless choice to sign alongside Clowney. The pair has the potential to be amongst the most dominant in the NFL. After his signing, Seattle will still have $44 million in remaining cap space for the 2020 season.