The Seahawks have some cap space to use this offseason. With the right signings, Seattle could make a deeper playoff run in 2020.
The Seahawks have been a successful franchise over the last decade mostly because of getting some top-end talent in their various drafts. But Seattle has missed quite a bit in free agency. If you look at the top, nearly all the important pieces are home-grown: Russell Wilson, Tyler Lockett, Bobby Wagner and Shaquill Griffin are just four.
But the free-agent impact players on the 2019 team? Bradley McDougald was decent. Jason Myers was somewhat inconsistent as the kicker. The offensive line did OK with D.J. Fluker and Mike Iupati and Al Woods was a solid situational run-stopper on the defensive line. I guess one could count Marshawn Lynch coming back as somewhat productive as he scored 4 touchdowns in three games with the team, but he was only added out of desperation after Seattle lost Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny.
Seattle has hit big in free agency since Pete Carroll and John Schneider took over running the team in 2009, though. Where, for instance, would the Super Bowl teams of 2013 and 2014 have been without Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril, to name two? Not nearly as good. But those signings were long ago and Seattle needs to make much better decisions this offseason than they have lately.
The Seahawks have nearly $60 million in cap space to use. Some of that needs to be spent on trying to bring back defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. That might leave $40 million, but that number could grow too if Seattle releases players like Justin Britt and Ed Dickson.
So where should Seattle spend their money (besides on Clowney) when the free agency period begins March 18th? Here are five players worth a look.
Brandon Scherff, guard
Brandon Scherff is a three-time Pro Bowl right guard. He has played for the Washington Redskins and been very good. But the last two years he has ended his season on injured reserve. This doesn’t mean he isn’t worth singing, however. His 2019 season ended with shoulder issues but not a leg injury so his base is fine.
There is a chance that the Redskins might choose to franchise tag Scherff but they also have a younger right guard in Wes Martin. Martin is nowhere near the player that Scherff is, but the Redskins are trying to rebuild and Martin would be a lot cheaper than Scherff. So there is a good chance that Scherff will be available to sign.
The Seahawks started two aging guards in Iupati and Fluker. Iupati is a free agent and not likely to return as he is getting a bit long in the tooth and has a history of injury concerns. Fluker was pretty good in 2018 but not as good last year. He is replaceable. He plays right guard, too, but would you rather have Scherff or Fluker? A pretty easy decision.
The question would be how much John Schneider would be willing to spend to bring in Scherff. Scherff might ask for $15 million a season which would be too steep for Seattle probably. But just imagine a Seattle line with Duane Brown and Scherff. Chris Carson would be a fan of that, I’m sure.
Javon Hargrave, defensive tackle
Javon Hargrave played in a 3-4 with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the last four seasons. Hargrave had 60 tackles in 2019 and 7 tackles for loss. He is a great run-stopper but the reason the Seahawks should sign him is that Hargrave supplies interior pass rush that Seattle absolutely must have going forward.
This past season Hargrave had the highest quarterback pressure rate among interior defensive linemen at 15.1 percent. The great Aaron Donald was third at 14 percent. I am not saying Hargrave is better than Donald, but being in the same relative neighborhood is good enough for Seattle. Hargrave had 4 sacks this year after having 6.5 in 2018. If Hargrave had been with Seattle this season, his 4 sacks would have tied for the team high.
Having an interior pass rush was something Seattle simply did not have in 2019. Having a defensive tackle who can draw attention from an offensive line when a quarterback drops back means defensive ends will see more one on one matchups. Jadeveon Clowney was double-teamed more than any other edge rusher this past year. Had Seattle had Hargrave, this would have given Clowney more space to get to the quarterback.
Hargrave is unlikely to franchise tagged by the Steelers as Pittsburgh will probably spend that on Marcus Dupree and Hargrave should hit the open market. He might command $13 million a year or more which might be too expensive for the Seahawks but maybe they will take a risk.
Austin Hooper, tight end
This one gets a little tricky. If Will Dissly were ever to stay healthy for most of a season, the Seahawks wouldn’t need a starter at tight end. But Dissly hasn’t stayed healthy in his first two seasons, though he has been very good when he has played. Therefore, enter Austin Hooper as a free agent possibility for Seattle.
With Hooper, several good things would happen for Seattle. One is that he is clearly a good receiver and Russell Wilson needs a viable third option beyond Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf. In 2019 with the Falcons, Hooper caught 75 passes for 787 yards and 6 touchdowns in just 13 games. He caught 77 percent of his targets which was sixth among all tight ends who were targeted 40 or more times. Hooper caught 71 passes in 2018 and caught 80.7 percent of his targets.
Another positive for the Seahawks would be that Hooper gives Seattle more versatility. The offensive line is going to have some changes next year in Seattle. Mike Iupati, George Fant and Germain Ifedi are all free agents. Seattle likely signs Fant or Ifedi but not both. If Ifedi leaves, Fant might move to the starter at right tackle.
Seattle used Fant a bunch as an extra tight end this season. Dissly could take on the same role but actually be able to catch passes where Fant could not. Hooper could line up in the slot then or as another tight end.
Lastly, Hooper gives Seattle either an added weapon for Wilson or simply insurance in case Dissly gets hurt again. The Falcons have limited cap space making re-signing Hooper difficult. Seattle may not want to pay Hooper market value, but they should at least think about it.
Vic Beasley, edge rusher
The Seahawks need pass rushers badly. One reason Seattle was not able to get beyond the divisional round of the playoffs was because good quarterbacks had time to sit back and complete passes over the middle with little pressure in their face. Seattle needs to not only re-sign Jadeveon Clowney, but they also need to find him some help.
This is where Vic Beasley comes in. Beasley isn’t a defensive end, he is an outside linebacker. But in the Seahawks scheme he would basically fill the same kind of role that Clowney does but just on the opposite side from Clowney. Having Beasley would free Clowney from constant double-teams and therefore allow Seattle to pressure opposing quarterbacks.
Seattle’s defense has basically become a bend but try-not-to-break defense but also one that has gotten slower. In the better years for the defense in the early 2010s, the defense was fast and created havoc for opposing offenses. Seattle now plays a lot of zone and without supplying pressure there is a lot of space in the middle of the field. This also puts a lot of pressure on the cornerbacks and a reason Tre Flowers struggled at the end of 2019.
Beasley won’t be great against the run, but Seattle doesn’t need a defensive end (which is what Beasley would basically be in Seattle) that can be a run stopper. They need an end to get to the quarterback. Beasley had 8 sacks in 2019, 6.5 of them from week 10 on. He isn’t the best pass rusher in the NFL, but he is better than anything Seattle currently has to offer on their 2020 roster.
Bryan Bulaga, right tackle
I could have gone several different ways with number five on this list. The Seahawks could try to lure a top cornerback to Seattle, but I still think Pete Carroll has enough faith in Tre Flowers to keep him at right corner. Seattle also needs a third option at receiver because the current group after Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf is quite unspectacular, but I think there are several potential draftees at receiver that the Seahawks could choose from. Depending on the status of Rashaad Penny’s knee, Seattle could try to sign a backup at running back.
I instead think there is a very outside chance that Seattle brings in Packers right tackle Bryan Bulaga. My expectation would be that Bulaga stays with Green Bay but the Packers are unlikely to franchise Bulaga and might decide to go younger at Bulaga’s position.
Seattle will need to rebuild its offensive line on the right side. George Fant and Germain Ifedi are free agents. Seattle does not have a definite starter among its younger players on the roster. Bulaga does have an injury history but he isn’t really old yet. He will be 31 years old when the 2020 starts but offensive linemen can be productive into their mid-30s.
A Seahawks line with Duane Brown, (insert name of left guard here), Justin Britt, D.J. Fluker and Bryan Bulaga wouldn’t be the best offensive line in the NFL but it would be in the top 10. Bulaga would be an upgrade over Ifedi and Russell Wilson would feel a bit more confident that he has time to throw. Again, Bulaga to Seattle is not likely to happen, but anything is possible.