Seahawks 2020 offseason plan: How it should go
Needs for 2020 Seattle Seahawks
Before we can spend any money, we need to understand where exactly the Seahawks will need to improve on their 2019 roster. After all, the goal is to win a Super Bowl and Seattle just wasn’t good enough to do that last season. So improvements need to be made.
Nowhere is there more room for improvement than from the pass-rush. Seattle’s 28 sacks tied with 2 other teams for second to last in the league. Only the rebuilding Miami Dolphins had fewer. There were some bright spots in the pass rush, including Jadeveon Clowney’s constant disruption and the growth of Rasheem Green, but the two players combined for just 6 sacks in 2019.
Ziggy Ansah was an absolute bust and Jarran Reed was unable to show the same chops as he did in 2018, though he did miss the first 6 games serving a suspension. Seattle’s first-round pick, L.J. Collier, was a non-factor as well. So yes, getting to the quarterback will be the biggest upgraded needed for the Seahawks in 2020.
The back 7 was actually pretty solid. The linebacking corp of Bobby Wagner, KJ Wright, and Mychal Kendricks, all played well for stretches of the season, though Wagner didn’t make the same impactful plays we were used too. Seattle also saw positive signs from third-round pick Cody Barton as well.
In the secondary, Shaquille Griffin had a breakout season, making the Pro Bowl and finishing the year with the third-most pass defense in the league. Bradley McDougald was okay early but really came to life after Seattle acquired Quandre Diggs from the Lions. Diggs looked incredible, though battled through injuries in his first season in Seattle. With a full off-season to better learn the scheme, Diggs looks like a potential pro bowl safety next year.
Tre Flowers had an interesting year. He wasn’t terrible early and even showed some ball-hawking abilities, forcing a few turnovers. But as the season wore on, Flowers started getting picked on and by the time Seattle headed to Green Bay, Flowers already had a target on his back. The final month of the season made Flowers a popular scapegoat and showed that Seattle should be looking for CB help, but I don’t think it rises to the level of a priority this off-season.
Marquise Blair, Delano Hill, and Tedric Thompson all had their moments, but only Blair looks to be a long term answer in the secondary.
Offensively, the biggest need will be the offensive line. Germaine Ifedi and Mike Iupati are both free agents, as is George Fant. Justin Britt is coming off an ACL tear. Duane Brown is another year older and D.J. Fluker isn’t the picture of health either.
The running back room will need some warm bodies early as both Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny are coming off major injuries, leaving just Travis Homer as the only back on the roster. Plus, Carson is a free agent in a year and has suffered season-ending injuries in 2 of his 3 NFL seasons.
Seattle could also use a #3 wide receiver. DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett were great in 2019, but the group of David Moore, John Ursua, Malik Turner, and Jaron Brown left a lot to be desired. Seattle may also be in the market for another tight end as insurance for the oft-injured Will Dissly and the 35-year-old Olsen. So as you can see, there is work to be done everywhere.
But before we can start filling holes, we need to see who will be sticking around.