Four key Seahawks that could be casualties of salary cap cuts

Bobby Wagner

I hate this one and I didn’t want to write about it and I hope it doesn’t happen. But think of it this way. The Seahawks drafted Jordyn Brooks in 2020 and he got better as the season went on. My assumption is that he would be the player who replaced K.J. Wright. Wright is a free agent this offseason. And this could still be the case. Maybe Seattle doesn’t re-sign Wright and Brooks steps in for Wright.

But what if Seattle chose Brooks to replace Bobby Wagner? Brooks is much more a linebacker like Wagner than he is like Wright, to be honest. Brooks in college, and showed in flashes this year, to be a tackling machine. Just like Wagner. Brooks didn’t look great in coverage and wasn’t really a coverage linebacker in college. Just like Wagner. Brooks is a fast linebacker who covers lots of ground close to the line of scrimmage, just like Wagner.

If Seattle were to cut Wagner, that would save Seattle $10 million in 2021 but would save them $27 million in the next two years and that is a ton of cash. That would also be a lot of money to spend on a good free agent or three over the next season and a few more over the next two years.

Releasing Wagner could mean re-signing Wright and pairing Wright with Brooks. Wagner is a Hall of Famer. Brooks will be a relatively inexperienced second-year pro. This isn’t a great thing but might be best for the long-term success of the team.

Wagner would be great for any other team. Seattle would not be as good defensively without Wagner most likely. But if Seattle could sign a couple of good free agents in other areas of need, it might be for the greater good of the team.