Seahawks need to target these four during the second wave of free agency

Player 4: K.J. Wright, linebacker

I have been very hesitant to include this. I love Wright. I love his game. I appreciate all the years he has given the team. However, with the current roster, it didn’t make much sense to bring him back.

Jordyn Brooks looks like the future. For Jamal Adams to be successful he needs to be on the line of scrimmage. The Seahawks had to counter for his blitzing tendencies by playing lots of bear fronts ( 4 DL, 2LB, 5 DB). This doesn’t leave much room for Wright to play.

However, the market has continued to break in our favor. Many teams are cash-poor at this point. Depending on Gabe Jackson’s new contract, the Seahawks are only $8 million over the cap. That is without any of the extensions/ restructuring that was expected before free agency began.

Wright is coming off arguably his best pro year in the NFL. He was everywhere. Playing in the SAM linebacker position appeared to reinvigorate him. He was the only player to amass both 10 tackles for a loss and 10 pass break-ups in the NFL last year.

Wright won’t accept anything less than a multi-year deal. He has spoken with multiple reporters and said as much himself. From what I have heard, the Jets and the Dolphins are both competing for his services.

Seattle, if the price is right, shouldn’t hesitate on bringing back the longest-tenured Seahawks. He provides veteran leadership and helps shape the roster around him. The contract can be backloaded so that the team can get out if they need to. Wright gets his multi-year contract. A win-win for everyone.

Projected contract: 3 years, $19 million (incentives can push to $22.5 million)

Cap hits by year:

• 2021: $3.75 million
• 2022: $5.75 million
• 2023:  $9.5 million