Seahawks moves making team better for several seasons to come

The Seahawks have made lots of good decisions to make the team better in 2021 but these same moves are making them good for several seasons to come. Think of what Seattle has been able to do this season and John Schneider once again and unsurprisingly proved to be smarter than my expectations.

I thought Seattle was going to get a bunch of guys to sign one-year deals and then Seattle would re-examine after the 2021 season. After all, Schneider and Pete Carroll have a history of bringing in players for one season and then either re-signing them or letting them walk if they become too expensive or simply didn’t produce.

Last year Bruce Irvin and Benson Mayowa were signed to one-year contracts, for instance. Irvin got hurt early and didn’t work out and hasn’t signed with anyone and might retire. Mayowa got injured a bit himself but was mostly healthy and Seattle decided to re-sign him this offseason.

But Seattle didn’t just re-sign Mayowa to another one-year deal, they signed him for two. NFL players still want the security of a multi-year contract. While the salary cap is lower this year, it won’t be next. Schneider has been able to work out several two-year contracts and some even longer.

John Schneider has made Seahawks good for several years

Basically what Schneider has done is keep Seattle at least as good as it was (if the Seahawks stay healthy, of course) in 2020 into 2021, but 2022 looks pretty good as well. Seattle released Carlos Dunlap who they traded for midway through 2020 this offseason but then because of the depressed cap Dunlap couldn’t find a taker for his services for as much as he was set to make prior to his release.

But Seattle constantly has such good rapport with its players that instead of Dunlap taking a lesser deal with another team, he came back to the Seahawks even after accepting that he was released and was going to make less cash than previously agreed to. But Schneider didn’t give Dunlap a one-year contract, Dunlap signed for two.

Other players that the Seahawks have signed to two-year contracts this offseason are Chris Carson, Nick Bellore (a special teams freak), Kerry Hyder (voids after the second year of his three-year contract), Poona Ford and Mayowa. Every single one of these players will make Seattle good in 2021 but also will be important in 2022 as well.

Seattle also traded for guard Gabe Jackson and then worked out a deal to keep him in Seattle through 2023. Then Tyler Lockett was extended for four years and is signed through 2025.

There will be questions that need to be answered after 2021, of course. Jamal Adams needs to be extended and will be costly. But with what Schneider has done this offseason there are fewer questions entering 2022 than there were just three weeks ago.

Even entering 2023 is less scary now. Russell Wilson is signed through that season as is Tyler Lockett. I don’t want to even think of what a D.K. Metcalf contract might look like but by then the salary cap will be bigger and there should be more room to bring Metcalf back after 2022, especially if Seattle moves on from Bobby Wagner.

And yet, the near-genius of Schneider’s moves this offseason also created cap space to sign more players. According to Spotrac.com, Seattle still has $9.56 to work with. This is more than Seattle started with even though Seattle has signed some really good players to add to 2021.

So let’s be thankful that John Schneider is the general manager of the Seahawks. Every year Seattle is a playoff contender and 2021 will be no different. Neither will 2022 or likely 2023. As long as Schneider is with Seattle good things are going to happen.