Seahawks: 8 free agents who are still available at positions of need
By Geoff Shull
Target number 3: K.J. Wright, OLB
Figured while we were on the topic of K.J. Wright I would pop this slide in here. No one, including Seattle, expected Wright to last this long into free agency. Yet here we are, sitting in the third phase of free agency with Wright still waiting for the right opportunity.
Wright is coming off arguably his best year as a pro. He made the move to the strongside linebacker spot thanks to the selection of Jordyn Brooks and the untimely injury of Bruce Irvin. Wright was clear he did not want to move to SLB. Yet, the move seemed to bring new life into the aging star.
He was the only player in the NFL who amassed 10 plus pass breakups and 10 plus tackles for a loss last year. What this comes down to, he hasn’t slowed down. He has always been slow. He wins with his mind and his length. He can play the run and he can defend the pass.
Since entering the league, he has always been looked over by fans and media outside of Seattle. He simply isn’t flashy enough to garner their attention. Because of this, he has taken contract after contract well below what he should have been making.
He had enough. He wanted to capitalize on last year’s success. He made sure the world knew he wasn’t going to be taking any more home-team discounts. He knew his value was still there. Unfortunately, with the cap dropping and teams not looking to invest in a 30 something outside linebacker, it hasn’t worked in his favor.
That is where Seattle comes in. He may not be happy about taking yet another below-market contract. However, at this point, unless an injury occurs in training camp, that is his best bet. Come back to a team he is familiar with and give it one last hurrah.
Contract estimate: 1 year, $3.75 million with incentives to push to $4.5 million.