Unlocking the Seattle Seahawks secrets to success in 2021

Seahawks wide receivers

Doing the same as I did for RBs, let’s look at what percentage of the top 50 WRs are in which year of their careers in 2021.

Year 1 – 6%

Year 2 – 16%

Year 3 – 10%

Year 4 – 12%

Year 5 – 10%

Year 6 – 10%

Year 7 – 8%

Year 8 – 16%

Year 9 – 4%

Year 10 onwards – 8%

This shows that 88% of the top 50 WRs in the NFL are in their first eight years of their NFL career, thus indicating that by year 8 they are reaching the end of their optimal value and it has to be questionable if they are retained beyond that point.

D.K. Metcalf has already established himself as a top ten WR in the NFL after just two years of his rookie deal, so he will clearly get a contract extension at some point. Using the traits as an indicator a deal that took him until the end of 2027 would be ideal, but if he wanted a year longer you would give it to him to ensure you get him through his prime as a WR.

Tyler Lockett enters his seventh season in 2021 having signed a contract extension that takes him effectively until the end of his NFL career.

This was not a move the Seahawks normally make, but they have assured themselves of having two top 20 WRs for the next three seasons and given them an option to trade Lockett at some point during that time by doing so.

The traits would indicate that Lockett’s levels may well drop off after two more seasons, so I can see a trade of Lockett happening during the next three years.

The Seahawks also have Freddie Swain in his second season, and rookies D’Wayne Eskridge, Tamorrion Terry, Connor Wedington and Cade Johnson on board for three seasons. If any of them can show they can succeed Lockett, then the Seahawks will have even more reason to move Lockett on.