Seattle Seahawks: A detailed plan for how to make 2022 better

The news everyone has been waiting for has finally dropped. Reports have stated that both Pete Carroll and John Schneider are all expected to return for the Seattle Seahawks in 2022.

This news has massive ramifications as to how the offseason is going to unfold. I’ll do my best to be brief but explain what this means for everyone’s favorite players and a path to success next season.

The biggest ramification this will have is how Russell Wilson is going to proceed. Since the report about the GM and HC staying in Seattle, Wilson’s camp has already dropped a response. Reportedly, the future Hall of Fame Quarterback is going to ‘explore his options.’

Should the Seattle Seahawks ‘run it back’ or move it forward?

From everything we have seen Wilson appears to value winning and legacy above all else. He is supposedly going to look for other options that will help him establish the legacy he wants to leave behind. I view only 3 teams to be real contenders for Wilson: the Giants, the Saints and the Broncos.

A quick explanation of my reasoning:

• Giants: The ownership is desperate. Desperate teams make desperate moves. Wilson sees a large market team with an owner facing immense pressure. The perfect opportunity to come in and be able to have an input on coaching hires, personnel moves, etc. This allows Wilson an opportunity to rebuild a franchise, which would further cement his legacy if successful.
• Saints: This one is very self-evident. The Saints have a top-tier offensive-minded head coach. They also have one of the best defenses in the NFL. Finally, they have a great offensive line/ running game. Perfect compliments to his game.
• Broncos: Quarterback is commonly viewed as the missing link. The team has an up-and-coming offensive line. They have a stellar defense. Most importantly, they have tons of weapons offensively on long-term contracts. The Broncos are also a historic franchise known for making the most of aging quarterbacks.

However, with the retention of both Pete Carroll, and John Schneider, I do not believe Wilson is going anywhere. There is very little chance that Pete Carroll entering his age 71 season is going to endure a rebuild. This likely leaves the core three intact unless something unforeseen and drastic happens.

Expect Wilson to be manning the quarterback position in 2022. What does this mean for the team’s free agents?

Cap space can be the Seahawks friend this offseason

The Seahawks have a slew of marquee-free agents slated to his the market. Pete Carroll recently told the media that he expects to use a good chunk of his free agency money simply keeping the current band together.

Let’s take a look at the team’s current cap space (2022) and free agents:

Cap space: $44 million

Draft pool: $6 million

Practice Squad: $2.5 million

Reserve funds: $4 million

True cap space: $31.5 million

The beginning cap space numbers are provided via Spotrac. It has the Seahawks carrying over $10.5 million from 2021’s books. The draft pool numbers were provided via OverTheCap. Practice squads increased both in size of the squad and average salaries.

The reserve funds vary by team. These are funds set aside just in case injuries occur and you need money to sign street-free agents. Teams usually set aside between $3-$6 million per year. This creates what is known as the “true cap.”

In other words, a realistic outlook for how much funds the team has to fill its 53-man roster. The team holds the 6th most cap space entering this offseason. They have money to play with. However, as coach Carroll said, they will need to take care of some of their own.

Follow me onto the following slide to go through how I think the Seahawks will handle their own free agents.

What the Seahawks should do with their own free agents

The Seahawks have the 6th-most cap space entering free agency. They have money to spend. however, they also have a lot of notable free agents.

Below I outlined a list of players I believe will either re-sign or leave in free agency. A quick note on contracts, 2 years, $20 million equates to $10 million per year. Teams rarely use this as the ‘cap hit.’

They usually try to have an inclining balance method to their allotment so that the cap hit starts off small and grows yearly, along with the cap rising. For this example something like $6 million cap hit in year one and $14 million in year two.

Seahawks free agents and predictions (receives a new contract with Seattle):

• LT Duane Brown: 2 years, $26 million (SEA)
• DJ Reed: 3 years, $28.5 million (SEA)
• TE Gerald Everett: 2 years, $11 million (SEA)
• C Ethan Pocic: 3 years, $18 million (SEA)
• RB Rashaad Penny: 2 years, $5.5 million (SEA)
• DB Ryan Neal: ERFA $895k (SEA)
• DT Bryan Mone: ERFA $895k (SEA)
• CB John Reid: ERFA $895k (SEA)
• WR Penny Hart: ERFA $895k (SEA)
• LB Tanner Muse: ERFA $895k (SEA)

Players that will leave in the off-season:

• FS Quandre Diggs
• CB Sidney Jones
• RT Brandon Shell
• DT Al Woods
• DL Rasheem Green
• TE Will Dissly
• CB Bleassuan Austin

Some notes on the reasoning behind the above predictions:

• Seattle saw their most consistent offensive line in years and will want to keep continuity (Brown and Pocic). Brown is still a solid stop gate LT. Pocic has improved in each of the last two seasons at center and has shown enough to be a solid option.
• DJ Reed has been the Seahawks most consistent CB since his debut last year. If there was one player to build the secondary around for the future, it’s Reed.
• Everett and Penny finally started to show up at the end of the season. They left enough out there that the team will be interested in how they produce next season on team-friendly deals.
• Sidney Jones and Quandre Diggs are likely gone simply because the team cannot pay everyone. With Reed and Adams under contract, they will have to search for less expensive options.
• Shell lost his job after enduring an injury. Unless he wants to come back on a minimal deal as a backup, he is likely looking for work elsewhere.
• Al Woods could very well come back. The cost will be the sticking point. He had a career year in 2021.
• Rasheem Green is one of the youngest players in free agency. He is the same age as many of the draft-eligible DE’s. He will get paid more than his production has shown. NFL experience + youth = potential, which pays bigly.
• Will Dissly has not been the same since injuries riddled him early in his career. He could be back on a low-cost contract but I elected to keep just one tight end.

These moves will indeed wipe out the vast majority of the cap space ($5.5 million remaining). However, a couple of moves could be made, follow me onto the next slide.

What about the players who are under contract for 2022: Cut, restructure, trade or extend?

The team more or less used all their “true cap” on their own free agents, just like Pete Carroll promised in his presser. Continuity will be key for what the current regime is going for. So what does that mean for the rest of the players?

Players that are not going anywhere:

• As was mentioned on the first slide, it is unlikely that Wilson is traded. He is thoroughly in their plans going forward. Whether he thinks he is, is a different question entirely. However, the club has Wilson under contract for two more seasons.
• Tyler Lockett would actually cost the team money to trade or cut. Plus, he is an incredible player. He isn’t going anywhere.
• Jamal Adams is the same story as Lockett. The team would lose money by cutting or trading him. He is back in 2022.
• Gabe Jackson was a big part of the Rashaad Penny break-out. His run blocking was superb. He will be back.

Cut candidates:

• Jason Myers will be a cut and re-sign candidate. Coach Carroll Loves “J-My.” However, Myers had a down season, The Seahawks could cut Myers save $4 million, and re-sign him for the vet minimum. This would result in a $3 million net savings.
• Chris Carson’s injury spree continued into 2021. He is dominant on the field but too often injured. He would save the team $3.5 million if cut.
• Kerry Hyder and Benson Mayowa barely made a dent this season. Neither accumulated much in terms of pressures, QB hits, or sacks. Cutting them both would save the team $3.5 million.
• You technically could slide Wagner in here. I personally would but I don’t see a team led by Pete Carroll doing such. Cutting Wagner would save the team $16.6 million.

Players that are extension eligible or potential trade candidates:

• As I notes above, I don’t believe Wagner is going anywhere despite his $20 million cap hit next season. My best guess, they will extend him two more seasons to lower his cap hit this year. Something in the ballpark of 2 years and $24-$27 million.
• DK Metcalf is going to be a hot topic this off-season. He is eligible for a major extension. The team already has a massive investment in WR Tyler Lockett. Are they going to want to invest in two-star WR’s? The alternative is trying to trade Metcalf in an attempt to pull off what the Vikings did with Stefon Diggs (drafted Justin Jefferson).

1. An extension will likely be around the $19-$21 million per year mark.
2. A trade would likely net a mid-first and mid-round pick in return. It looks to be a very good WR draft class.

• Poona Ford may never develop into an All-Pro. However, he is a dependable stud clogging up the run lanes. Extending him another two years to lower his cap hit and keep your run-stuffing DT through his prime would be smart business. Something in the ballpark of 2 years, $15 million should suffice.
• Carlos Dunlap is a name I don’t want to see go anywhere. Once the defense stopped dropping him into coverage, he produced. He accumulated 8 sacks, 8 tackles for a loss, and 10 QB hits in his final 6 games. However, his end-of-season call with 710 ESPN made it sound like he doesn’t expect to be back. He is thoroughly on the trade table. With just one year left on his deal, he could likely net the Seahawks a 5th round selection.

What does this mean for the Seahawks free agency?

I highly expect most of the players I have re-signed on here to be re-signed. The current regime appreciates continuity and saw massive development toward the tail-end of the season.

Summary: (starting True cap is $31.5 million)

• Players re-signed: Duane Brown, DJ Reed, Gerald Everett, Ethan Pocic, Rashaad Penny, Ryan Neal, Bryan Mone, John Reid, Penny hart, Tanner Muse (cost in 2022 cap hits is $25 million).
• Players that are being released: Chris Carson, Kerry Hyder, and Benson Mayowa (savings in 2022 cap hits are $10 million) *includes savings from cut and re-sign of Jason Meyers
• Players traded: DK Metcalf for a mid-first-round pick and a 4th round selection in 2022 (savings of $1.2 million), Carlos Dunlap for a 5th round pick ($1 million in savings).
• Players extended: Bobby Wagner and Poona Ford are both extended in this example. Between the two, the Seahawks should be able to recoup around $11 million in cap space.
• Available funds to spend in free agency: $29.7 million

In free agency, the team will need to focus on the defensive line. There are a lot of quality vets that are going to be available. I wrote in greater detail about who I would want the Seahawks to focus on here.

Some notable names available:

Offense:

• Allen Robinson WR (buy low on a talented WR).
• Davante Adams WR (unlikely but would be a huge get).
• Jamison Crowder WR (sneaky productive WR).
• Mike Williams, WR (big target who is elite on the deep ball).
• Odell Beckham Jr. WR (big play waiting to happen)
• Christian Kirk WR (who doesn’t love improving your team while weakening a division rival?)
• Melvin Gordon RB (a perfect complement to Penny w/o the injury history).
• Morgan Moses RT ( an upgrade at RT with Jake Curhan sliding back to the backup).

Defense:

• Vonn Miller DE (Stop trying to draft the next Vonn Miller and just sign him).
• Chandler Jones DE (a true game wrecker of the defensive end).
• Calais Campbell DL (Can play anywhere on the DL and produce).
• Jerry Hughes DE (late in his career but very productive. Perfect relief pitcher).
• Haason Reddick DE (a late blossoming player with two back-to-back 10-sack seasons).
• Akiem Hicks DT (Perfect pairing to Poona Ford at 3T).
• Melvin Ingram DE (KC’s defense didn’t produce until Ingram showed up).
• J.C. Jackson CB (the top cornerback available and turnover machine).

Not every player will be signed to Seattle. However, every player on this list would help improve the Seahawks roster. The three players I believe the Seahawks should aggressively try to sign are:

• Chandler Jones, DE: 3 years, $51 million. The team desperately needs a true game-changer at the defensive end position. Darrell Taylor has shown promise. However, he needs a counterpart. Jones is an absolute monster and should be aggressively pursued.
• Akiem Hicks, DT: 2 years, $15 million. Hicks may not be the player he once was. However, he is the perfect complement to a defensive line that consists of Darrell Taylor, Poona Ford, and Chandler Jones. He shores up the middle of the line while adding interior pass rushing-promise.
• Odell Beckham Jr, WR: 2 years, $15 million. Beckham’s reputation took a major downward turn during his tenure with the Browns and the end of the Giants era. However, now that he has a consistent and competent quarterback he is seeing a career revival. If Metcalf is traded, Odell is exactly the type of option the Seahawks should target on a low-cost, team-friendly deal.

What does this mean for the Seahawks draft class?

If the Seahawks focus their free agency money on the defensive side (which is where the strength is), the team should have a very simple strategy going into the draft. Add impact players early and potential players late.

The draft: round: (quantity of picks in that round)

1: (1 – DK Metcalf trade)

2: (1)

3: (1)

4: (3 – Metcalf and Jamal Adams trades)

5: (1)

6: (0)

7: (1)

My ideal draft:

Day one: Seahawks select (1 player)

• Roger McCreary, CB: Easily the best man coverage cornerback in the class. He is incredibly sticky in coverage. He is ball-hungry and makes every move to create turnovers. He allowed only 35 catches on 76 targets while creating 13 pass breakups. He is truly a remarkable coverage corner.

Day two:  Seahawks select (2)

• Logan Hall, DL: The single best word to describe Hall is explosive. He is going to test off the charts. He can play as the 3-tech or 5-tech. The prototypical Michael Bennett role. With Rasheem Green gone, You can’t do much better than Hall. A beautiful blend of explosiveness out of the stance and bend to beat the lineman consistently.
• Channing Tindall, LB: The Seahawks move back to a 4-3 front with Darrell Taylor able to simply put his earls back and rush the passer. They need a new heat-seeking missile in the middle of the field. Tindall’s upside is SKY-HIGH, and he is likely the fastest linebacker in the class.

Day three: Seahawks selections (5)

• Max Mitchell, OT: The left tackle for the future. Small school wonder who racked up the third most big-time run blocks last season. He only allowed nine pressures and zero sacks this season. He was the second-highest graded tackle in college this year, per PFF. A perfect stash player to learn behind Duane Brown.
• Dylan Parham, IOL: A former tight end moved to the interior of the offensive. He is incredibly athletic and raw. However, he is a blank slate and has the potential to play any of the 5 offensive line positions. Huge potential.
• Dameon Pierce, RB: An underutilized threat at the University of Florida. He possesses a compact frame with incredible contact balance. His legs never stop and he breaks a ridiculous amount of tackles. The perfect pairing with Rashaad Penny’s breakaway ability.

• Kirby Joseph, FS: A developmental free safety. The loss of Quandre Diggs leaves the Seahawks with the need for ball skills. Joseph amassed five interceptions in his lone season and is more than adept playing single-high safety.
• Khalil Shakir, WR: A human highlight reel. Shakir has phenomenal hands and YAC ability. His body control is remarkable. A perfect WR3 with WR2 upside.