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Five edge rushers Seattle Seahawks should sign this offseason

By Lee Vowell

Oct 27, 2019; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Derek Barnett (96) rushes into the backfield against the Buffalo Bills in the fourth quarter at New Era Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 27, 2019; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Derek Barnett (96) rushes into the backfield against the Buffalo Bills in the fourth quarter at New Era Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Seattle Seahawks need to make their pass rush more consistent in 2022 to make the playoffs. To do so, signing one of the top free agent edge rushers would be a great step forward.

Seattle’s plans for 2021 failed defensively. The idea, one would assume, would be to load up on pass rushers and put so much pressure on opposing quarterbacks that the secondary didn’t have to work as hard. Then Ken Norton, Jr.’s idea of what a defense should be messed all that up.

I don’t blame John Schneider and Pete Carroll like some do for the defense’s inabilities in 2021. Schneider signed players like Aldon Smith (yes, it ended up being a fruitless mistake) and re-signed Carlos Dunlap with an idea of putting pressure on quarterbacks. Maybe the defense’s overall scheme is still is heavily influenced by Pete Carroll. But Ken Norton, Jr. made the calls just as Shane Waldron made the calls on offense.

5 edge rushers the Seattle Seahawks should sign this offseason

Too often Norton, Jr. had Dunlap and Benson Mayowa drop back in coverage instead of rushing the quarterback. 2022 needs to be completely different and Carroll seems to be aware of this as well. Norton, Jr. was fired after the season. Seattle is still looking for its next defensive coordinator. But whoever that coordinator winds up being has to be more aggressive than Norton, Jr. even if by accident.

In the final three games of the season, Seattle had 9 sacks. Dunlap, after being moved back primarily to his defensive end position had 7o f his 8.5 sacks for the year in the final four games and had 4 over the last three. But overall Seattle was 21st in the league in sacks which means most of the season was wasted by Norton, Jr.’s defensive playcalling. Seattle was 26th in pressure percentage as well (22.1 percent).

Norton, Jr. has now been fired and hopefully, Seattle is more aggressive defensively in 2022. They need to pressure quarterbacks a lot more. That could be helped by signing one of the following free agent edge rushers.

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