Three presumed Seahawks starters who might need new homes in 2023

Seahawks receiver Tyler Lockett

This part of the article isn’t about a player who may or may not be good. Tyler Lockett is going to be a productive player in 2022, unless he gets hurt and no one wants that to happen. But after the 2022 season, he starts to get really expensive while at the same time entering his age-31 year in 2023.

Lockett’s cap hit this year is $10,050,000 and goes up to $16,750,000 in 2023 and then moves to $23,950,000 in 2024 and 2025. That will be incredibly expensive for a receiver who will be 33 years old in 2025. Lockett’s dead cap will be $21150,000 in 2022 so it isn’t like the Seahawks are simply going to release him. The team wouldn’t do that. But trading him? That’s a definite possibility.

Seattle has enough draft capital in 2023 (two first-round picks and two second-round choices) to take Lockett’s replacement next year. Plus, if Seattle hits right on a receiver then that player is under contract – and a lot less expensive contract than Lockett will have – for four years and most of those years, the receiver will be paired with a young DK Metcalf. Plus, if Seattle were to trade Lockett, they likely should get at least a second-round pick back.

Lockett needs to stay healthy this year and be almost as productive as he has been the last several seasons. But he won’t have Russell Wilson throwing to him and a player that gets hit a lot, like receivers do, age fast. Lockett also is not a big guy.

I don’t want Lockett to go anywhere. He is as important off the field as much as he is in the locker room. But if Lockett takes a step back in 2022, the size of his contract might make the Seahawks take a look at moving him to another team.