The Seahawks have already made more splashy moves in 2023 than they normally do in free agency. Not only has Seattle re-signed some of their own free agents but they have grabbed some from other teams. For once, what Seattle did in the early part of free agency wasn’t boring.
Hopefully, Seattle isn’t done either. They still need help at linebacker and running back, especially. This is even more true after Seattle lost running backs Travis Homer (signed with the Bears) and Rashaad Penny (Eagles) to free agency. Seattle also lost linebacker Cody Barton (Commanders).
While Seattle could elect to rebuild its running back room through the draft, adding a veteran would probably still be a good move. And 12s know that there are a couple of former Seahawks that are still available in free agency and Seattle could entertain bringing them back. Bobby Wagner is one and Frank Clark is another, and that is just to name two. Here are the grades for who Seattle has signed so far.
Seahawks re-signed fullback/linebacker/everyman Nick Bellore
Bellore is valuable to the Seahawks almost as much as what he brings off the field than on the field. He could probably play even more on offense, blocking in goal line situations for Ken Walker III, or filling in at linebacker, but he is a special teams ace and captain.
Bellore, however, is clearly well-respected in the locker room. He was voted by his teammates as special teams captain in 2022 and probably will be again in 2023. He is a good veteran voice to have on a roster that is getting younger.
Grade: B
The only drawback to Bellore’s deal is that he could make up to $6.6 million over the next two years. That is a lot to give to a player who basically only plays special teams and is not a kicker, punter, or returner. That said, Seattle has a history of re-working Bellore’s deals and if the team releases him after the 2023 season, the dead cap would only be $1,150,000.
Seahawks re-sign kicker Jason Myers
Myers has been an excellent kicker since he came to Seattle in the 2019 season. Sure, like every kicker he will miss one just when a fan least expects it, such as when Myers missed the field goal at the end of regulation in Week 18 against the Rams. But Myers came right back in overtime and made the same kicker and the ball went right through the middle.
Most of Myers’ kicks leave little doubt as to not being good. With Seattle, Myers has made 87.5 percent of his field goals and 93.5 percent of his extra points. Both rank among the best in the NFL in the last four years. Also, the Seahawks didn’t overpay for him as his new four-year deal will pay him an average of a bit over $5 million a season. That is the going rate as the five kickers with the highest cap hits in 2023 all have a number of $5.1 million and higher.
Grade: A
Seahawks re-sign guard Phil Haynes
With Haynes, the future could go one of two ways. Seattle re-signed him most likely with the idea that he will be the starter at right guard in 2023. But he only got a one-year deal for $4 million. That is good money, though not great, but if he does play really well his 2024 contract is going to be a lot higher. So for Haynes, he has a one-year prove-it deal where he is going to have every opportunity to earn a long-term starting spot.
But Seattle could choose to a guard fairly high in the 2023 draft. If Florida’s O’Cyrus Torrence is around at pick 20 when Seattle is set to take their second first-round choice, he might be tough to pass on. Torrence looks like a future Pro Bowler and plays with a streak of nastiness that Pete Carroll likes. Still, right guard is Haynes to lose at this point.
Grade: B (with the potential to be much higher)
Seahawks re-sign quarterback Geno Smith
Every new item we learn about Geno Smith’s new contract with the Seahawks makes the deal even better. First of all, signing Smith was the right thing to do as he was much better than expected in 2022 and the traits he showed this past season to make him good are repeatable. His accuracy was no joke. Most of his throws were right where they had to be.
And while Smith still could make better decisions on when to take off and run and when not to throw into traffic, some have taken one thing for granted when it comes to Smith. While he was a long-term backup, he didn’t play much for six seasons. A player can practice as much as they want but until they play in live action, you never truly know how a player is going to do. Basically, with a year as a full-time starter under his belt, Smith could be even better in 2023.
Smith is also well-respected in the locker room, likely more so than when Russell Wilson was with Seattle. Smith’s teammates clearly want to play for him and that elevates the entire team. Plus, on a young roster, Smith’s experience as a backup and a starter will be valuable in helping teach the young guys.
Grade: A+
But the contract was structured in a way that is near-genius. Smith is on a three-year deal worth a maximum of $105 million. But his cap hit in 2023 is only $10.1 million which is extremely low for a veteran quarterback. This allows the Seahawks to sign other needed players in free agency. And if Geno doesn’t work out as well in 2023, Seattle left themselves an out of just $17.4 million in 2024.
Seahawks re-sign Drew Lock
Seattle also re-signed backup Drew Lock. This is important as Lock knows Seattle’s system after backing up Geno Smith in 2022. Lock didn’t play a single snap last year because Geno stayed healthy, so if he does need to enter a game in 2023, he could be rusty. His one-year deal will pay him what appears to be a $4 million base with a max of $7.5 million.
Grade: C
Seahawks sign defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones
The Seahawks clearly thought their defensive line was not at all good enough last season, and they were right. The defensive front helped next-to-nothing when it came to pressuring opposing quarterbacks, but worse, they couldn’t stop the run. If a team is playing a 3-4 base but the defensive tackles and ends can’t stop the run? Then those players have to go.
This is where Jones comes in. He is only 26 years old and can definitely pressure opposing quarterbacks. Seattle clearly has high hopes for him as they are paying Jones up to $51,530,000 over three seasons. His cap hit in 2024 will be $18,176,666 and it will be $23,176,668 in 2025. Basically, if Jones doesn’t work out after 2023, he won’t be back in 2024.
Grade: A
But Jones should be really good. He needs to work on being better against the run, but his ability to pressure quarterbacks and play the run decently enough gives Seattle a defensive lineman closer to what Michael Bennett could do than any other player they have had recently.
Seahawks sign defensive tackle Jarran Reed
Reed is a familiar face for 12s. He was drafted by the Seahawks and played with the team from 2016 through 2020. One season he had 10.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss. Reed hasn’t come close to having that number of sacks again during his career so that shouldn’t be expected in 2023. That said, he has had double-digit quarterback hits in four of the last five seasons so that should be expected.
Grade: B+
But Reed should be better against the run than Jones. That’s important as Reed will be lined up a bit more inside than Jones, but having Jones also allows Reed to see more one-on-one blocking which should increase Reed’s quarterback pressures. The contract will only pay him $10.5 million over two years so even that is a team-friendly deal.
Seahawks sign center Evan Brown
Brown has bounced around the league a bit since 2019 – four teams in four years. He did end up being the Lions’ starter at center for the majority of the 2021 and 2022 seasons, however. Brown was good at blocking for the run game last year but not good when pass-protecting.
Grade: C
For 12s, the hope should be that maybe Brown, who is 6’3″ and 320 pounds so big enough to play in the NFL, is a stop-gap player for whoever Seattle drafts in 2023. Brown isn’t bad, but he hasn’t shown the ability to be a long-term starter. Yet.
Seahawks sign linebacker Devin Bush
Bush is an interesting player. He is almost hurt by not meeting the expectations that the Steelers had for him when he was drafted 10th overall in the 2019 draft. That is a pretty high pick to not have panned out as well as Pittsburgh hoped. Bush is a solid tackler and big hitter but he does have his limitations.
Grade: C
Bush isn’t overly tall – he is 5’11” – so maybe that hurts him when he goes one-on-one in coverage with a tight end, but whatever the reason, Bush is not good at covering receivers. He also won’t add much in terms of pressuring quarterbacks as he has just 10 QB hits in four seasons. By far Bush’s best year in the NFL was his rookie season of 2019. In 2020m he tore his ACL and hasn’t seemed the same since. But maybe a change of scenery will help him rebuild his career.