The Seattle Seahawks are going to reshape the roster over the next week. The 2025 NFL Draft begins on April 26 and runs through the 28th. But rookies won't fix all of Seattle's issues immediately. A veteran could.
Seattle made its biggest concern entertaining the offseason even bigger in free agency, though. Last year (and, heck...over the last decade...), the worst part of the team was the inefficiency of the offensive line. Left tackle Charles Cross was good, and left guard Laken Tomlinson was not awful, but everyone else could have been upgraded easily.
But the Seahawks let Tomlinson leave in free agency, so as currently constructed, the O-line is worse than it was in 2024. General manager John Schneider's notorious words that guards are "overdrafted and overpaid" at least prove he doesn't lie. He hasn't been aggressive in signing a free agent guard, so the hope is that he drafts one (or two) high in the 2025 draft.
Seahawks have a decision to make on Charles Cross after the 2025 NFL draft
But, hopefully, what Schneider feels about the interior of the offensive line does not extend to the tackle spots. Cross is an excellent left tackle, but the team could change the near future of the franchise if they let Cross walk in free agency after 2025. Schneider and the Seahawks have an easy decision to make soon that could ensure it doesn't happen.
May 2 is the date that all NFL teams have to decide if they want to place a fifth-year option on their 2022 first-round choices. Cross was the ninth overall pick that year, and Seattle's only first-round choice. The decision to pick up the option should be a no-brainer for Schneider.
Applying the option does two things for the Seahawks. One is that it gives the team time to work out an extension with the left tackle. Not doing so should call into question the general manager's job.
The other aspect is that the Seahawks would be assured of having Cross part of the team through 2026 before any potential contract drama unfolds.
If Seattle chooses to pick up the option, Cross's contract will pay him around $17.5 million in 2026. While that is a lot of money for, say, a running back, Cross, as a top left tackle, would still be underpaid. 13 left tackles in the league currently have contracts that pay them more per year than Cross would make in 2026.
According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Cross was the ninth-highest-graded overall tackle in the NFL in 2024. He was the sixth-best left tackle. John Schneider does not need to pick up Charles Cross's fifth-year option. He needs to sign Cross to a multi-year extension instead.