The Seattle Seahawks were the best team in football last season. That said, getting back to the mountaintop is even tougher than getting there in the first place. Everybody aims for the crown, and all other 31 teams are already binge-watching Seahawks tape.
That's why general manager John Schneider can't afford to get complacent. This team has plenty of money to spend, with $59.5 million in available cap space, according to Over The Cap. Cash shouldn't be an issue when it comes to adding more talent to the mix.
The Seahawks' Dark Side defense was stellar in their Super Bowl-winning campaign. And, now that Riq Woolen will most likely leave in free agency, Greg Newsome II looks like a no-brainer candidate to replace him.
The Seattle Seahawks can strike gold with Greg Newsome II
Newsome was playing some of the best football of his career before the Cleveland Browns traded him to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Admittedly, he was inconsistent in the AFC South, especially in their playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills, but he's still an underrated guy and a good fit for Aden Durde's defense.
He's always been more efficient in zone coverage. He's at his best at Cover 3 and quarters, and the Seahawks ran zone coverage at an 80.4 percent clip last season, the third-highest in the league, per Sharp Football Analysis.
Moreover, Newsome is also a willing contributor against the run. That has led him to be out of position at times, but his ability to gamble has also helped him be a proficient disruptor, logging at least five pass breakups in every season he's been in the league, including a career-high 14 in 2024 and nine last season.
He's a former first-round pick, and he's just 25 years old. Spotrac projects his market value at three years and $27 million, an annual average value of just $9 million. That's more than worth the risk for a former first-round pick who's spent most of his career playing for a losing football team.
Newsome has given up a 61.1 percent catch rate in his career. He's only given up more than two touchdowns per season twice in his career, and while he can be a little extra at times, his competitive nature and drive are contagious.
Winning teams often excel at bringing out the best in talented players who haven't always thrived elsewhere. Given his athleticism and market value, he's the type of low-risk/high-reward pickup that screams 'nothing to lose, everything to win' for the reigning champions.